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, I'm Shelley
Quinn, and we welcome you
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once again to 3ABN Today.
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And I just want to
take this opportunity
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on behalf of all of us
to thank you for your love,
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and your prayers, and
your financial support
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of this Mending
Broken People Network,
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and that's what it's all about.
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You know, Jesus
tells us in Matthew 28:19.
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He's saying...
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First He said, "All
authority has been given to Me."
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And then He says,
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"Now I'm going to
ask you to do something,
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and it's not just a suggestion,
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it's a commandment."
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He says, "Go
therefore and make disciples
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of all the nations,
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baptizing them in
the name of the Father,
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and the Son,
and the Holy Spirit,
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teaching them to
observe all things
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that I have commanded you."
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And, you know, we are all called
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to share the good news,
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but we don't have to get
out and do it on our own,
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all we've got to do is
say, "Lord, empower me,
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fill me with Your Holy Spirit.
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Let me reach out
and touch a life today."
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And we have an exciting program,
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I believe, for you today
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because we will be talking
about opportunities right here
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if you live in the United States
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or if you're in Australia,
any of the developed countries.
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What we are seeing is refugees
are coming into our country
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and these people
need to be ministered to,
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they need to hear the good news
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of the gospel of
salvation by grace
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and be introduced to
the one and only God.
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Well, let me introduce
to you our special guest.
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First, we have
Pastor Bryan Gallant.
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And, Bryan... Hello.
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Thank you so much
for returning to 3ABN.
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It's a privilege. Thank you.
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Yes, now you are the
refugee ministries coordinator
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for the
Iowa-Missouri Conference.
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You know, there's not a
whole lot of conferences
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that have refugee
ministries, is there?
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No, I'm thrilled to be
part of a sisterhood of churches
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that have made that commitment
to reaching out to the refugees
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whom God is bringing to us.
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Praise God.
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And we just want to
hear how all of this began
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sometime soon, during this hour.
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But, you know, you were
here with your wife Penny,
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it's been about two years?
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Two years ago.
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And sharing a
personal testimony,
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Bryan has written a book
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called Undeniable: An
Epic Journey Through Pain.
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And he and his wife
Penny were here telling how,
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in their fifth
year of their marriage,
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they were in a tragic accident
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and lost both of their children.
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But God brought you through,
not only brought you through,
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you didn't just
survive this, you're thriving
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and He's using
you in an amazing way.
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So thank you so much
for returning to 3ABN.
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Thank you.
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Now next to him, we have
two good looking young men.
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And I say that because
it's not just the packaging,
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which isn't bad.
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They're single, ladies.
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But they're
beautiful on the inside
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because they have the
love of Jesus inside of them.
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And first we have
Antoine Nsanzimana.
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Did I say it right? Nsanzimana.
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Where are you from,
Antoine? I'm from Burundi.
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Burundi, which
is Central Africa?
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Yes, ma'am. Okay.
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And you came
from a Hindu family,
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a Hindu family.
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Hindu... But you...
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Oh, excuse me, you came...
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Your mother was a Muslim,
your father was a Catholic,
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and you were born in
a refugee camp, right?
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Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
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We're going to hear
this fascinating story
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in just a minute.
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But also, then we
have Philip Dangal.
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And, Philip, you're from
Nepal? Yeah, that's right.
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Where are you
studying right now?
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And what are you studying?
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Right now I'm studying in Mexico
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in the
University of Montemorelos.
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And I'm doing
my theology degree.
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A theology degree.
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And only have one more semester
before you graduate, right?
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That's right.
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Now you mentioned
to me in the greenroom,
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you're interested perhaps
in getting your master's degree
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before moving back to Nepal.
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Yeah, I really have a
desire and a burden to go back
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and work in Nepal.
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But before that,
I would really like
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to achieve my
master's degree in this.
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And then go to Nepal.
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Well, glory to God that
He has His hand on you...
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on both of you for ministry.
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And you fit
into this story today
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because you, when you come,
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anytime that
Philip is not in school,
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he comes over here,
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then he ends up volunteering
with the refugee ministries,
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and we'll hear all
about that in just a second.
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Okay, before we begin
though, I know you love music,
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we love music, and we
have Gerri Lynn Mendenhall,
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and she is the
niece of Danny Shelton,
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and she is going to be
doing a duet with CW Garrett
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who is on the guitar,
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and our own ET
Everett is on the piano,
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and they're going
to play Amazing Grace.
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Amazing grace
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How sweet the sound
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That saved a wretch
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Like me
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I once was lost
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But now am found
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Was blind
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But now I see
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T'was grace that taught
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My heart to fear
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And grace, my fears relieved
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How precious did
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That grace appear
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The hour I first believed
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My chains are gone
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I've been set free
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My God, my Savior
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Has ransomed me
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And like a
flood His mercy reigns
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Unending love
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Amazing grace
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The Lord has promised good to me
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His word my hope secures
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He will my shield and portion be
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As long as life endures
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My chains are gone
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I've been set free
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My God, my Savior
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Has ransomed me
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And like a
flood His mercy reigns
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Unending love
00:09:05.71\00:09:09.44
Amazing grace
00:09:09.48\00:09:13.18
My chains are gone
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I've been set free
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My God, my Savior
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Has ransomed me
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And like a
flood His mercy reigns
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Unending love
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Amazing grace
00:09:39.91\00:09:44.71
The earth shall
soon dissolve like snow
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The sun forbear to shine
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But God who called me here below
00:10:00.23\00:10:07.84
Will be forever mine
00:10:07.87\00:10:23.59
You are
00:10:23.62\00:10:25.72
Forever mine
00:10:25.75\00:10:32.23
Praise God for
His amazing grace.
00:10:45.21\00:10:47.38
And when you
think about the three
00:10:47.41\00:10:48.81
most important gifts of grace,
00:10:48.84\00:10:50.85
Jesus Christ, the
Holy Spirit, and the Word,
00:10:50.88\00:10:53.42
you see that grace
is His divine assistance
00:10:53.45\00:10:56.58
and supernatural
power unto salvation,
00:10:56.62\00:10:59.52
and we do praise Him.
00:10:59.55\00:11:00.89
Thank you so
much to our singers.
00:11:00.96\00:11:03.32
And thank you once again
00:11:03.36\00:11:04.76
for spending a
little of your day with us.
00:11:04.79\00:11:07.43
We want to just hop
right into this, Bryan,
00:11:07.50\00:11:09.70
'cause we've got
a lot to talk about.
00:11:09.73\00:11:11.07
Yes.
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Tell us about the
Refugee Ministries.
00:11:12.47\00:11:16.14
What is it? When did it
start? Why is it necessary?
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We believe that God is the one
00:11:20.21\00:11:23.01
who ultimately is
the one orchestrating
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where people live.
00:11:25.45\00:11:26.82
Acts 17 mentions
that, that God is the one
00:11:26.85\00:11:28.85
who chooses the
times and the places.
00:11:28.88\00:11:31.09
And as in the mission
field and all these things,
00:11:31.12\00:11:33.09
we realize that oftentimes
00:11:33.12\00:11:36.22
we aren't always going
as well as we should be,
00:11:36.26\00:11:38.86
as you've mentioned
00:11:38.89\00:11:40.23
a command that sometimes
we take more as advice.
00:11:40.30\00:11:43.16
It's interesting now to realize
00:11:43.20\00:11:44.53
that because of the
world circumstances,
00:11:44.57\00:11:47.07
the wars, the natural disasters,
00:11:47.14\00:11:48.90
the pestilences, all
those different things
00:11:48.94\00:11:50.54
that we know are
coming in the end days,
00:11:50.61\00:11:52.67
that also means you
have a movement of people.
00:11:52.71\00:11:54.64
Yes. And so the refugee...
00:11:54.68\00:11:56.11
We're living in
probably what's considered
00:11:56.14\00:11:57.55
the largest refugee,
00:11:57.58\00:11:58.91
the greatest refugee
movement time in all history.
00:11:58.95\00:12:02.05
And so now refugees
are coming to the west,
00:12:02.08\00:12:05.85
to the United States,
to Europe, to Australia,
00:12:05.89\00:12:08.09
and these other
developed countries,
00:12:08.12\00:12:10.23
and there are
incredible opportunities
00:12:10.26\00:12:11.96
to connect with them here
00:12:11.99\00:12:14.10
in ways that we
haven't don't there.
00:12:14.13\00:12:15.93
Right.
00:12:15.96\00:12:17.30
So the Refugee Ministries
00:12:17.37\00:12:18.70
of the Iowa-Missouri Conference,
00:12:18.73\00:12:20.07
you're not a resettlement.
00:12:20.10\00:12:22.37
Right.
00:12:22.40\00:12:24.61
Bureau. Resettlement agency.
00:12:24.64\00:12:25.97
You're not a
resettlement agency,
00:12:26.01\00:12:27.48
what is it that you're doing?
00:12:27.51\00:12:29.74
Well, the work is a
huge range of things.
00:12:29.78\00:12:32.58
But anywhere from
trying to help the refugees
00:12:32.61\00:12:35.55
actually get
acclimated into the community
00:12:35.58\00:12:38.02
because a resettlement agency
00:12:38.05\00:12:40.19
only does the
first couple of months,
00:12:40.26\00:12:42.09
three or four months,
00:12:42.12\00:12:43.46
and then they
kind of got to live.
00:12:43.53\00:12:45.53
Now I've been as a missionary
00:12:45.56\00:12:47.53
dropped down
into another country,
00:12:47.60\00:12:49.23
and it takes more
than three months, so...
00:12:49.26\00:12:51.07
Yeah, yeah. But...
00:12:51.10\00:12:52.73
When you say
they've got to live,
00:12:52.77\00:12:54.14
do they have to
support themselves financially?
00:12:54.17\00:12:56.07
Well, there's some
government help for a while.
00:12:56.10\00:12:58.21
Okay.
00:12:58.24\00:12:59.57
But there's a tab on that,
and there's a limit to that.
00:12:59.61\00:13:01.24
And so within three months,
00:13:01.28\00:13:02.61
they're trying to teach them
English as a second language,
00:13:02.64\00:13:05.35
which doesn't
happen in three months,
00:13:05.38\00:13:07.12
and get them a job,
00:13:07.15\00:13:08.48
and have a home
and all those things.
00:13:08.52\00:13:09.95
But, you know, our whole
world has been uprooted again.
00:13:09.98\00:13:13.86
To be a refugee means
00:13:13.89\00:13:15.22
that you have been
displaced from your own home
00:13:15.26\00:13:17.56
because of war or challenges
or whatever it may be,
00:13:17.63\00:13:20.13
ethnic issues, you
go to a refugee camp.
00:13:20.20\00:13:24.70
Yes.
00:13:24.73\00:13:26.07
Now that word camp
means different things
00:13:26.10\00:13:29.10
than what we might be thinking.
00:13:29.14\00:13:30.61
We're thinking,
"Oh, good, we can camp,
00:13:30.64\00:13:33.04
you know, Pathfinder Camporee."
00:13:33.07\00:13:35.11
No, many of the refugees
are in those camps for years.
00:13:35.14\00:13:38.98
As a matter of fact, Antoine,
00:13:39.01\00:13:40.52
you were born in a refugee camp,
00:13:40.55\00:13:42.42
tell us that
story just a little?
00:13:42.45\00:13:44.62
When I was born in refugee camp?
00:13:44.65\00:13:45.99
Yeah.
00:13:46.02\00:13:47.36
I was born in
refugee camp about 1995,
00:13:47.39\00:13:51.56
that's the year I was born.
00:13:51.59\00:13:52.93
Right, and you
spent 12 years there.
00:13:52.96\00:13:54.80
Yes, ma'am.
00:13:54.83\00:13:56.16
And your parents had
other children as well
00:13:56.20\00:13:59.00
while they were there?
00:13:59.03\00:14:00.37
My mom had a sister,
her name's Ernestine,
00:14:00.44\00:14:04.04
she's my elder sister,
00:14:04.11\00:14:05.91
and she's an
amazing sister by the way.
00:14:05.94\00:14:09.81
I think she was
born in a refugee camp,
00:14:09.84\00:14:11.58
I'm not sure.
00:14:11.61\00:14:12.95
But they were from the part
00:14:12.98\00:14:14.32
where like Hutu and
Tutsi happened in Rwanda,
00:14:14.35\00:14:16.79
and that's why they had to
move all the way to Burundi.
00:14:16.82\00:14:19.82
All right. So
that's where we are now.
00:14:19.85\00:14:21.96
My mom gave me birth in 1995,
00:14:21.99\00:14:23.96
and I was born
in a refugee camp.
00:14:24.03\00:14:25.36
I spent all my life up
there in a refugee camp.
00:14:25.39\00:14:27.10
So you were 12
years old? Yes, ma'am.
00:14:27.13\00:14:29.10
Now your mother was Muslim,
your father was Catholic,
00:14:29.13\00:14:34.17
but what happened
in that refugee camp?
00:14:34.24\00:14:37.31
My mom, when she was
born as a Muslim person,
00:14:37.34\00:14:40.58
her parents were Muslims,
but she found a person that...
00:14:40.61\00:14:45.61
He was a guy that actually
was a Seventh-day Adventist,
00:14:45.65\00:14:49.18
who'd come to her,
00:14:49.22\00:14:50.59
do Bible study
with her every day,
00:14:50.62\00:14:52.12
and she really was
interested in Jesus Christ,
00:14:52.15\00:14:53.96
and she accepted Jesus Christ,
00:14:53.99\00:14:55.32
and she became a
Seven-day Adventist.
00:14:55.36\00:14:57.53
And when I grew up,
00:14:57.56\00:15:00.20
I wanted her
background not willfully.
00:15:00.23\00:15:03.37
All right, so
we're going to come back
00:15:03.40\00:15:04.73
for more of your story
00:15:04.77\00:15:06.10
because he has a
fascinating story
00:15:06.13\00:15:07.47
how the Lord
finally got his attention
00:15:07.50\00:15:09.70
because although his
mother converted to Christianity
00:15:09.74\00:15:12.87
and even his father converted
00:15:12.91\00:15:14.78
to become a
Seventh-day Adventist Christian,
00:15:14.81\00:15:18.01
this one walked on the wild side
00:15:18.05\00:15:19.55
for just a little while.
00:15:19.58\00:15:20.92
But we'll talk about why.
00:15:20.95\00:15:22.28
So you have somebody
00:15:22.32\00:15:25.65
that has been displaced
within their own country,
00:15:25.69\00:15:28.52
uprooted, put
into a refugee camp
00:15:28.56\00:15:31.19
sometimes for 10, 15, 20 years.
00:15:31.23\00:15:34.90
They don't know
00:15:34.93\00:15:36.26
when they're going
to have the opportunity,
00:15:36.30\00:15:37.87
so they've just got
to get out of there,
00:15:37.90\00:15:39.83
but when their
number is up, they call,
00:15:39.87\00:15:43.51
then they have to move
here not knowing English,
00:15:43.54\00:15:48.18
not being able to
support themselves.
00:15:48.21\00:15:50.25
Uprooted again. Yeah.
00:15:50.28\00:15:51.81
And taken to a
completely different country.
00:15:51.85\00:15:54.82
And so you land in a
place like the United States.
00:15:54.85\00:15:58.55
Let's say you are
from Central Africa,
00:15:58.59\00:16:01.09
and they send you
to Des Moines, Iowa.
00:16:01.12\00:16:04.33
The temperature
is different. Yeah.
00:16:04.36\00:16:07.00
You know, if you
land in December,
00:16:07.03\00:16:08.36
you can imagine,
00:16:08.40\00:16:09.73
and here they
are put into a place
00:16:09.76\00:16:11.20
that they've never seen before,
00:16:11.23\00:16:13.44
a language they
don't understand,
00:16:13.47\00:16:15.24
they don't know
how the culture works.
00:16:15.27\00:16:18.27
They're probably
put in an apartment
00:16:18.31\00:16:19.71
where they don't
know how to use the stove
00:16:19.74\00:16:22.31
or the air conditioning, right?
00:16:22.34\00:16:23.68
Absolutely. Wow!
00:16:23.75\00:16:25.08
The simplest things
that we take for granted
00:16:25.11\00:16:27.55
are completely new.
00:16:27.62\00:16:30.69
And we've had story after story
of refugee families coming in
00:16:30.72\00:16:35.72
and not knowing
how to cook the food,
00:16:35.76\00:16:38.73
not even knowing that we
had the chance to do that.
00:16:38.76\00:16:41.90
We actually had recently a
family that for almost a week
00:16:41.93\00:16:46.13
they remained in the hotel room
00:16:46.17\00:16:47.70
because in that particular city,
00:16:47.74\00:16:49.07
they didn't have an
apartment immediately,
00:16:49.10\00:16:50.91
but they didn't know
00:16:50.94\00:16:52.27
that they could go out
to get food or otherwise.
00:16:52.31\00:16:53.78
They thought that
they were being taken there
00:16:53.81\00:16:55.44
to finally be
tortured and killed,
00:16:55.48\00:16:57.91
what had been
attempted years before
00:16:57.95\00:17:00.52
until one of our
Adventist members
00:17:00.55\00:17:02.35
heard about them, came there,
00:17:02.38\00:17:03.79
and immediately began
to help them and said,
00:17:03.82\00:17:05.52
"No, we have all these resources
00:17:05.55\00:17:07.26
to bless their family."
00:17:07.29\00:17:08.62
Oh, that's amazing.
00:17:08.66\00:17:10.03
So what does
Refugee Ministries do?
00:17:10.06\00:17:14.36
Well, it does a
lot of things, Shelley,
00:17:14.40\00:17:15.83
anywhere from trying to help
educate our own church members
00:17:15.86\00:17:20.74
that this is not all the
things that they hear about
00:17:20.77\00:17:24.34
in the news, in the
politics, and the prejudice,
00:17:24.37\00:17:27.01
and the ignorance,
and the walls that are up,
00:17:27.08\00:17:28.54
these are people who
are coming here legitimately
00:17:28.58\00:17:32.68
to have a chance
to have a new life.
00:17:32.71\00:17:35.05
And each government
does that for so many people
00:17:35.08\00:17:37.85
through the course of each year.
00:17:37.89\00:17:39.52
So our role is anywhere
00:17:39.55\00:17:41.12
from trying to
raise the awareness
00:17:41.16\00:17:42.99
and to break down those walls
00:17:43.02\00:17:44.56
so that our Adventist
members would begin to reach out
00:17:44.59\00:17:47.20
and to build relationships
00:17:47.23\00:17:48.73
all the way to actually
caring for where we can help
00:17:48.76\00:17:51.90
to teach English
as a second language
00:17:51.93\00:17:54.14
in our various large cities,
00:17:54.17\00:17:56.04
to teach refugees how
to drive, that's a need.
00:17:56.07\00:18:00.88
If you've ever
traveled to other countries,
00:18:00.91\00:18:02.74
we want them to
learn a different style.
00:18:02.78\00:18:06.55
Teaching them, helping them
00:18:06.58\00:18:08.58
go to their different doctors'
appointments and things,
00:18:08.62\00:18:10.82
helping to be...
00:18:10.89\00:18:12.52
Someone that
helps them go shopping.
00:18:12.55\00:18:15.19
If you've been living in a place
00:18:15.22\00:18:16.56
where there are no
choices for their food
00:18:16.59\00:18:17.93
and all of a sudden
you come to a large store
00:18:17.96\00:18:19.43
and you have a whole
aisle of cereal, which is good,
00:18:19.46\00:18:22.90
helping them deal with diabetes
and all those sorts of things.
00:18:22.93\00:18:26.13
So one of the
aspects of Refugee Ministries
00:18:26.17\00:18:28.97
is to just get our
church members involved
00:18:29.00\00:18:31.91
in very tangible
ways, becoming a friend,
00:18:31.94\00:18:34.18
one of the greatest needs.
00:18:34.21\00:18:35.54
Amen.
00:18:35.58\00:18:36.95
But then also as you will
hear more of Antoine's story too
00:18:36.98\00:18:39.78
is to help to provide Christian
00:18:39.81\00:18:41.78
Christ-centered
education for their children.
00:18:41.82\00:18:44.29
Amen.
00:18:44.32\00:18:45.65
Because what happens
when a refugee family
00:18:45.69\00:18:48.42
comes to this
country and to others
00:18:48.46\00:18:51.06
is the children
will learn the language
00:18:51.09\00:18:53.60
much faster than the adults.
00:18:53.63\00:18:55.96
In fact, some
adults won't learn English.
00:18:56.00\00:18:59.47
And so what has happened,
00:18:59.50\00:19:00.84
you can imagine,
some of these cultures,
00:19:00.87\00:19:02.20
especially Asian
cultures, African cultures,
00:19:02.24\00:19:05.14
it's a very strong
parental family system,
00:19:05.17\00:19:08.94
but now they come to this place,
00:19:08.98\00:19:10.45
and it's all been
turned upside down
00:19:10.48\00:19:12.98
because the children
become the translators,
00:19:13.01\00:19:14.88
the children become in
a sense the power brokers
00:19:14.92\00:19:17.29
who can communicate
with the authorities,
00:19:17.32\00:19:19.49
with the school,
00:19:19.52\00:19:20.86
and the parents know
none of the language.
00:19:20.89\00:19:23.93
And so there are
some serious challenges,
00:19:23.96\00:19:25.99
and as a church,
00:19:26.03\00:19:27.93
we can help to do
something about that
00:19:27.96\00:19:30.10
in Iowa, Missouri specifically,
the visionary leadership
00:19:30.17\00:19:34.04
under Elder Dean
Cordon as the president,
00:19:34.07\00:19:37.11
we've made a commitment
00:19:37.14\00:19:38.47
as a church
community of those two states
00:19:38.51\00:19:41.51
to provide Christian
education for any refugee child
00:19:41.54\00:19:44.58
that would like to be in
one of our Adventist schools.
00:19:44.61\00:19:45.98
Praise the Lord. So
we raise funds for that.
00:19:46.01\00:19:48.85
And we've had
more than 50 students
00:19:48.88\00:19:50.89
and our academy is full
00:19:50.92\00:19:52.25
because we have
the normal students
00:19:52.29\00:19:54.06
as well as
refugee students coming.
00:19:54.09\00:19:56.93
We've made a
commitment to never allow money
00:19:56.96\00:19:59.26
to stop a child from
attending our schools.
00:19:59.29\00:20:01.30
Amen and amen.
00:20:01.33\00:20:02.66
So Refugee
Ministries are responsible
00:20:02.70\00:20:04.07
for doing that as well
00:20:04.10\00:20:05.43
and coordinating
all those things.
00:20:05.47\00:20:06.80
I imagine these
people need to be clothed.
00:20:06.84\00:20:08.54
There's all
kinds of things, right?
00:20:08.57\00:20:09.90
That's right.
00:20:09.94\00:20:11.27
So, Antoine, let's get
back to you for a second.
00:20:11.31\00:20:14.78
When your family,
you'd been 12 years,
00:20:14.81\00:20:18.21
you personally,
in the refugee camp,
00:20:18.25\00:20:21.58
your family is
plucked up and where...
00:20:21.62\00:20:24.89
Did they bring you to St. Louis?
00:20:24.92\00:20:26.25
Is that where you first located?
00:20:26.29\00:20:27.89
Yes, ma'am
00:20:27.92\00:20:29.26
All right, were there
other people from Burundi there
00:20:29.29\00:20:33.93
or were they mostly
people of, I mean...
00:20:34.00\00:20:37.17
Sometimes these
refugees are quite isolated
00:20:37.20\00:20:40.34
within the resettlement
00:20:40.37\00:20:42.34
because you don't
have a lot of families
00:20:42.37\00:20:44.11
from your own area.
00:20:44.14\00:20:45.57
What was your experience?
00:20:45.61\00:20:47.38
Well, when we first actually
came to St. Louis, Missouri.
00:20:47.41\00:20:50.88
When we touched
down St. Louis, Missouri,
00:20:50.95\00:20:54.82
what I'm here now is that
00:20:54.85\00:20:56.79
I think I was the
first Burundian people
00:20:56.82\00:20:59.19
that was in St. Louis, Missouri.
00:20:59.22\00:21:00.76
Wow! Wow!
00:21:00.79\00:21:02.29
'Cause we were just,
00:21:02.32\00:21:03.66
we were staying
in these apartments,
00:21:03.73\00:21:05.06
I was just looking
for all Burundi people,
00:21:05.09\00:21:06.43
we couldn't find any.
00:21:06.46\00:21:07.80
You couldn't find
anyone of your own language
00:21:07.83\00:21:09.40
or your own culture?
00:21:09.43\00:21:11.07
So did you come
to the United States
00:21:11.10\00:21:13.27
and just say, "Woo-hoo!
00:21:13.34\00:21:15.00
We've arrived, and
people accepted you,
00:21:15.04\00:21:17.67
and you went to school,
and everything was good."
00:21:17.71\00:21:20.58
What was it like?
00:21:20.61\00:21:21.94
Well, when I
first came to America,
00:21:21.98\00:21:23.48
you know, I thought
life was going to be good,
00:21:23.55\00:21:25.48
I was going enjoy
life, you know, just...
00:21:25.51\00:21:28.15
But there's some things
that wasn't right in school.
00:21:28.18\00:21:33.56
When I first started
going to school, I had,
00:21:33.59\00:21:36.29
you know, people make fun of me,
00:21:36.32\00:21:37.99
the way I smell, my skin color,
00:21:38.03\00:21:40.80
you know, I just
laugh along with them
00:21:40.83\00:21:42.16
'cause I don't know
what they're talking,
00:21:42.20\00:21:43.90
and they're just
laughing, and I just went,
00:21:43.97\00:21:45.30
you know, got along them.
00:21:45.33\00:21:46.67
Oh, 'cause you couldn't
understand what they're saying.
00:21:46.74\00:21:48.30
Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Okay.
00:21:48.34\00:21:49.67
'Cause I couldn't
understand what they're saying.
00:21:49.70\00:21:51.24
So basically, I was
being bullied a lot.
00:21:51.27\00:21:53.24
And I just, you know,
laugh along with them.
00:21:53.27\00:21:57.15
You were probably a lot
happier not understanding, huh?
00:21:57.18\00:21:59.88
Yes, ma'am. Yes,
ma'am. For a little bit.
00:21:59.91\00:22:02.02
For a little bit till I find out
00:22:02.05\00:22:03.49
what they're talking about,
00:22:03.52\00:22:04.85
that's, you know, where
I started getting angry,
00:22:04.89\00:22:07.39
and I just
wanted to be like them,
00:22:07.46\00:22:09.26
you know, just like one of them.
00:22:09.29\00:22:12.09
And I don't know
if this is a good time
00:22:12.13\00:22:14.50
to share my testimony.
00:22:14.53\00:22:15.86
Sure. Go ahead.
00:22:15.90\00:22:17.27
And I had a best friend,
you know, in middle school.
00:22:17.30\00:22:23.20
He was a close buddy, you
know, he was a refugee too.
00:22:23.24\00:22:28.91
He was one of the
guy that had money,
00:22:28.94\00:22:32.31
that he had
pretty much everything,
00:22:32.35\00:22:33.72
and he was young, and
I want to be like him.
00:22:33.75\00:22:36.52
So I already, you
know, as soon as you say
00:22:36.55\00:22:39.62
he's young, he's a refugee,
but he's got a lot of money
00:22:39.65\00:22:42.66
and you want to be like him.
00:22:42.69\00:22:44.26
You know, the first
thing I'm thinking off is that
00:22:44.33\00:22:46.06
he's into selling drugs?
00:22:46.09\00:22:47.76
Yes, ma'am. Okay.
00:22:47.80\00:22:49.40
I found out he
was a drug dealer,
00:22:49.43\00:22:51.17
and now I want to be like him.
00:22:51.20\00:22:53.00
I want to make money too.
00:22:53.03\00:22:54.74
Was he a member of a gang or...
00:22:54.77\00:22:56.57
Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
00:22:56.60\00:22:57.94
He was one of the...
00:22:57.97\00:22:59.74
He was a member of the gang,
00:22:59.77\00:23:01.11
but he was too
young in those gangs.
00:23:01.14\00:23:03.65
But he was like one of
my closest best friend.
00:23:03.68\00:23:07.45
And I asked him if...
00:23:07.52\00:23:09.32
When I got to high
school, I asked him if I can,
00:23:09.35\00:23:10.89
you know, just join you
guys being part of these things
00:23:10.92\00:23:13.76
'cause I was getting
tired of getting bullied,
00:23:13.79\00:23:15.69
you know, I just want
to do something amazing,
00:23:15.72\00:23:18.43
you know, just as long as
I have money in my pocket.
00:23:18.46\00:23:22.20
And I asked him how can I...
00:23:22.23\00:23:24.70
You wanted some peers you
could hang with too, right?
00:23:24.73\00:23:27.44
Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
00:23:27.47\00:23:29.04
So did you go
through a gang initiation,
00:23:29.07\00:23:32.24
what happened?
00:23:32.27\00:23:33.61
Yes, ma'am. Yes,
ma'am. From that point...
00:23:33.68\00:23:35.01
That's when my best friend
00:23:35.04\00:23:36.38
actually took me into
that part of the game.
00:23:36.41\00:23:38.58
And we talked to the leader,
00:23:38.61\00:23:41.25
and he asked me do I
want to be in a gang.
00:23:41.28\00:23:43.02
I'm like, "Yeah, I
want to be in the game."
00:23:43.05\00:23:45.12
And from that
point, he said, "Okay,
00:23:45.15\00:23:46.76
we're going to come pick
you like 3am in the night."
00:23:46.79\00:23:50.43
So I accepted, and
I climb up the window,
00:23:50.46\00:23:52.83
and I went with them.
00:23:52.86\00:23:54.33
And they took me somewhere,
you know, I got jumped,
00:23:54.36\00:23:58.47
I got beat up so many, and I...
00:23:58.50\00:24:00.14
So being jumped means
you're getting slammed
00:24:00.17\00:24:02.27
with fists and
everything else, right?
00:24:02.30\00:24:04.31
Yes, ma'am.
Definitely, definitely.
00:24:04.34\00:24:06.81
All of that, you know,
just trying to fight for,
00:24:06.88\00:24:10.05
you know, 'cause
I want to be there,
00:24:10.08\00:24:11.41
I want to be in there.
00:24:11.45\00:24:12.78
So that's your
initiation, did you not...
00:24:12.81\00:24:15.35
You didn't put two
together and say, "Hey,
00:24:15.38\00:24:17.59
are these people really
welcoming me into something"?
00:24:17.62\00:24:19.89
It's just
something you had to do, huh?
00:24:19.92\00:24:23.86
Yeah, my mind,
when I was focusing,
00:24:23.93\00:24:25.56
I was like, you know, I
just want to be in the level
00:24:25.59\00:24:28.40
that my best
friend is right now.
00:24:28.43\00:24:30.40
You know, one day he hit
me, I'm going to fight back,
00:24:30.47\00:24:32.20
so basically
whatever, they were hitting me,
00:24:32.23\00:24:33.94
and I even had a person
00:24:33.97\00:24:35.30
that had to cut me with a knife.
00:24:35.34\00:24:36.81
But from there, I'm like no...
00:24:36.84\00:24:40.28
I'm like, "Just forget it."
00:24:40.31\00:24:41.64
And that's when
I'm like, you know...
00:24:41.68\00:24:44.15
Antoine, did your precious
little Christian mama know
00:24:44.18\00:24:47.12
that you're doing this?
00:24:47.15\00:24:48.48
Not really. Nobody
in my family knew that.
00:24:48.52\00:24:52.35
Nobody, not even
my little brothers,
00:24:52.39\00:24:53.86
they didn't know that.
I was just keeping silent.
00:24:53.89\00:24:56.52
How old were you
when you joined the gang?
00:24:56.56\00:24:58.06
I was about 16 years old.
00:24:58.09\00:25:00.03
Sixteen years old. Yes, ma'am.
00:25:00.10\00:25:02.06
All right, so now are you
becoming big man on campus
00:25:02.10\00:25:04.53
'cause you're selling drugs too?
00:25:04.57\00:25:06.63
When I was in campus,
00:25:06.67\00:25:08.00
I would feel
like I was the big man
00:25:08.04\00:25:10.11
'cause of the money I was making
00:25:10.14\00:25:11.47
and I was making a lot of money.
00:25:11.51\00:25:14.21
I was, you know,
stealing cars all day.
00:25:14.28\00:25:16.88
And I feel like I
was the man in the house.
00:25:16.95\00:25:20.52
Did you sell drugs at
school? I just have to tell you.
00:25:20.55\00:25:24.32
You may be living
in some little town.
00:25:24.35\00:25:26.02
I know that in a
little town where we lived,
00:25:26.05\00:25:29.92
I had a niece and
her friends came over,
00:25:29.96\00:25:32.46
and they all
called me Aunt Shelley.
00:25:32.49\00:25:34.90
And I'm giving
them the drug talk
00:25:34.93\00:25:37.07
to avoid drugs, you
know, and trying to...
00:25:37.10\00:25:39.60
'Cause they were 15.
00:25:39.63\00:25:41.47
And one of them looked
at me, she rolled her eyes
00:25:41.50\00:25:44.14
and she said,
"Oh, Aunt Shelley."
00:25:44.21\00:25:46.54
She said, "It is so easy.
00:25:46.57\00:25:49.21
It's easier for us to get
drugs than it is to get gum."
00:25:49.24\00:25:53.92
And I said, "What do you
mean?" She said they sell it.
00:25:53.95\00:25:56.82
They sell drugs at school,
but we have to cross the street
00:25:56.89\00:26:00.66
to go to the little
supermarket to buy gum.
00:26:00.69\00:26:04.79
And I'm like in
a small little town
00:26:04.83\00:26:07.50
out in the middle of nowhere,
00:26:07.53\00:26:09.56
you'd think that
your children are safe.
00:26:09.60\00:26:11.33
Do not assume that
your children are safe.
00:26:11.37\00:26:16.24
And so here you are,
you're a big man on campus,
00:26:16.27\00:26:20.78
making big money.
00:26:20.81\00:26:22.58
How did God get your attention?
00:26:22.61\00:26:24.61
Well, there is this...
00:26:24.65\00:26:26.18
I was in there for like a while.
00:26:26.21\00:26:27.78
And one day, we
had a pastor actually,
00:26:27.82\00:26:30.49
we had a visitor from Michigan,
his name is Pastor Wilson.
00:26:30.52\00:26:35.99
He came to visit
us, he's from Africa.
00:26:36.02\00:26:37.83
When you say came to visit us,
00:26:37.86\00:26:39.19
he's visiting your family
00:26:39.23\00:26:40.60
and staying with
your family, huh?
00:26:40.63\00:26:41.96
Yes, he came to visit us.
00:26:42.00\00:26:43.33
Yeah, he's staying with us,
00:26:43.37\00:26:44.70
you know, for couple of months
00:26:44.73\00:26:46.07
'cause he was
going to some churches.
00:26:46.10\00:26:47.44
We had a church called
Otumoetai that he was going.
00:26:47.47\00:26:50.11
They had no pastor,
he knew about it too.
00:26:50.14\00:26:52.84
And he was there.
00:26:52.87\00:26:54.68
And one day, I went to church,
00:26:54.71\00:26:57.05
but he wasn't
there from that moment
00:26:57.08\00:26:58.41
when I went to that
church with my parents.
00:26:58.45\00:27:00.62
And I heard this pastor,
00:27:00.65\00:27:02.25
his name is Pastor Vic actually.
00:27:02.28\00:27:03.99
I remember going in
when I was sagging my pants.
00:27:04.02\00:27:06.52
And this lady was at the door,
she like, "Put up your pants."
00:27:06.55\00:27:08.79
I'm like, No.
"This is house of God,
00:27:08.82\00:27:10.63
I had to put up my pants,
00:27:10.66\00:27:11.99
I didn't want to..."
00:27:12.03\00:27:13.40
So you were wearing your
pants low around your hips
00:27:13.43\00:27:14.80
like the gang members do?
00:27:14.83\00:27:16.16
Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
00:27:16.20\00:27:17.57
'Cause I wasn't
involved in those gangs,
00:27:17.60\00:27:20.34
you know, basically, I
just want to be like them.
00:27:20.37\00:27:22.17
That was the only
thing I was doing.
00:27:22.20\00:27:24.01
And when I heard Pastor Vic,
00:27:24.04\00:27:25.97
he was talking about how
much Jesus Christ loves you,
00:27:26.01\00:27:28.88
heals you, so
many things, you know?
00:27:28.91\00:27:31.01
I'm like, "Okay, I
want to accept that,
00:27:31.05\00:27:32.51
but that's not
what I need right now."
00:27:32.55\00:27:35.35
And I got to a point...
00:27:35.38\00:27:37.42
So you wanted to accept
Jesus when it was convenient.
00:27:37.49\00:27:39.99
Is that what it is? Yes, ma'am.
00:27:40.06\00:27:41.39
Okay. Yes, ma'am.
00:27:41.42\00:27:42.76
And it was kind of hard me,
00:27:42.79\00:27:44.39
you know, it was
kind of hard for me,
00:27:44.43\00:27:45.76
but I was too busy
worrying about money
00:27:45.79\00:27:47.40
and, you know,
pretty much all that stuff.
00:27:47.43\00:27:49.73
And I remember this moment me,
00:27:49.76\00:27:51.63
my best friend who was
selling drugs on the street.
00:27:51.67\00:27:56.81
We were just selling
drugs and a car came by
00:27:56.84\00:27:59.81
and started
shooting us about 12 times.
00:27:59.84\00:28:02.81
And not even one
single bullet touched me,
00:28:02.84\00:28:06.18
but when I looked down,
00:28:06.21\00:28:07.68
I saw my best friend
laying down on the floor
00:28:07.72\00:28:09.95
when he was already dead.
00:28:09.98\00:28:11.32
Oh, I'm so sorry.
00:28:11.35\00:28:12.69
I know that is very
traumatic. Yes, ma'am.
00:28:12.72\00:28:14.06
It was pretty much hard for
me 'cause all that those things,
00:28:14.09\00:28:17.03
you know, people
keep talking about God,
00:28:17.06\00:28:19.79
I'm like, "Okay, I know God,
00:28:19.83\00:28:22.40
but who is this
Jesus saying that He heal?
00:28:22.43\00:28:24.17
Can He heal just my friend?"
00:28:24.20\00:28:26.23
And it was kind of hard for
me when I went to his funeral,
00:28:26.27\00:28:28.07
it was really hard
for me to, you know...
00:28:28.10\00:28:29.60
So were you mad at
God because it happened?
00:28:29.64\00:28:31.47
I was really angry with Jesus.
00:28:31.51\00:28:34.41
You were angry with Jesus.
00:28:34.44\00:28:35.78
I was so angry with Jesus, like,
00:28:35.81\00:28:37.98
you know, people
say He's coming soon.
00:28:38.01\00:28:40.05
You know, there's
something in my heart,
00:28:40.12\00:28:41.45
I'm like, "Okay,
He's coming soon,
00:28:41.48\00:28:42.82
why can't He just do
something to my best friend
00:28:42.85\00:28:44.42
and just heal him so
we all can be there?"
00:28:44.45\00:28:47.06
And from that moment,
00:28:47.09\00:28:48.66
I stopped
continuing doing my things,
00:28:48.69\00:28:51.53
selling drugs, all that.
00:28:51.56\00:28:53.60
Then I got to a
point where the pastor,
00:28:53.63\00:28:56.87
Pastor Wilson
came and he's like,
00:28:56.90\00:28:58.60
"You know you should
share your testimony.
00:28:58.63\00:28:59.97
You should
share your testimony."
00:29:00.04\00:29:01.37
I'm like, "No, I don't
want to share my testimony."
00:29:01.40\00:29:04.61
And the reason why I
had to share my testimony,
00:29:04.64\00:29:09.41
one day when me and my
friends were in a car, we were,
00:29:09.44\00:29:12.58
you know, just driving around,
00:29:12.61\00:29:13.95
going to go pick up one
of my friend's girlfriend
00:29:14.02\00:29:16.35
and we saw some guys
00:29:16.38\00:29:17.72
and they were
shooting us so many times,
00:29:17.75\00:29:19.32
and there was only one bullet.
00:29:19.35\00:29:21.82
When I turned around
and look at the back,
00:29:21.86\00:29:24.13
everybody was safe.
00:29:24.16\00:29:26.03
So the devil was
trying to take you out,
00:29:26.06\00:29:28.00
but God had His hand
of protection around you.
00:29:28.03\00:29:29.86
Definitely.
00:29:29.90\00:29:31.23
That's when I said,
"Okay, there is Jesus.
00:29:31.27\00:29:33.84
I want to get to
know this Jesus Christ."
00:29:33.87\00:29:35.97
And I went to him like, "Okay,
I want to share my testimony."
00:29:36.00\00:29:39.14
And he put in the testimony
00:29:39.17\00:29:40.51
when all the people
were getting baptized
00:29:40.58\00:29:42.14
and I shared my testimony...
00:29:42.18\00:29:43.55
My mom, she was in
tears, she was like,
00:29:43.58\00:29:47.65
"How come you
never told me that?"
00:29:47.68\00:29:49.78
You know, she was heartbroken.
00:29:49.82\00:29:52.09
And when I shared that,
00:29:52.12\00:29:54.82
I got a call from
this guy called Tom Evans.
00:29:54.86\00:29:58.53
He was there actually.
00:29:58.56\00:30:00.30
And he's like,
00:30:00.33\00:30:02.23
"You know, go to this
Reach the World Next Door,
00:30:02.26\00:30:04.60
you're going to meet
Pastor Scott. Talk about it."
00:30:04.63\00:30:06.20
Now hang on a second.
00:30:06.23\00:30:07.57
You've accepted
Christ as your savior then.
00:30:07.64\00:30:09.50
From that day, no, I didn't.
00:30:09.54\00:30:11.51
Pardon? I didn't.
00:30:11.54\00:30:12.94
You had not yet accepted?
00:30:12.97\00:30:14.34
I had not yet
accepted Jesus Christ.
00:30:14.38\00:30:15.71
So you've got a man
who's coming to somebody
00:30:15.74\00:30:18.18
who's just told
this wild testimony,
00:30:18.21\00:30:20.42
and this pastor
is saying you need
00:30:20.45\00:30:22.25
to go to Reach
Your Neighbor Next Door,
00:30:22.28\00:30:25.45
which is a program.
00:30:25.49\00:30:26.86
Yes, ma'am. Reach
the World Next Door.
00:30:26.89\00:30:28.22
Reach the World Next Door.
00:30:28.26\00:30:29.72
And this is a program
00:30:29.76\00:30:32.06
that is
reaching out to refugees,
00:30:32.09\00:30:35.00
and they are...
00:30:35.03\00:30:37.20
We've interviewed them
here, they're down in Houston,
00:30:37.27\00:30:39.70
and they're training people up
how to break down the barriers,
00:30:39.73\00:30:44.44
and go out, and
canvass, and knock on doors,
00:30:44.47\00:30:49.44
and get to know people,
and bring them to Christ.
00:30:49.48\00:30:52.28
So he's telling you,
you're not a Christian yet,
00:30:52.31\00:30:55.52
but he's saying,
"Hey, go down here
00:30:55.55\00:30:57.19
to this Reach
the World Next Door."
00:30:57.22\00:30:59.72
And you did.
00:30:59.75\00:31:01.09
Yeah, actually, I
talked to Pastor Scott,
00:31:01.12\00:31:02.46
and he's like, "You
know, the first thing
00:31:02.49\00:31:04.43
I think you should do,
you should go canvass."
00:31:04.46\00:31:06.26
And when I went canvassing,
00:31:06.29\00:31:08.36
and there was thing
book called Desire of Ages,
00:31:08.40\00:31:10.57
you know? I
remember going up there,
00:31:10.60\00:31:12.50
pretend like I was sick,
00:31:12.53\00:31:13.87
I was canvassing with
the Wichita College actually.
00:31:13.94\00:31:16.71
And I would pretend
like, you know, I'm sick,
00:31:16.74\00:31:18.37
I don't want to go outside.
00:31:18.41\00:31:19.87
And there was one of this book,
one of my brother called Chris,
00:31:19.91\00:31:23.48
he showed me Desire of Ages.
00:31:23.55\00:31:24.88
he was just reading
about Desire of Ages
00:31:24.91\00:31:26.55
and he got to a
point where he said that,
00:31:26.58\00:31:31.39
you know, the moon, the sun,
00:31:31.42\00:31:33.12
even the angels did not want
00:31:33.15\00:31:34.49
to look at Jesus Christ for sin.
00:31:34.52\00:31:37.13
And that really
just hit me like...
00:31:37.16\00:31:38.99
When He was on the cross?
00:31:39.03\00:31:40.40
Yeah. Bearing our sins.
00:31:40.43\00:31:41.76
Yes, then I realized,
00:31:41.80\00:31:43.13
you know, He was on
cross just for my sins,
00:31:43.16\00:31:45.30
He gave everything away,
00:31:45.33\00:31:47.64
everything you
can imagine heaven,
00:31:47.67\00:31:49.20
that we're going to have,
00:31:49.24\00:31:50.61
Jesus was willing to
give that away and lose life.
00:31:50.64\00:31:52.84
And that got to
a point, I'm like,
00:31:52.87\00:31:54.21
"Hey, money is
not that important,
00:31:54.28\00:31:55.61
let me give my
life to Jesus Christ."
00:31:55.64\00:31:57.15
And that's how end up
00:31:57.18\00:31:58.51
going to the Reach
the World Next Door.
00:31:58.55\00:32:00.35
So you gave your
life to the Lord,
00:32:00.42\00:32:01.98
you went to that program,
00:32:02.02\00:32:04.09
and you are now actually
ministering to refugees.
00:32:04.12\00:32:10.13
Let me ask you...
00:32:10.16\00:32:11.49
I had several thoughts,
00:32:11.53\00:32:12.86
but I always
forget them by the time
00:32:12.89\00:32:14.30
'cause if you're listening,
00:32:14.33\00:32:15.66
you forget what
you're going to say.
00:32:15.70\00:32:17.07
I just want to
ask you something,
00:32:17.10\00:32:18.43
your mother was Muslim
and became a Christian,
00:32:18.47\00:32:22.57
my experience has been...
00:32:22.60\00:32:24.01
And let me ask you
this 'cause I know right now
00:32:24.04\00:32:26.88
you've been
ministering to a Muslim
00:32:26.91\00:32:28.51
who's getting
ready to be baptized.
00:32:28.54\00:32:31.81
My experience has been
00:32:31.85\00:32:33.18
if someone of
the Muslim religion
00:32:33.21\00:32:36.32
can wrap their head
around the concept of Christ
00:32:36.35\00:32:39.92
as the Son of God,
00:32:39.95\00:32:41.49
that once you've got them there,
00:32:41.52\00:32:43.06
you've got them
and that they make
00:32:43.09\00:32:44.56
very good Christians,
00:32:44.59\00:32:45.93
is that kind of
what you're finding,
00:32:45.96\00:32:47.30
they're easy to minister to?
00:32:47.33\00:32:48.66
Definitely, definitely
'cause of the most thing
00:32:48.70\00:32:50.80
that I usually get
challenged with them,
00:32:50.87\00:32:53.94
we go from the beginning,
00:32:53.97\00:32:55.34
and then we go to a
point 'cause they say,
00:32:55.37\00:32:56.91
they know Jesus
Christ was a prophet.
00:32:56.94\00:32:59.01
And we got to a point
God said let us make a man
00:32:59.04\00:33:01.48
and I kind of rewind and say us.
00:33:01.51\00:33:03.38
And that's when I
cut them right there,
00:33:03.45\00:33:05.31
and they're just
like, "Okay, who is us?"
00:33:05.35\00:33:08.75
And we continue to
look through the Bible,
00:33:08.78\00:33:10.12
through the
Bible, through the Bible,
00:33:10.19\00:33:11.52
and you realize Jesus Christ.
00:33:11.55\00:33:12.89
And Jesus Christ
was the Son of Man,
00:33:12.92\00:33:14.26
the Son of God.
00:33:14.29\00:33:15.62
Yes, amen. Oh, glory to God.
00:33:15.66\00:33:16.99
And you've worked
quite a bit with Muslims
00:33:17.03\00:33:19.76
and found that they
can be very responsive.
00:33:19.79\00:33:22.30
So, you know, we've
got to be so careful.
00:33:22.33\00:33:25.70
Oh, my brothers and my sisters,
we cannot be prejudiced 'cause,
00:33:25.73\00:33:30.74
you know, what the
root of the prejudice is,
00:33:30.81\00:33:33.78
it's pride, you think
you're better than somebody.
00:33:33.81\00:33:36.95
And you mentioned something
from the Desire of Ages,
00:33:36.98\00:33:39.95
I think it was chapter 2,
00:33:40.02\00:33:41.35
tell us what she
said about the Israelites.
00:33:41.38\00:33:45.95
Yeah, chapters 2
and 3 in Desire of Ages,
00:33:45.99\00:33:48.22
which I'll encourage the
viewer, after they finish,
00:33:48.26\00:33:51.26
to maybe go get that book
and read those two chapters,
00:33:51.29\00:33:54.50
and then also at the end,
00:33:54.53\00:33:56.56
there will be a
calling to read chapter 70,
00:33:56.60\00:33:58.30
but she
describes the chosen people
00:33:58.33\00:34:01.30
and how in their desire to
remain as pure as possible,
00:34:01.34\00:34:05.34
they separated themselves
away from others and blockaded
00:34:05.37\00:34:09.14
and tried to keep
their traditions all separate
00:34:09.18\00:34:11.18
and she literally says
they robbed God of His glory.
00:34:11.21\00:34:15.98
That's heavy.
00:34:16.02\00:34:17.39
In many ways,
00:34:17.42\00:34:19.92
we pull away instead
of being connected with.
00:34:19.95\00:34:22.79
And God in His own mercy,
00:34:22.82\00:34:24.96
Ellen White says in
another place in 1914,
00:34:24.99\00:34:28.26
she literally says
that God in His providence
00:34:28.30\00:34:30.77
brings a
foreigner to this country
00:34:30.80\00:34:32.70
so we may reach them here.
00:34:32.73\00:34:34.40
We're seeing it now,
00:34:34.44\00:34:35.77
and I know
there's a lot of people
00:34:35.80\00:34:37.14
that want to focus
on how bad the world is
00:34:37.21\00:34:39.31
and how close everything is.
00:34:39.34\00:34:40.68
But the reality is there's many,
00:34:40.71\00:34:42.04
there's billions
who have yet to hear
00:34:42.08\00:34:44.31
the clear message of the gospel.
00:34:44.35\00:34:45.68
Absolutely.
00:34:45.71\00:34:47.05
And so this command that
you started with still applies.
00:34:47.12\00:34:49.48
Yes, absolutely.
The Refuge Ministries.
00:34:49.52\00:34:50.99
You know, it's not just
people who have resettled here,
00:34:51.02\00:34:54.52
who have been,
00:34:54.56\00:34:55.89
you know, through
the replacement agencies,
00:34:55.92\00:34:57.63
you can find at
almost any college, I mean,
00:34:57.66\00:35:00.90
right here in
Southern Illinois at SIH,
00:35:00.93\00:35:03.90
we have a huge group
of Muslims, and Hindus,
00:35:03.97\00:35:07.80
and Buddhists, and witches...
00:35:07.84\00:35:12.34
I mean, there's
Wiccans, there's always someone
00:35:12.37\00:35:16.24
that you can reach out
00:35:16.28\00:35:17.71
to to share the good news.
00:35:17.75\00:35:19.58
I think the
reason I said witches,
00:35:19.61\00:35:21.45
well, they're Wiccans,
00:35:21.48\00:35:22.82
but we want to just hit
00:35:22.85\00:35:24.82
the pause button first,
00:35:24.85\00:35:26.19
Antoine, I just
give God praise and glory
00:35:26.22\00:35:29.56
for how he pulled you up.
00:35:29.59\00:35:33.23
And I have to ask you,
00:35:33.26\00:35:35.23
He transformed you
into totally a new creature,
00:35:35.26\00:35:38.47
but does the new
creature ever miss all that
00:35:38.50\00:35:42.14
fast cash you were making?
00:35:42.17\00:35:44.31
Well, when I take
a look at my old life
00:35:44.34\00:35:46.21
and my new life right now,
when I accept Jesus Christ,
00:35:46.24\00:35:48.58
everything seems amazing
with Jesus Christ, every day,
00:35:48.61\00:35:53.25
I prove my work,
prove myself to the Bible.
00:35:53.28\00:35:57.19
And like in heaven,
00:35:57.22\00:35:58.72
it's going to be a better life
00:35:58.75\00:36:00.09
than better than money
00:36:00.16\00:36:01.99
because money soon
they're going to burn.
00:36:02.02\00:36:03.93
Why do I have to
worry about money
00:36:03.96\00:36:06.06
when we have a Savior?
00:36:06.09\00:36:07.60
I hope that
there's someone out there
00:36:07.63\00:36:09.96
who's watching right
now that if you're in a gang
00:36:10.00\00:36:13.64
or if you're into selling drugs,
00:36:13.67\00:36:16.44
you will realize you
can be so much richer
00:36:16.47\00:36:19.84
when Christ sets you free.
00:36:19.87\00:36:21.84
And you told me earlier
00:36:21.88\00:36:23.65
you wouldn't trade Christ
for all the money in the world,
00:36:23.68\00:36:27.85
and that's a wonderful thing.
00:36:27.88\00:36:29.82
But let's just...
00:36:29.85\00:36:32.22
We've got to get
Philip into this conversation.
00:36:32.25\00:36:35.92
Philip, you've got
such a fascinating story.
00:36:35.96\00:36:39.59
Your parents were Hindu,
00:36:39.63\00:36:41.23
and your father
was a witchdoctor.
00:36:41.26\00:36:45.13
Kind of give us the version
00:36:45.17\00:36:48.24
of how your
family became Christian.
00:36:48.27\00:36:50.34
Okay.
00:36:50.41\00:36:51.74
Well, my father was a
witchdoctor in a village.
00:36:51.77\00:36:54.41
Well, in Nepal,
especially in remote areas,
00:36:54.44\00:36:56.95
we do not have many hospitals,
00:36:56.98\00:36:58.61
so most of the people
they have the superstitions
00:36:58.65\00:37:01.12
that whenever people get sick,
00:37:01.15\00:37:02.92
they have a witchdoctor,
and my dad was a witchdoctor,
00:37:02.95\00:37:05.89
and he used to do
all the ceremonies
00:37:05.92\00:37:07.92
and things like that.
00:37:07.96\00:37:10.73
And what happened,
00:37:10.76\00:37:12.59
as the days were
passing, my parents,
00:37:12.63\00:37:16.10
they had eight children
00:37:16.13\00:37:17.97
and, you know, they
started getting sick,
00:37:18.00\00:37:21.04
and they started dying,
00:37:21.07\00:37:22.40
you know, some of
them died in 4 years,
00:37:22.44\00:37:23.84
5 years, 6 years, 10 years.
00:37:23.91\00:37:26.04
And my dad was like...
00:37:26.07\00:37:27.64
So out of the eight children
there's you and who else left?
00:37:27.68\00:37:30.68
How many are left?
00:37:30.75\00:37:32.08
Now we are two.
00:37:32.11\00:37:33.45
Just two, so they lost
six children to sickness.
00:37:33.48\00:37:35.88
And this is the witchdoctor
00:37:35.92\00:37:37.95
who's supposed
to be able to heal.
00:37:37.99\00:37:39.32
Yeah. Okay.
00:37:39.35\00:37:40.69
And my dad,
like he was searching
00:37:40.76\00:37:42.29
an answer what happened.
00:37:42.32\00:37:43.66
And he used to go to
like other witchdoctors,
00:37:43.73\00:37:45.99
you know? And they said
because your god is angry
00:37:46.03\00:37:48.60
because in Hinduism they
have so many gods and goddesses,
00:37:48.63\00:37:51.77
and we have our
one god in every house,
00:37:51.80\00:37:55.17
they have the one god.
00:37:55.20\00:37:56.54
And they said your god is angry.
00:37:56.57\00:37:58.14
And my dad was like,
00:37:58.17\00:37:59.51
"I have been
worshiping to this god,
00:37:59.54\00:38:01.11
and I have been
dedicating all my life,
00:38:01.14\00:38:03.35
and I have been able to,
00:38:03.38\00:38:05.31
you know, heal some
of the people around me,
00:38:05.35\00:38:07.78
but I have not been
able to save my children."
00:38:07.82\00:38:10.29
And he got discouraged.
00:38:10.32\00:38:12.65
And he left that
job as a witchdoctor
00:38:12.69\00:38:15.69
because he said, "If I'm
not being able to save my..."
00:38:15.72\00:38:19.49
"If my god is not
helping me in my one family,
00:38:19.53\00:38:21.96
then why am I
working as a witchdoctor?"
00:38:22.00\00:38:24.87
And he was just
discouraged and was not working
00:38:24.90\00:38:27.14
and he started
working in the constructions.
00:38:27.17\00:38:30.44
And one day as he was
working in the construction,
00:38:30.51\00:38:33.24
in one of the hospital in Nepal,
00:38:33.27\00:38:35.51
there was a missionary
man from Alaska, and he came,
00:38:35.54\00:38:39.11
and he was so different, he
was so friendly with people,
00:38:39.15\00:38:43.32
he used to come in our house,
00:38:43.39\00:38:45.52
he used to
invite us in his house,
00:38:45.55\00:38:48.59
and we used to eat together,
00:38:48.62\00:38:50.43
he used to play together,
00:38:50.46\00:38:51.79
he used to carry us on
his shoulder, you know?
00:38:51.83\00:38:53.60
And he was super friendly,
00:38:53.63\00:38:55.30
and he was there
for a few months,
00:38:55.33\00:38:56.67
and after that one day he
came to our house, and he said,
00:38:56.70\00:38:59.37
"You know what, I'm
leaving Nepal very soon,
00:38:59.40\00:39:03.34
but before leaving Nepal,
00:39:03.41\00:39:04.74
I have a very special gift
00:39:04.77\00:39:06.37
for you guys and
for this family."
00:39:06.41\00:39:09.48
And we were
like, "Wow, amazing."
00:39:09.51\00:39:12.35
And then he said,
"Tomorrow morning,
00:39:12.38\00:39:14.45
I will and I will introduce.
00:39:14.48\00:39:16.42
I will give you this gift."
00:39:16.45\00:39:18.55
And the next day,
00:39:18.59\00:39:19.92
and the following
day was the Sabbath.
00:39:19.95\00:39:21.56
And he came and he
took us into the church,
00:39:21.59\00:39:24.23
the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in Nepal.
00:39:24.26\00:39:26.70
And he said, "This is my gift."
00:39:26.73\00:39:28.96
He said, "Now I'm
going to go back to US,
00:39:29.00\00:39:31.63
but every time you come
here and you see this church,
00:39:31.67\00:39:35.10
you remember our friendship
00:39:35.14\00:39:37.51
and, you know,
this is the best gift
00:39:37.54\00:39:39.94
that I can give you
is Jesus Christ and God."
00:39:39.97\00:39:43.85
And we started
going to the church
00:39:43.88\00:39:45.48
and praise the Lord we
all are Adventists right now.
00:39:45.51\00:39:49.18
And I thank the
Lord for that man,
00:39:49.22\00:39:51.52
the one missionary
man who made a friendship,
00:39:51.55\00:39:56.19
who was close to us,
00:39:56.22\00:39:59.13
and that made a
huge impact in our life
00:39:59.16\00:40:01.26
and that changed our life.
00:40:01.30\00:40:02.86
And that's what my
desire is, my goal is,
00:40:02.90\00:40:06.47
you know, to make friendship
00:40:06.50\00:40:07.84
and point them to
Christ because Ellen G. White
00:40:07.87\00:40:11.41
once said that Christ's method
alone will give a success.
00:40:11.44\00:40:16.01
So He mingled with people,
00:40:16.04\00:40:17.38
and that's what I
think we ought to do.
00:40:17.45\00:40:20.85
Yeah, and obviously,
00:40:20.92\00:40:22.75
you know, you're not only
being trained up in college,
00:40:22.78\00:40:25.82
but you've come
here to volunteer and...
00:40:25.85\00:40:30.03
I guess you guys are
doing pathfinder clubs,
00:40:30.06\00:40:32.09
you've got all kinds of things.
00:40:32.13\00:40:33.50
So we found,
just as Philip shared,
00:40:33.53\00:40:36.23
that aspect of sharing time.
00:40:36.26\00:40:38.33
Absolutely.
00:40:38.37\00:40:39.70
Now, of course,
money always has its uses
00:40:39.73\00:40:41.60
and it costs
money to send children
00:40:41.64\00:40:43.64
to school and all those things,
00:40:43.71\00:40:45.04
and refugees have needs,
00:40:45.07\00:40:46.88
but the greatest need is
they need time with people,
00:40:46.91\00:40:51.61
with love.
00:40:51.65\00:40:52.98
And so what we're
doing in multiple places
00:40:53.01\00:40:54.75
around our conference
00:40:54.78\00:40:56.12
but specifically where
Philip has been volunteering
00:40:56.15\00:40:59.52
and staying is
in Kansas City area
00:40:59.55\00:41:01.66
where we've started various
children's programs in places
00:41:01.69\00:41:05.66
where there's just
huge numbers of refugees
00:41:05.69\00:41:08.13
from all over the world.
00:41:08.16\00:41:10.17
You're playing games
00:41:10.20\00:41:11.53
with children
from Southeast Asia,
00:41:11.57\00:41:14.24
from Africa.
00:41:14.27\00:41:16.84
All these different
languages and, of course,
00:41:16.91\00:41:18.94
these guys represent quite
a few languages on their own,
00:41:18.97\00:41:21.41
but imagine being
able to have the chance
00:41:21.44\00:41:23.68
to build these relationships,
00:41:23.75\00:41:25.95
to share about God.
00:41:25.98\00:41:29.05
There's a youth group
that is simply coming together
00:41:29.08\00:41:31.69
to teach kids not to
do drugs and not to swear.
00:41:31.72\00:41:35.32
And they come together,
00:41:35.36\00:41:36.73
they do fun things, play soccer,
00:41:36.76\00:41:38.56
vacation Bible school,
00:41:38.59\00:41:40.13
taking all
these refugee children
00:41:40.20\00:41:41.73
to in large a
vacation Bible school
00:41:41.76\00:41:46.74
and bring the United
Nations right there to a church.
00:41:46.77\00:41:49.00
Yes, yes.
00:41:49.04\00:41:50.41
And all kinds of neat things.
00:41:50.44\00:41:52.34
A few days ago,
00:41:52.37\00:41:53.71
we had a VBS program
with all these refugee groups.
00:41:53.78\00:41:56.95
And it's amazing
00:41:56.98\00:41:58.31
because most of
them are not Christians,
00:41:58.35\00:42:00.65
most of them are
Hindus, Buddhists,
00:42:00.72\00:42:02.45
and from other religions.
00:42:02.48\00:42:03.99
And for most of them,
00:42:04.02\00:42:05.39
that was the first time
00:42:05.42\00:42:06.76
that they were
hearing about Jesus Christ,
00:42:06.79\00:42:08.62
and they were so happy.
00:42:08.66\00:42:10.03
And we have stories after story.
00:42:10.06\00:42:12.39
Few days ago, we were
visiting one of the men.
00:42:12.43\00:42:15.73
His wife and his
daughter was already here in US,
00:42:15.76\00:42:19.07
but he was Nepal,
00:42:19.10\00:42:20.44
you know, and just
last week he came here,
00:42:20.47\00:42:22.94
and he was telling me the story.
00:42:22.97\00:42:24.77
He told me, "You know,
when my daughter was here,
00:42:24.81\00:42:28.08
I used to talk to her
through phone over there.
00:42:28.11\00:42:32.11
Before, she was different,
and I was talking to her,
00:42:32.15\00:42:34.38
I could see that
she's becoming more sweeter,
00:42:34.42\00:42:36.99
and she's amazing,
00:42:37.02\00:42:38.35
and I could just see that
she has been transforming.
00:42:38.39\00:42:41.52
And one day, I asked her,
00:42:41.56\00:42:42.89
"Hey, like you
are so different now.
00:42:42.92\00:42:44.39
You talk to me
with much respect.
00:42:44.43\00:42:46.63
You're more sweeter.
00:42:46.70\00:42:48.03
What happened?"
00:42:48.06\00:42:49.40
And she said,
"Now I go to church."
00:42:49.43\00:42:51.53
And the daddy said,
00:42:51.57\00:42:52.90
"Wow, then when I
come to Kansas City,
00:42:52.93\00:42:56.27
I will join with you."
00:42:56.30\00:42:57.64
So like this, you have no idea
when we mingle with these kids,
00:42:57.67\00:43:00.88
when we invite
them to the church
00:43:00.91\00:43:02.34
or pathfinder club or VBS,
they're learning about Jesus,
00:43:02.38\00:43:05.35
and they make
impact in their homes.
00:43:05.38\00:43:07.88
Amen, amen.
00:43:07.92\00:43:09.32
One of the things we've
chosen to do specifically
00:43:09.35\00:43:11.49
there is to visit each
home and to let them know
00:43:11.52\00:43:14.82
this is not about just
trying to change people
00:43:14.86\00:43:17.83
but to bless your family,
00:43:17.86\00:43:19.79
to teach them
about the Creator God,
00:43:19.83\00:43:22.46
and to not get
involved in drugs,
00:43:22.50\00:43:24.20
and to actually
pray with the families.
00:43:24.27\00:43:26.23
And one time Philip,
00:43:26.27\00:43:27.64
he had an amazing
experience with that, yeah?
00:43:27.67\00:43:29.07
Yeah, one time we
were visiting a family
00:43:29.10\00:43:31.24
and we had a nice talk
and after the talk we said,
00:43:31.27\00:43:34.31
"Can we pray."
00:43:34.34\00:43:35.71
And the man, he stood up
00:43:35.74\00:43:37.91
and he said,
this is what he said,
00:43:37.95\00:43:40.52
he said, "So
many Christian people
00:43:40.55\00:43:43.12
have already come to my house
00:43:43.15\00:43:44.82
and asked for prayer,
00:43:44.85\00:43:46.49
and I have always said
no because I am a lama,
00:43:46.52\00:43:50.73
I am the leader of the
Buddhist community here.
00:43:50.76\00:43:54.53
And people look unto me
00:43:54.56\00:43:56.97
and whenever I
do the ceremonies,
00:43:57.00\00:43:58.47
they look unto me,
00:43:58.50\00:43:59.83
so I never allow
any Christian people
00:43:59.87\00:44:01.37
to pray in my house."
00:44:01.40\00:44:02.80
And he said, "But right
now, we are so desperate,
00:44:02.84\00:44:05.27
my wife is sick.
00:44:05.31\00:44:06.88
And we have gone to the doctor,
we do not have insurance,
00:44:06.91\00:44:10.35
Medicare, we do
not know how to pay it.
00:44:10.38\00:44:12.91
We have no other way."
00:44:12.95\00:44:14.35
And he said, "But I
have heard many testimonies
00:44:14.38\00:44:16.79
that when they pray to
Jesus and people get healed,
00:44:16.82\00:44:20.66
the problems are solved."
00:44:20.69\00:44:22.82
And he said, "I'm not
going to be a Christian
00:44:22.86\00:44:26.03
because I am a lama,
and I have a community,
00:44:26.06\00:44:28.96
but I will love if
my wife joins you guys
00:44:29.00\00:44:32.50
and pray together."
00:44:32.53\00:44:33.97
So on that day,
00:44:34.04\00:44:35.97
he allowed us to have a prayer,
00:44:36.00\00:44:38.07
and that was the first prayer
that was done in that house.
00:44:38.11\00:44:41.34
And after the
prayer, the man said,
00:44:41.38\00:44:43.11
"Please keep
coming, we need prayers,
00:44:43.14\00:44:45.65
we need your prayers and
we need miracle from God."
00:44:45.68\00:44:49.05
So many things are happening,
the lives are changing.
00:44:49.08\00:44:52.09
All we need to do is
appear in their house and just,
00:44:52.12\00:44:55.79
you know, talk with them,
00:44:55.82\00:44:57.16
and be friends,
and pray with them.
00:44:57.23\00:45:00.13
You know, Jesus said,
00:45:00.20\00:45:01.63
"Greater love
has no man than this
00:45:01.66\00:45:03.47
that he would lay
down his life for another."
00:45:03.50\00:45:07.27
He doesn't mean necessarily
that you have to die,
00:45:07.34\00:45:09.80
of course, He did die for us,
00:45:09.84\00:45:11.61
but laying down
our life for another
00:45:11.64\00:45:13.68
is just making an
investment of time in them.
00:45:13.71\00:45:16.08
You know, time is
a precious commodity,
00:45:16.11\00:45:19.25
once the Lord impressed upon me,
00:45:19.28\00:45:21.48
"Time is life.
00:45:21.52\00:45:23.05
How you spend your time
is how you spend your life."
00:45:23.08\00:45:27.06
And so when you
invest in someone else,
00:45:27.09\00:45:31.16
I mean, that's love,
and I think it's showing,
00:45:31.19\00:45:34.86
and it's showing
the love of Jesus.
00:45:34.90\00:45:37.17
But one thing that
I've really noticed
00:45:37.20\00:45:40.34
in speaking with
people that came as refugees
00:45:40.37\00:45:44.54
or who've had that experience
00:45:44.57\00:45:48.21
is that most of them
if they were Buddhist
00:45:48.24\00:45:50.18
or Hindu or Muslim,
00:45:50.25\00:45:51.98
they didn't ever know
that there was a Creator God
00:45:52.01\00:45:57.09
who loved them.
00:45:57.12\00:45:58.45
The idea, the concept of a God
00:45:58.49\00:46:01.36
who is loving is
really difficult at first,
00:46:01.39\00:46:06.26
but they get so excited
when they know the truth.
00:46:06.29\00:46:09.66
That's right.
00:46:09.70\00:46:12.00
You know, you can
reach their hearts
00:46:12.03\00:46:14.90
sometimes rather quickly.
00:46:14.94\00:46:17.04
One of the things that
in sharing this story here,
00:46:17.11\00:46:21.31
we mentioned the Reach
the World Next Door program
00:46:21.34\00:46:23.75
that is actually
training young people
00:46:23.78\00:46:25.61
to go and to
minister with refugees.
00:46:25.65\00:46:28.22
But there's also
a fantastic resource
00:46:28.25\00:46:30.49
that anyone can do
just from the website
00:46:30.52\00:46:33.89
there that's ASAPMinistries.org.
00:46:33.96\00:46:37.89
Okay, and ASAP,
00:46:37.93\00:46:39.86
this means
Advocates for Southeast Asians
00:46:39.89\00:46:44.20
and the Persecuted.
00:46:44.27\00:46:45.60
That's right.
00:46:45.63\00:46:46.97
So ASAP is the one who does
the Reach the World program.
00:46:47.00\00:46:49.00
They do that.
00:46:49.04\00:46:50.41
This is the training
you went through in Huston.
00:46:50.44\00:46:52.21
And that's with the support
of the Texas conference there.
00:46:52.24\00:46:56.08
But this is a book
that's been produced
00:46:56.11\00:46:57.65
by Pastor Scott Griswold
00:46:57.68\00:46:59.01
who runs the Reach the
World Next Door program,
00:46:59.05\00:47:01.68
and it's how to pray
for the world next door.
00:47:01.72\00:47:04.49
And as you've
already mentioned, Shelley,
00:47:04.52\00:47:06.29
the international
students, every university,
00:47:06.32\00:47:09.79
there is international students,
00:47:09.82\00:47:11.16
the people who are persecuted,
00:47:11.19\00:47:12.53
international
travelers and, of course,
00:47:12.56\00:47:14.76
refugees and immigrants.
00:47:14.80\00:47:16.77
God is bringing people here.
00:47:16.80\00:47:18.83
And just as Philip just shared
00:47:18.87\00:47:22.50
when something is impacting
the life of the people here
00:47:22.54\00:47:25.97
in the States
because of technology,
00:47:26.01\00:47:27.88
they're immediately
reaching back to their world,
00:47:27.91\00:47:30.85
their previous world, and
their family and so forth.
00:47:30.88\00:47:33.05
And so Ellen White said
this more than 100 years ago
00:47:33.08\00:47:36.22
that when people
find the truth here,
00:47:36.25\00:47:38.35
then they are equipped to go
00:47:38.39\00:47:39.72
and share it back
in their own country.
00:47:39.75\00:47:41.09
Be a light to their own country.
00:47:41.12\00:47:43.06
So this is a resource
00:47:43.09\00:47:44.56
that you can get
through that website
00:47:44.59\00:47:46.13
to simply start
praying as a church.
00:47:46.16\00:47:48.20
And to start volunteering
00:47:48.23\00:47:50.67
to my little
church up in Kirksville
00:47:50.70\00:47:53.03
where I have a chance to be
a part time Pastor up there,
00:47:53.07\00:47:55.20
we're planning to start
actually creating a time
00:47:55.24\00:47:58.54
where refugees can come
00:47:58.57\00:47:59.91
and practice their
English in a safe place
00:47:59.94\00:48:01.94
where they're not
going to be laughed at
00:48:01.98\00:48:03.38
with a bunch of older members
00:48:03.45\00:48:04.95
who probably can't
go do the active things
00:48:04.98\00:48:06.92
that you did there in Houston,
00:48:06.95\00:48:08.98
but they can open their
hearts and they can love.
00:48:09.02\00:48:11.59
And that's what these
people are looking for.
00:48:11.62\00:48:13.89
And I suspect, I mean,
00:48:13.96\00:48:16.26
if your experience had
been different, Antoine,
00:48:16.29\00:48:19.63
when you had gotten here,
00:48:19.66\00:48:21.00
if somebody had put
their arms around you
00:48:21.03\00:48:23.47
and loved on you
instead of bullying you,
00:48:23.50\00:48:26.87
you would not have
ever taken that route
00:48:26.94\00:48:30.24
to become a drug
dealer and a gang member,
00:48:30.31\00:48:34.54
but I just praise God
that He's reached you,
00:48:34.58\00:48:37.25
and it's really exciting.
00:48:37.28\00:48:40.45
We need to be less
selfish with our time.
00:48:40.52\00:48:47.09
You know, I'm sure
that this ministry would say
00:48:47.16\00:48:50.33
or whether it is the ASAP
00:48:50.36\00:48:53.40
or for the Reach the
World Next Door program
00:48:53.43\00:48:56.77
or for your Refugee Ministries.
00:48:56.80\00:48:59.00
Of course, they
can use donations,
00:48:59.03\00:49:00.97
but sometimes
it's so much easier
00:49:01.00\00:49:03.14
to just write a check and think,
00:49:03.17\00:49:05.41
"Okay, well, I've done my part."
00:49:05.44\00:49:07.21
But what God is
looking for is, as Paul said,
00:49:07.28\00:49:11.41
"You are any
epistle from the Lord,
00:49:11.45\00:49:14.62
written on the heart."
00:49:14.65\00:49:16.42
And so what God is
looking for is somebody
00:49:16.45\00:49:18.95
that will reach out and
share His love with others.
00:49:18.99\00:49:23.29
We recently just did
00:49:23.32\00:49:24.66
a Displaced But
Not Forgotten concert
00:49:24.69\00:49:28.03
in both St.
Louis and Kansas City
00:49:28.06\00:49:30.70
where we are raising
awareness of the needs
00:49:30.77\00:49:32.83
and having some ethnic
groups singing as well.
00:49:32.87\00:49:36.30
And one of the focus
areas that we did there
00:49:36.34\00:49:38.71
was trying to get volunteers
00:49:38.74\00:49:41.51
who would help with
the gardening class,
00:49:41.54\00:49:43.88
to go teach community gardening
00:49:43.95\00:49:45.31
for these refugee groups
00:49:45.35\00:49:48.65
wherever they're
living in St. Louis area,
00:49:48.68\00:49:50.79
how to drive needing people
who grab their crash helmet
00:49:50.82\00:49:53.96
and bring the car.
00:49:53.99\00:49:56.26
But these are simple things
but so incredibly important.
00:49:56.29\00:49:58.09
You teach them
English before you teach them
00:49:58.13\00:49:59.59
how to drive I hope.
00:49:59.63\00:50:01.80
Yeah, English, and how to drive,
00:50:01.83\00:50:04.10
and citizenship classes.
00:50:04.17\00:50:05.87
Sure.
00:50:05.90\00:50:07.87
It was such a
thrill for me to attend
00:50:07.90\00:50:10.81
one of our citizenship classes
00:50:10.84\00:50:12.24
in Kansas City, watching them.
00:50:12.27\00:50:14.01
That's very important.
00:50:14.08\00:50:15.41
You know, we're going to
have to take a break here
00:50:15.44\00:50:16.78
just a second, but I
have to ask one quick question
00:50:16.81\00:50:18.98
'cause I will forget otherwise.
00:50:19.01\00:50:22.02
There are refugees
00:50:22.05\00:50:24.09
who have been resettled
in a lot of large cities,
00:50:24.12\00:50:28.36
but even in smaller cities,
00:50:28.39\00:50:29.76
how would you find out if
a church member is watching
00:50:29.79\00:50:33.50
and says, "Yeah, my
church needs to be involved."
00:50:33.53\00:50:35.90
How do you find out
00:50:35.93\00:50:37.57
if there's
refugees in your area,
00:50:37.60\00:50:39.60
who to call?
00:50:39.63\00:50:40.97
I would say you're
welcome to contact us
00:50:41.00\00:50:42.60
at our website at the
Iowa-Missouri Church there.
00:50:42.64\00:50:45.24
And what is the website?
00:50:45.27\00:50:46.98
IMSDA.org/Refugee.
00:50:47.01\00:50:50.15
IMSDA.org /Refugee.
00:50:50.18\00:50:56.82
What we will do,
let's just pause right now,
00:50:56.89\00:50:59.12
we'll come back
for a closing thought.
00:50:59.15\00:51:00.86
But let's put the address
roll 'cause I just believe
00:51:00.89\00:51:04.23
the Holy Spirit
is touching someone
00:51:04.26\00:51:06.36
who says we've been
looking for a purpose.
00:51:06.39\00:51:09.66
I mean, so many
people call here and say,
00:51:09.70\00:51:12.50
"I want to have a
purpose to my life,
00:51:12.53\00:51:14.60
but I don't know what I can do,
I can't preach, I can't teach."
00:51:14.64\00:51:18.34
This you could do,
00:51:18.37\00:51:19.71
you could reach out and
love somebody for the Lord
00:51:19.74\00:51:22.81
and let them see
what God is all about.
00:51:22.84\00:51:26.45
So if you want to
get in touch with Bryan,
00:51:26.48\00:51:30.39
then here is how you can
get the Refugee Ministries.
00:51:30.42\00:51:36.26
Millions are fleeing their homes
00:51:36.29\00:51:38.06
because of war and persecution,
00:51:38.09\00:51:40.33
your gift of $10 per month
00:51:40.40\00:51:42.63
or $120 per year
00:51:42.66\00:51:45.17
can help a refugee student
receive a Christian education
00:51:45.20\00:51:48.97
through Refugee Ministries.
00:51:49.00\00:51:51.31
Find out more by
visiting their website
00:51:51.34\00:51:54.18
IMSDA.org/Refugee.
00:51:54.21\00:51:58.31
That's IMSDA.org/Refugee.
00:51:58.35\00:52:03.49
You may also call them
00:52:03.52\00:52:04.85
at (515) 223-1197
00:52:04.89\00:52:09.42
or write to Refugee Ministries,
00:52:09.46\00:52:12.59
PO Box 65665,
00:52:12.63\00:52:16.67
West Des Moines, Iowa, 50265.
00:52:16.70\00:52:20.64