Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY018066A
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00:02 I want to spend my life
00:08 Mending broken people 00:13 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:35 I want to spend my life 00:41 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:52 Mending broken people 01:11 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn, and we welcome you 01:13 once again to 3ABN Today. 01:15 And I just want to take this opportunity 01:17 on behalf of all of us to thank you for your love, 01:21 and your prayers, and your financial support 01:23 of this Mending Broken People Network, 01:26 and that's what it's all about. 01:28 You know, Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19. 01:35 He's saying... 01:36 First He said, "All authority has been given to Me." 01:39 And then He says, 01:40 "Now I'm going to ask you to do something, 01:43 and it's not just a suggestion, 01:44 it's a commandment." 01:46 He says, "Go therefore and make disciples 01:48 of all the nations, 01:50 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 01:52 and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 01:54 teaching them to observe all things 01:56 that I have commanded you." 01:58 And, you know, we are all called 02:02 to share the good news, 02:04 but we don't have to get out and do it on our own, 02:06 all we've got to do is say, "Lord, empower me, 02:10 fill me with Your Holy Spirit. 02:11 Let me reach out and touch a life today." 02:14 And we have an exciting program, 02:16 I believe, for you today 02:18 because we will be talking about opportunities right here 02:22 if you live in the United States 02:24 or if you're in Australia, any of the developed countries. 02:29 What we are seeing is refugees are coming into our country 02:33 and these people need to be ministered to, 02:36 they need to hear the good news 02:39 of the gospel of salvation by grace 02:42 and be introduced to the one and only God. 02:45 Well, let me introduce to you our special guest. 02:49 First, we have Pastor Bryan Gallant. 02:52 And, Bryan... Hello. 02:53 Thank you so much for returning to 3ABN. 02:56 It's a privilege. Thank you. 02:57 Yes, now you are the refugee ministries coordinator 03:02 for the Iowa-Missouri Conference. 03:05 You know, there's not a whole lot of conferences 03:08 that have refugee ministries, is there? 03:11 No, I'm thrilled to be part of a sisterhood of churches 03:14 that have made that commitment to reaching out to the refugees 03:17 whom God is bringing to us. 03:19 Praise God. 03:20 And we just want to hear how all of this began 03:22 sometime soon, during this hour. 03:26 But, you know, you were here with your wife Penny, 03:29 it's been about two years? 03:30 Two years ago. 03:32 And sharing a personal testimony, 03:36 Bryan has written a book 03:37 called Undeniable: An Epic Journey Through Pain. 03:41 And he and his wife Penny were here telling how, 03:45 in their fifth year of their marriage, 03:47 they were in a tragic accident 03:50 and lost both of their children. 03:52 But God brought you through, not only brought you through, 03:56 you didn't just survive this, you're thriving 04:00 and He's using you in an amazing way. 04:02 So thank you so much for returning to 3ABN. 04:05 Thank you. 04:06 Now next to him, we have two good looking young men. 04:11 And I say that because it's not just the packaging, 04:15 which isn't bad. 04:16 They're single, ladies. 04:18 But they're beautiful on the inside 04:21 because they have the love of Jesus inside of them. 04:24 And first we have Antoine Nsanzimana. 04:29 Did I say it right? Nsanzimana. 04:30 Where are you from, Antoine? I'm from Burundi. 04:32 Burundi, which is Central Africa? 04:34 Yes, ma'am. Okay. 04:35 And you came from a Hindu family, 04:40 a Hindu family. 04:41 Hindu... But you... 04:43 Oh, excuse me, you came... 04:45 Your mother was a Muslim, your father was a Catholic, 04:48 and you were born in a refugee camp, right? 04:49 Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. 04:51 We're going to hear this fascinating story 04:53 in just a minute. 04:54 But also, then we have Philip Dangal. 04:57 And, Philip, you're from Nepal? Yeah, that's right. 05:00 Where are you studying right now? 05:02 And what are you studying? 05:03 Right now I'm studying in Mexico 05:05 in the University of Montemorelos. 05:07 And I'm doing my theology degree. 05:08 A theology degree. 05:10 And only have one more semester before you graduate, right? 05:12 That's right. 05:14 Now you mentioned to me in the greenroom, 05:16 you're interested perhaps in getting your master's degree 05:18 before moving back to Nepal. 05:20 Yeah, I really have a desire and a burden to go back 05:23 and work in Nepal. 05:25 But before that, I would really like 05:26 to achieve my master's degree in this. 05:30 And then go to Nepal. 05:31 Well, glory to God that He has His hand on you... 05:33 on both of you for ministry. 05:36 And you fit into this story today 05:39 because you, when you come, 05:41 anytime that Philip is not in school, 05:44 he comes over here, 05:45 then he ends up volunteering with the refugee ministries, 05:49 and we'll hear all about that in just a second. 05:51 Okay, before we begin though, I know you love music, 05:55 we love music, and we have Gerri Lynn Mendenhall, 05:58 and she is the niece of Danny Shelton, 06:03 and she is going to be doing a duet with CW Garrett 06:07 who is on the guitar, 06:09 and our own ET Everett is on the piano, 06:11 and they're going to play Amazing Grace. 06:31 Amazing grace 06:35 How sweet the sound 06:39 That saved a wretch 06:43 Like me 06:47 I once was lost 06:50 But now am found 06:54 Was blind 06:56 But now I see 07:02 T'was grace that taught 07:06 My heart to fear 07:10 And grace, my fears relieved 07:18 How precious did 07:21 That grace appear 07:26 The hour I first believed 07:32 My chains are gone 07:36 I've been set free 07:40 My God, my Savior 07:44 Has ransomed me 07:48 And like a flood His mercy reigns 07:56 Unending love 08:00 Amazing grace 08:12 The Lord has promised good to me 08:20 His word my hope secures 08:28 He will my shield and portion be 08:36 As long as life endures 08:42 My chains are gone 08:46 I've been set free 08:50 My God, my Savior 08:54 Has ransomed me 08:57 And like a flood His mercy reigns 09:05 Unending love 09:09 Amazing grace 09:13 My chains are gone 09:17 I've been set free 09:20 My God, my Savior 09:24 Has ransomed me 09:28 And like a flood His mercy reigns 09:36 Unending love 09:39 Amazing grace 09:44 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow 09:52 The sun forbear to shine 10:00 But God who called me here below 10:07 Will be forever mine 10:23 You are 10:25 Forever mine 10:45 Praise God for His amazing grace. 10:47 And when you think about the three 10:48 most important gifts of grace, 10:50 Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Word, 10:53 you see that grace is His divine assistance 10:56 and supernatural power unto salvation, 10:59 and we do praise Him. 11:00 Thank you so much to our singers. 11:03 And thank you once again 11:04 for spending a little of your day with us. 11:07 We want to just hop right into this, Bryan, 11:09 'cause we've got a lot to talk about. 11:11 Yes. 11:12 Tell us about the Refugee Ministries. 11:16 What is it? When did it start? Why is it necessary? 11:20 We believe that God is the one 11:23 who ultimately is the one orchestrating 11:25 where people live. 11:26 Acts 17 mentions that, that God is the one 11:28 who chooses the times and the places. 11:31 And as in the mission field and all these things, 11:33 we realize that oftentimes 11:36 we aren't always going as well as we should be, 11:38 as you've mentioned 11:40 a command that sometimes we take more as advice. 11:43 It's interesting now to realize 11:44 that because of the world circumstances, 11:47 the wars, the natural disasters, 11:48 the pestilences, all those different things 11:50 that we know are coming in the end days, 11:52 that also means you have a movement of people. 11:54 Yes. And so the refugee... 11:56 We're living in probably what's considered 11:57 the largest refugee, 11:58 the greatest refugee movement time in all history. 12:02 And so now refugees are coming to the west, 12:05 to the United States, to Europe, to Australia, 12:08 and these other developed countries, 12:10 and there are incredible opportunities 12:11 to connect with them here 12:14 in ways that we haven't don't there. 12:15 Right. 12:17 So the Refugee Ministries 12:18 of the Iowa-Missouri Conference, 12:20 you're not a resettlement. 12:22 Right. 12:24 Bureau. Resettlement agency. 12:26 You're not a resettlement agency, 12:27 what is it that you're doing? 12:29 Well, the work is a huge range of things. 12:32 But anywhere from trying to help the refugees 12:35 actually get acclimated into the community 12:38 because a resettlement agency 12:40 only does the first couple of months, 12:42 three or four months, 12:43 and then they kind of got to live. 12:45 Now I've been as a missionary 12:47 dropped down into another country, 12:49 and it takes more than three months, so... 12:51 Yeah, yeah. But... 12:52 When you say they've got to live, 12:54 do they have to support themselves financially? 12:56 Well, there's some government help for a while. 12:58 Okay. 12:59 But there's a tab on that, and there's a limit to that. 13:01 And so within three months, 13:02 they're trying to teach them English as a second language, 13:05 which doesn't happen in three months, 13:07 and get them a job, 13:08 and have a home and all those things. 13:09 But, you know, our whole world has been uprooted again. 13:13 To be a refugee means 13:15 that you have been displaced from your own home 13:17 because of war or challenges or whatever it may be, 13:20 ethnic issues, you go to a refugee camp. 13:24 Yes. 13:26 Now that word camp means different things 13:29 than what we might be thinking. 13:30 We're thinking, "Oh, good, we can camp, 13:33 you know, Pathfinder Camporee." 13:35 No, many of the refugees are in those camps for years. 13:39 As a matter of fact, Antoine, 13:40 you were born in a refugee camp, 13:42 tell us that story just a little? 13:44 When I was born in refugee camp? 13:46 Yeah. 13:47 I was born in refugee camp about 1995, 13:51 that's the year I was born. 13:52 Right, and you spent 12 years there. 13:54 Yes, ma'am. 13:56 And your parents had other children as well 13:59 while they were there? 14:00 My mom had a sister, her name's Ernestine, 14:04 she's my elder sister, 14:05 and she's an amazing sister by the way. 14:09 I think she was born in a refugee camp, 14:11 I'm not sure. 14:12 But they were from the part 14:14 where like Hutu and Tutsi happened in Rwanda, 14:16 and that's why they had to move all the way to Burundi. 14:19 All right. So that's where we are now. 14:21 My mom gave me birth in 1995, 14:24 and I was born in a refugee camp. 14:25 I spent all my life up there in a refugee camp. 14:27 So you were 12 years old? Yes, ma'am. 14:29 Now your mother was Muslim, your father was Catholic, 14:34 but what happened in that refugee camp? 14:37 My mom, when she was born as a Muslim person, 14:40 her parents were Muslims, but she found a person that... 14:45 He was a guy that actually was a Seventh-day Adventist, 14:49 who'd come to her, 14:50 do Bible study with her every day, 14:52 and she really was interested in Jesus Christ, 14:53 and she accepted Jesus Christ, 14:55 and she became a Seven-day Adventist. 14:57 And when I grew up, 15:00 I wanted her background not willfully. 15:03 All right, so we're going to come back 15:04 for more of your story 15:06 because he has a fascinating story 15:07 how the Lord finally got his attention 15:09 because although his mother converted to Christianity 15:12 and even his father converted 15:14 to become a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, 15:18 this one walked on the wild side 15:19 for just a little while. 15:20 But we'll talk about why. 15:22 So you have somebody 15:25 that has been displaced within their own country, 15:28 uprooted, put into a refugee camp 15:31 sometimes for 10, 15, 20 years. 15:34 They don't know 15:36 when they're going to have the opportunity, 15:37 so they've just got to get out of there, 15:39 but when their number is up, they call, 15:43 then they have to move here not knowing English, 15:48 not being able to support themselves. 15:50 Uprooted again. Yeah. 15:51 And taken to a completely different country. 15:54 And so you land in a place like the United States. 15:58 Let's say you are from Central Africa, 16:01 and they send you to Des Moines, Iowa. 16:04 The temperature is different. Yeah. 16:07 You know, if you land in December, 16:08 you can imagine, 16:09 and here they are put into a place 16:11 that they've never seen before, 16:13 a language they don't understand, 16:15 they don't know how the culture works. 16:18 They're probably put in an apartment 16:19 where they don't know how to use the stove 16:22 or the air conditioning, right? 16:23 Absolutely. Wow! 16:25 The simplest things that we take for granted 16:27 are completely new. 16:30 And we've had story after story of refugee families coming in 16:35 and not knowing how to cook the food, 16:38 not even knowing that we had the chance to do that. 16:41 We actually had recently a family that for almost a week 16:46 they remained in the hotel room 16:47 because in that particular city, 16:49 they didn't have an apartment immediately, 16:50 but they didn't know 16:52 that they could go out to get food or otherwise. 16:53 They thought that they were being taken there 16:55 to finally be tortured and killed, 16:57 what had been attempted years before 17:00 until one of our Adventist members 17:02 heard about them, came there, 17:03 and immediately began to help them and said, 17:05 "No, we have all these resources 17:07 to bless their family." 17:08 Oh, that's amazing. 17:10 So what does Refugee Ministries do? 17:14 Well, it does a lot of things, Shelley, 17:15 anywhere from trying to help educate our own church members 17:20 that this is not all the things that they hear about 17:24 in the news, in the politics, and the prejudice, 17:27 and the ignorance, and the walls that are up, 17:28 these are people who are coming here legitimately 17:32 to have a chance to have a new life. 17:35 And each government does that for so many people 17:37 through the course of each year. 17:39 So our role is anywhere 17:41 from trying to raise the awareness 17:43 and to break down those walls 17:44 so that our Adventist members would begin to reach out 17:47 and to build relationships 17:48 all the way to actually caring for where we can help 17:51 to teach English as a second language 17:54 in our various large cities, 17:56 to teach refugees how to drive, that's a need. 18:00 If you've ever traveled to other countries, 18:02 we want them to learn a different style. 18:06 Teaching them, helping them 18:08 go to their different doctors' appointments and things, 18:10 helping to be... 18:12 Someone that helps them go shopping. 18:15 If you've been living in a place 18:16 where there are no choices for their food 18:17 and all of a sudden you come to a large store 18:19 and you have a whole aisle of cereal, which is good, 18:22 helping them deal with diabetes and all those sorts of things. 18:26 So one of the aspects of Refugee Ministries 18:29 is to just get our church members involved 18:31 in very tangible ways, becoming a friend, 18:34 one of the greatest needs. 18:35 Amen. 18:36 But then also as you will hear more of Antoine's story too 18:39 is to help to provide Christian 18:41 Christ-centered education for their children. 18:44 Amen. 18:45 Because what happens when a refugee family 18:48 comes to this country and to others 18:51 is the children will learn the language 18:53 much faster than the adults. 18:56 In fact, some adults won't learn English. 18:59 And so what has happened, 19:00 you can imagine, some of these cultures, 19:02 especially Asian cultures, African cultures, 19:05 it's a very strong parental family system, 19:08 but now they come to this place, 19:10 and it's all been turned upside down 19:13 because the children become the translators, 19:14 the children become in a sense the power brokers 19:17 who can communicate with the authorities, 19:19 with the school, 19:20 and the parents know none of the language. 19:23 And so there are some serious challenges, 19:26 and as a church, 19:27 we can help to do something about that 19:30 in Iowa, Missouri specifically, the visionary leadership 19:34 under Elder Dean Cordon as the president, 19:37 we've made a commitment 19:38 as a church community of those two states 19:41 to provide Christian education for any refugee child 19:44 that would like to be in one of our Adventist schools. 19:46 Praise the Lord. So we raise funds for that. 19:48 And we've had more than 50 students 19:50 and our academy is full 19:52 because we have the normal students 19:54 as well as refugee students coming. 19:56 We've made a commitment to never allow money 19:59 to stop a child from attending our schools. 20:01 Amen and amen. 20:02 So Refugee Ministries are responsible 20:04 for doing that as well 20:05 and coordinating all those things. 20:06 I imagine these people need to be clothed. 20:08 There's all kinds of things, right? 20:09 That's right. 20:11 So, Antoine, let's get back to you for a second. 20:14 When your family, you'd been 12 years, 20:18 you personally, in the refugee camp, 20:21 your family is plucked up and where... 20:24 Did they bring you to St. Louis? 20:26 Is that where you first located? 20:27 Yes, ma'am 20:29 All right, were there other people from Burundi there 20:34 or were they mostly people of, I mean... 20:37 Sometimes these refugees are quite isolated 20:40 within the resettlement 20:42 because you don't have a lot of families 20:44 from your own area. 20:45 What was your experience? 20:47 Well, when we first actually came to St. Louis, Missouri. 20:50 When we touched down St. Louis, Missouri, 20:54 what I'm here now is that 20:56 I think I was the first Burundian people 20:59 that was in St. Louis, Missouri. 21:00 Wow! Wow! 21:02 'Cause we were just, 21:03 we were staying in these apartments, 21:05 I was just looking for all Burundi people, 21:06 we couldn't find any. 21:07 You couldn't find anyone of your own language 21:09 or your own culture? 21:11 So did you come to the United States 21:13 and just say, "Woo-hoo! 21:15 We've arrived, and people accepted you, 21:17 and you went to school, and everything was good." 21:20 What was it like? 21:21 Well, when I first came to America, 21:23 you know, I thought life was going to be good, 21:25 I was going enjoy life, you know, just... 21:28 But there's some things that wasn't right in school. 21:33 When I first started going to school, I had, 21:36 you know, people make fun of me, 21:38 the way I smell, my skin color, 21:40 you know, I just laugh along with them 21:42 'cause I don't know what they're talking, 21:43 and they're just laughing, and I just went, 21:45 you know, got along them. 21:46 Oh, 'cause you couldn't understand what they're saying. 21:48 Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Okay. 21:49 'Cause I couldn't understand what they're saying. 21:51 So basically, I was being bullied a lot. 21:53 And I just, you know, laugh along with them. 21:57 You were probably a lot happier not understanding, huh? 21:59 Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. For a little bit. 22:02 For a little bit till I find out 22:03 what they're talking about, 22:04 that's, you know, where I started getting angry, 22:07 and I just wanted to be like them, 22:09 you know, just like one of them. 22:12 And I don't know if this is a good time 22:14 to share my testimony. 22:15 Sure. Go ahead. 22:17 And I had a best friend, you know, in middle school. 22:23 He was a close buddy, you know, he was a refugee too. 22:28 He was one of the guy that had money, 22:32 that he had pretty much everything, 22:33 and he was young, and I want to be like him. 22:36 So I already, you know, as soon as you say 22:39 he's young, he's a refugee, but he's got a lot of money 22:42 and you want to be like him. 22:44 You know, the first thing I'm thinking off is that 22:46 he's into selling drugs? 22:47 Yes, ma'am. Okay. 22:49 I found out he was a drug dealer, 22:51 and now I want to be like him. 22:53 I want to make money too. 22:54 Was he a member of a gang or... 22:56 Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. 22:57 He was one of the... 22:59 He was a member of the gang, 23:01 but he was too young in those gangs. 23:03 But he was like one of my closest best friend. 23:07 And I asked him if... 23:09 When I got to high school, I asked him if I can, 23:10 you know, just join you guys being part of these things 23:13 'cause I was getting tired of getting bullied, 23:15 you know, I just want to do something amazing, 23:18 you know, just as long as I have money in my pocket. 23:22 And I asked him how can I... 23:24 You wanted some peers you could hang with too, right? 23:27 Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. 23:29 So did you go through a gang initiation, 23:32 what happened? 23:33 Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. From that point... 23:35 That's when my best friend 23:36 actually took me into that part of the game. 23:38 And we talked to the leader, 23:41 and he asked me do I want to be in a gang. 23:43 I'm like, "Yeah, I want to be in the game." 23:45 And from that point, he said, "Okay, 23:46 we're going to come pick you like 3am in the night." 23:50 So I accepted, and I climb up the window, 23:52 and I went with them. 23:54 And they took me somewhere, you know, I got jumped, 23:58 I got beat up so many, and I... 24:00 So being jumped means you're getting slammed 24:02 with fists and everything else, right? 24:04 Yes, ma'am. Definitely, definitely. 24:06 All of that, you know, just trying to fight for, 24:10 you know, 'cause I want to be there, 24:11 I want to be in there. 24:12 So that's your initiation, did you not... 24:15 You didn't put two together and say, "Hey, 24:17 are these people really welcoming me into something"? 24:19 It's just something you had to do, huh? 24:23 Yeah, my mind, when I was focusing, 24:25 I was like, you know, I just want to be in the level 24:28 that my best friend is right now. 24:30 You know, one day he hit me, I'm going to fight back, 24:32 so basically whatever, they were hitting me, 24:33 and I even had a person 24:35 that had to cut me with a knife. 24:36 But from there, I'm like no... 24:40 I'm like, "Just forget it." 24:41 And that's when I'm like, you know... 24:44 Antoine, did your precious little Christian mama know 24:47 that you're doing this? 24:48 Not really. Nobody in my family knew that. 24:52 Nobody, not even my little brothers, 24:53 they didn't know that. I was just keeping silent. 24:56 How old were you when you joined the gang? 24:58 I was about 16 years old. 25:00 Sixteen years old. Yes, ma'am. 25:02 All right, so now are you becoming big man on campus 25:04 'cause you're selling drugs too? 25:06 When I was in campus, 25:08 I would feel like I was the big man 25:10 'cause of the money I was making 25:11 and I was making a lot of money. 25:14 I was, you know, stealing cars all day. 25:16 And I feel like I was the man in the house. 25:20 Did you sell drugs at school? I just have to tell you. 25:24 You may be living in some little town. 25:26 I know that in a little town where we lived, 25:29 I had a niece and her friends came over, 25:32 and they all called me Aunt Shelley. 25:34 And I'm giving them the drug talk 25:37 to avoid drugs, you know, and trying to... 25:39 'Cause they were 15. 25:41 And one of them looked at me, she rolled her eyes 25:44 and she said, "Oh, Aunt Shelley." 25:46 She said, "It is so easy. 25:49 It's easier for us to get drugs than it is to get gum." 25:53 And I said, "What do you mean?" She said they sell it. 25:56 They sell drugs at school, but we have to cross the street 26:00 to go to the little supermarket to buy gum. 26:04 And I'm like in a small little town 26:07 out in the middle of nowhere, 26:09 you'd think that your children are safe. 26:11 Do not assume that your children are safe. 26:16 And so here you are, you're a big man on campus, 26:20 making big money. 26:22 How did God get your attention? 26:24 Well, there is this... 26:26 I was in there for like a while. 26:27 And one day, we had a pastor actually, 26:30 we had a visitor from Michigan, his name is Pastor Wilson. 26:36 He came to visit us, he's from Africa. 26:37 When you say came to visit us, 26:39 he's visiting your family 26:40 and staying with your family, huh? 26:42 Yes, he came to visit us. 26:43 Yeah, he's staying with us, 26:44 you know, for couple of months 26:46 'cause he was going to some churches. 26:47 We had a church called Otumoetai that he was going. 26:50 They had no pastor, he knew about it too. 26:52 And he was there. 26:54 And one day, I went to church, 26:57 but he wasn't there from that moment 26:58 when I went to that church with my parents. 27:00 And I heard this pastor, 27:02 his name is Pastor Vic actually. 27:04 I remember going in when I was sagging my pants. 27:06 And this lady was at the door, she like, "Put up your pants." 27:08 I'm like, No. "This is house of God, 27:10 I had to put up my pants, 27:12 I didn't want to..." 27:13 So you were wearing your pants low around your hips 27:14 like the gang members do? 27:16 Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. 27:17 'Cause I wasn't involved in those gangs, 27:20 you know, basically, I just want to be like them. 27:22 That was the only thing I was doing. 27:24 And when I heard Pastor Vic, 27:26 he was talking about how much Jesus Christ loves you, 27:28 heals you, so many things, you know? 27:31 I'm like, "Okay, I want to accept that, 27:32 but that's not what I need right now." 27:35 And I got to a point... 27:37 So you wanted to accept Jesus when it was convenient. 27:40 Is that what it is? Yes, ma'am. 27:41 Okay. Yes, ma'am. 27:42 And it was kind of hard me, 27:44 you know, it was kind of hard for me, 27:45 but I was too busy worrying about money 27:47 and, you know, pretty much all that stuff. 27:49 And I remember this moment me, 27:51 my best friend who was selling drugs on the street. 27:56 We were just selling drugs and a car came by 27:59 and started shooting us about 12 times. 28:02 And not even one single bullet touched me, 28:06 but when I looked down, 28:07 I saw my best friend laying down on the floor 28:09 when he was already dead. 28:11 Oh, I'm so sorry. 28:12 I know that is very traumatic. Yes, ma'am. 28:14 It was pretty much hard for me 'cause all that those things, 28:17 you know, people keep talking about God, 28:19 I'm like, "Okay, I know God, 28:22 but who is this Jesus saying that He heal? 28:24 Can He heal just my friend?" 28:26 And it was kind of hard for me when I went to his funeral, 28:28 it was really hard for me to, you know... 28:29 So were you mad at God because it happened? 28:31 I was really angry with Jesus. 28:34 You were angry with Jesus. 28:35 I was so angry with Jesus, like, 28:38 you know, people say He's coming soon. 28:40 You know, there's something in my heart, 28:41 I'm like, "Okay, He's coming soon, 28:42 why can't He just do something to my best friend 28:44 and just heal him so we all can be there?" 28:47 And from that moment, 28:48 I stopped continuing doing my things, 28:51 selling drugs, all that. 28:53 Then I got to a point where the pastor, 28:56 Pastor Wilson came and he's like, 28:58 "You know you should share your testimony. 29:00 You should share your testimony." 29:01 I'm like, "No, I don't want to share my testimony." 29:04 And the reason why I had to share my testimony, 29:09 one day when me and my friends were in a car, we were, 29:12 you know, just driving around, 29:14 going to go pick up one of my friend's girlfriend 29:16 and we saw some guys 29:17 and they were shooting us so many times, 29:19 and there was only one bullet. 29:21 When I turned around and look at the back, 29:24 everybody was safe. 29:26 So the devil was trying to take you out, 29:28 but God had His hand of protection around you. 29:29 Definitely. 29:31 That's when I said, "Okay, there is Jesus. 29:33 I want to get to know this Jesus Christ." 29:36 And I went to him like, "Okay, I want to share my testimony." 29:39 And he put in the testimony 29:40 when all the people were getting baptized 29:42 and I shared my testimony... 29:43 My mom, she was in tears, she was like, 29:47 "How come you never told me that?" 29:49 You know, she was heartbroken. 29:52 And when I shared that, 29:54 I got a call from this guy called Tom Evans. 29:58 He was there actually. 30:00 And he's like, 30:02 "You know, go to this Reach the World Next Door, 30:04 you're going to meet Pastor Scott. Talk about it." 30:06 Now hang on a second. 30:07 You've accepted Christ as your savior then. 30:09 From that day, no, I didn't. 30:11 Pardon? I didn't. 30:12 You had not yet accepted? 30:14 I had not yet accepted Jesus Christ. 30:15 So you've got a man who's coming to somebody 30:18 who's just told this wild testimony, 30:20 and this pastor is saying you need 30:22 to go to Reach Your Neighbor Next Door, 30:25 which is a program. 30:26 Yes, ma'am. Reach the World Next Door. 30:28 Reach the World Next Door. 30:29 And this is a program 30:32 that is reaching out to refugees, 30:35 and they are... 30:37 We've interviewed them here, they're down in Houston, 30:39 and they're training people up how to break down the barriers, 30:44 and go out, and canvass, and knock on doors, 30:49 and get to know people, and bring them to Christ. 30:52 So he's telling you, you're not a Christian yet, 30:55 but he's saying, "Hey, go down here 30:57 to this Reach the World Next Door." 30:59 And you did. 31:01 Yeah, actually, I talked to Pastor Scott, 31:02 and he's like, "You know, the first thing 31:04 I think you should do, you should go canvass." 31:06 And when I went canvassing, 31:08 and there was thing book called Desire of Ages, 31:10 you know? I remember going up there, 31:12 pretend like I was sick, 31:13 I was canvassing with the Wichita College actually. 31:16 And I would pretend like, you know, I'm sick, 31:18 I don't want to go outside. 31:19 And there was one of this book, one of my brother called Chris, 31:23 he showed me Desire of Ages. 31:24 he was just reading about Desire of Ages 31:26 and he got to a point where he said that, 31:31 you know, the moon, the sun, 31:33 even the angels did not want 31:34 to look at Jesus Christ for sin. 31:37 And that really just hit me like... 31:39 When He was on the cross? 31:40 Yeah. Bearing our sins. 31:41 Yes, then I realized, 31:43 you know, He was on cross just for my sins, 31:45 He gave everything away, 31:47 everything you can imagine heaven, 31:49 that we're going to have, 31:50 Jesus was willing to give that away and lose life. 31:52 And that got to a point, I'm like, 31:54 "Hey, money is not that important, 31:55 let me give my life to Jesus Christ." 31:57 And that's how end up 31:58 going to the Reach the World Next Door. 32:00 So you gave your life to the Lord, 32:02 you went to that program, 32:04 and you are now actually ministering to refugees. 32:10 Let me ask you... 32:11 I had several thoughts, 32:12 but I always forget them by the time 32:14 'cause if you're listening, 32:15 you forget what you're going to say. 32:17 I just want to ask you something, 32:18 your mother was Muslim and became a Christian, 32:22 my experience has been... 32:24 And let me ask you this 'cause I know right now 32:26 you've been ministering to a Muslim 32:28 who's getting ready to be baptized. 32:31 My experience has been 32:33 if someone of the Muslim religion 32:36 can wrap their head around the concept of Christ 32:39 as the Son of God, 32:41 that once you've got them there, 32:43 you've got them and that they make 32:44 very good Christians, 32:45 is that kind of what you're finding, 32:47 they're easy to minister to? 32:48 Definitely, definitely 'cause of the most thing 32:50 that I usually get challenged with them, 32:53 we go from the beginning, 32:55 and then we go to a point 'cause they say, 32:56 they know Jesus Christ was a prophet. 32:59 And we got to a point God said let us make a man 33:01 and I kind of rewind and say us. 33:03 And that's when I cut them right there, 33:05 and they're just like, "Okay, who is us?" 33:08 And we continue to look through the Bible, 33:10 through the Bible, through the Bible, 33:11 and you realize Jesus Christ. 33:12 And Jesus Christ was the Son of Man, 33:14 the Son of God. 33:15 Yes, amen. Oh, glory to God. 33:17 And you've worked quite a bit with Muslims 33:19 and found that they can be very responsive. 33:22 So, you know, we've got to be so careful. 33:25 Oh, my brothers and my sisters, we cannot be prejudiced 'cause, 33:30 you know, what the root of the prejudice is, 33:33 it's pride, you think you're better than somebody. 33:36 And you mentioned something from the Desire of Ages, 33:40 I think it was chapter 2, 33:41 tell us what she said about the Israelites. 33:45 Yeah, chapters 2 and 3 in Desire of Ages, 33:48 which I'll encourage the viewer, after they finish, 33:51 to maybe go get that book and read those two chapters, 33:54 and then also at the end, 33:56 there will be a calling to read chapter 70, 33:58 but she describes the chosen people 34:01 and how in their desire to remain as pure as possible, 34:05 they separated themselves away from others and blockaded 34:09 and tried to keep their traditions all separate 34:11 and she literally says they robbed God of His glory. 34:16 That's heavy. 34:17 In many ways, 34:19 we pull away instead of being connected with. 34:22 And God in His own mercy, 34:24 Ellen White says in another place in 1914, 34:28 she literally says that God in His providence 34:30 brings a foreigner to this country 34:32 so we may reach them here. 34:34 We're seeing it now, 34:35 and I know there's a lot of people 34:37 that want to focus on how bad the world is 34:39 and how close everything is. 34:40 But the reality is there's many, 34:42 there's billions who have yet to hear 34:44 the clear message of the gospel. 34:45 Absolutely. 34:47 And so this command that you started with still applies. 34:49 Yes, absolutely. The Refuge Ministries. 34:51 You know, it's not just people who have resettled here, 34:54 who have been, 34:55 you know, through the replacement agencies, 34:57 you can find at almost any college, I mean, 35:00 right here in Southern Illinois at SIH, 35:03 we have a huge group of Muslims, and Hindus, 35:07 and Buddhists, and witches... 35:12 I mean, there's Wiccans, there's always someone 35:16 that you can reach out 35:17 to to share the good news. 35:19 I think the reason I said witches, 35:21 well, they're Wiccans, 35:22 but we want to just hit 35:24 the pause button first, 35:26 Antoine, I just give God praise and glory 35:29 for how he pulled you up. 35:33 And I have to ask you, 35:35 He transformed you into totally a new creature, 35:38 but does the new creature ever miss all that 35:42 fast cash you were making? 35:44 Well, when I take a look at my old life 35:46 and my new life right now, when I accept Jesus Christ, 35:48 everything seems amazing with Jesus Christ, every day, 35:53 I prove my work, prove myself to the Bible. 35:57 And like in heaven, 35:58 it's going to be a better life 36:00 than better than money 36:02 because money soon they're going to burn. 36:03 Why do I have to worry about money 36:06 when we have a Savior? 36:07 I hope that there's someone out there 36:10 who's watching right now that if you're in a gang 36:13 or if you're into selling drugs, 36:16 you will realize you can be so much richer 36:19 when Christ sets you free. 36:21 And you told me earlier 36:23 you wouldn't trade Christ for all the money in the world, 36:27 and that's a wonderful thing. 36:29 But let's just... 36:32 We've got to get Philip into this conversation. 36:35 Philip, you've got such a fascinating story. 36:39 Your parents were Hindu, 36:41 and your father was a witchdoctor. 36:45 Kind of give us the version 36:48 of how your family became Christian. 36:50 Okay. 36:51 Well, my father was a witchdoctor in a village. 36:54 Well, in Nepal, especially in remote areas, 36:56 we do not have many hospitals, 36:58 so most of the people they have the superstitions 37:01 that whenever people get sick, 37:02 they have a witchdoctor, and my dad was a witchdoctor, 37:05 and he used to do all the ceremonies 37:07 and things like that. 37:10 And what happened, 37:12 as the days were passing, my parents, 37:16 they had eight children 37:18 and, you know, they started getting sick, 37:21 and they started dying, 37:22 you know, some of them died in 4 years, 37:23 5 years, 6 years, 10 years. 37:26 And my dad was like... 37:27 So out of the eight children there's you and who else left? 37:30 How many are left? 37:32 Now we are two. 37:33 Just two, so they lost six children to sickness. 37:35 And this is the witchdoctor 37:37 who's supposed to be able to heal. 37:39 Yeah. Okay. 37:40 And my dad, like he was searching 37:42 an answer what happened. 37:43 And he used to go to like other witchdoctors, 37:46 you know? And they said because your god is angry 37:48 because in Hinduism they have so many gods and goddesses, 37:51 and we have our one god in every house, 37:55 they have the one god. 37:56 And they said your god is angry. 37:58 And my dad was like, 37:59 "I have been worshiping to this god, 38:01 and I have been dedicating all my life, 38:03 and I have been able to, 38:05 you know, heal some of the people around me, 38:07 but I have not been able to save my children." 38:10 And he got discouraged. 38:12 And he left that job as a witchdoctor 38:15 because he said, "If I'm not being able to save my..." 38:19 "If my god is not helping me in my one family, 38:22 then why am I working as a witchdoctor?" 38:24 And he was just discouraged and was not working 38:27 and he started working in the constructions. 38:30 And one day as he was working in the construction, 38:33 in one of the hospital in Nepal, 38:35 there was a missionary man from Alaska, and he came, 38:39 and he was so different, he was so friendly with people, 38:43 he used to come in our house, 38:45 he used to invite us in his house, 38:48 and we used to eat together, 38:50 he used to play together, 38:51 he used to carry us on his shoulder, you know? 38:53 And he was super friendly, 38:55 and he was there for a few months, 38:56 and after that one day he came to our house, and he said, 38:59 "You know what, I'm leaving Nepal very soon, 39:03 but before leaving Nepal, 39:04 I have a very special gift 39:06 for you guys and for this family." 39:09 And we were like, "Wow, amazing." 39:12 And then he said, "Tomorrow morning, 39:14 I will and I will introduce. 39:16 I will give you this gift." 39:18 And the next day, 39:19 and the following day was the Sabbath. 39:21 And he came and he took us into the church, 39:24 the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nepal. 39:26 And he said, "This is my gift." 39:29 He said, "Now I'm going to go back to US, 39:31 but every time you come here and you see this church, 39:35 you remember our friendship 39:37 and, you know, this is the best gift 39:39 that I can give you is Jesus Christ and God." 39:43 And we started going to the church 39:45 and praise the Lord we all are Adventists right now. 39:49 And I thank the Lord for that man, 39:51 the one missionary man who made a friendship, 39:56 who was close to us, 39:59 and that made a huge impact in our life 40:01 and that changed our life. 40:02 And that's what my desire is, my goal is, 40:06 you know, to make friendship 40:07 and point them to Christ because Ellen G. White 40:11 once said that Christ's method alone will give a success. 40:16 So He mingled with people, 40:17 and that's what I think we ought to do. 40:20 Yeah, and obviously, 40:22 you know, you're not only being trained up in college, 40:25 but you've come here to volunteer and... 40:30 I guess you guys are doing pathfinder clubs, 40:32 you've got all kinds of things. 40:33 So we found, just as Philip shared, 40:36 that aspect of sharing time. 40:38 Absolutely. 40:39 Now, of course, money always has its uses 40:41 and it costs money to send children 40:43 to school and all those things, 40:45 and refugees have needs, 40:46 but the greatest need is they need time with people, 40:51 with love. 40:53 And so what we're doing in multiple places 40:54 around our conference 40:56 but specifically where Philip has been volunteering 40:59 and staying is in Kansas City area 41:01 where we've started various children's programs in places 41:05 where there's just huge numbers of refugees 41:08 from all over the world. 41:10 You're playing games 41:11 with children from Southeast Asia, 41:14 from Africa. 41:16 All these different languages and, of course, 41:18 these guys represent quite a few languages on their own, 41:21 but imagine being able to have the chance 41:23 to build these relationships, 41:25 to share about God. 41:29 There's a youth group that is simply coming together 41:31 to teach kids not to do drugs and not to swear. 41:35 And they come together, 41:36 they do fun things, play soccer, 41:38 vacation Bible school, 41:40 taking all these refugee children 41:41 to in large a vacation Bible school 41:46 and bring the United Nations right there to a church. 41:49 Yes, yes. 41:50 And all kinds of neat things. 41:52 A few days ago, 41:53 we had a VBS program with all these refugee groups. 41:56 And it's amazing 41:58 because most of them are not Christians, 42:00 most of them are Hindus, Buddhists, 42:02 and from other religions. 42:04 And for most of them, 42:05 that was the first time 42:06 that they were hearing about Jesus Christ, 42:08 and they were so happy. 42:10 And we have stories after story. 42:12 Few days ago, we were visiting one of the men. 42:15 His wife and his daughter was already here in US, 42:19 but he was Nepal, 42:20 you know, and just last week he came here, 42:22 and he was telling me the story. 42:24 He told me, "You know, when my daughter was here, 42:28 I used to talk to her through phone over there. 42:32 Before, she was different, and I was talking to her, 42:34 I could see that she's becoming more sweeter, 42:37 and she's amazing, 42:38 and I could just see that she has been transforming. 42:41 And one day, I asked her, 42:42 "Hey, like you are so different now. 42:44 You talk to me with much respect. 42:46 You're more sweeter. 42:48 What happened?" 42:49 And she said, "Now I go to church." 42:51 And the daddy said, 42:52 "Wow, then when I come to Kansas City, 42:56 I will join with you." 42:57 So like this, you have no idea when we mingle with these kids, 43:00 when we invite them to the church 43:02 or pathfinder club or VBS, they're learning about Jesus, 43:05 and they make impact in their homes. 43:07 Amen, amen. 43:09 One of the things we've chosen to do specifically 43:11 there is to visit each home and to let them know 43:14 this is not about just trying to change people 43:17 but to bless your family, 43:19 to teach them about the Creator God, 43:22 and to not get involved in drugs, 43:24 and to actually pray with the families. 43:26 And one time Philip, 43:27 he had an amazing experience with that, yeah? 43:29 Yeah, one time we were visiting a family 43:31 and we had a nice talk and after the talk we said, 43:34 "Can we pray." 43:35 And the man, he stood up 43:37 and he said, this is what he said, 43:40 he said, "So many Christian people 43:43 have already come to my house 43:44 and asked for prayer, 43:46 and I have always said no because I am a lama, 43:50 I am the leader of the Buddhist community here. 43:54 And people look unto me 43:57 and whenever I do the ceremonies, 43:58 they look unto me, 43:59 so I never allow any Christian people 44:01 to pray in my house." 44:02 And he said, "But right now, we are so desperate, 44:05 my wife is sick. 44:06 And we have gone to the doctor, we do not have insurance, 44:10 Medicare, we do not know how to pay it. 44:12 We have no other way." 44:14 And he said, "But I have heard many testimonies 44:16 that when they pray to Jesus and people get healed, 44:20 the problems are solved." 44:22 And he said, "I'm not going to be a Christian 44:26 because I am a lama, and I have a community, 44:29 but I will love if my wife joins you guys 44:32 and pray together." 44:34 So on that day, 44:36 he allowed us to have a prayer, 44:38 and that was the first prayer that was done in that house. 44:41 And after the prayer, the man said, 44:43 "Please keep coming, we need prayers, 44:45 we need your prayers and we need miracle from God." 44:49 So many things are happening, the lives are changing. 44:52 All we need to do is appear in their house and just, 44:55 you know, talk with them, 44:57 and be friends, and pray with them. 45:00 You know, Jesus said, 45:01 "Greater love has no man than this 45:03 that he would lay down his life for another." 45:07 He doesn't mean necessarily that you have to die, 45:09 of course, He did die for us, 45:11 but laying down our life for another 45:13 is just making an investment of time in them. 45:16 You know, time is a precious commodity, 45:19 once the Lord impressed upon me, 45:21 "Time is life. 45:23 How you spend your time is how you spend your life." 45:27 And so when you invest in someone else, 45:31 I mean, that's love, and I think it's showing, 45:34 and it's showing the love of Jesus. 45:37 But one thing that I've really noticed 45:40 in speaking with people that came as refugees 45:44 or who've had that experience 45:48 is that most of them if they were Buddhist 45:50 or Hindu or Muslim, 45:52 they didn't ever know that there was a Creator God 45:57 who loved them. 45:58 The idea, the concept of a God 46:01 who is loving is really difficult at first, 46:06 but they get so excited when they know the truth. 46:09 That's right. 46:12 You know, you can reach their hearts 46:14 sometimes rather quickly. 46:17 One of the things that in sharing this story here, 46:21 we mentioned the Reach the World Next Door program 46:23 that is actually training young people 46:25 to go and to minister with refugees. 46:28 But there's also a fantastic resource 46:30 that anyone can do just from the website 46:33 there that's ASAPMinistries.org. 46:37 Okay, and ASAP, 46:39 this means Advocates for Southeast Asians 46:44 and the Persecuted. 46:45 That's right. 46:47 So ASAP is the one who does the Reach the World program. 46:49 They do that. 46:50 This is the training you went through in Huston. 46:52 And that's with the support of the Texas conference there. 46:56 But this is a book that's been produced 46:57 by Pastor Scott Griswold 46:59 who runs the Reach the World Next Door program, 47:01 and it's how to pray for the world next door. 47:04 And as you've already mentioned, Shelley, 47:06 the international students, every university, 47:09 there is international students, 47:11 the people who are persecuted, 47:12 international travelers and, of course, 47:14 refugees and immigrants. 47:16 God is bringing people here. 47:18 And just as Philip just shared 47:22 when something is impacting the life of the people here 47:26 in the States because of technology, 47:27 they're immediately reaching back to their world, 47:30 their previous world, and their family and so forth. 47:33 And so Ellen White said this more than 100 years ago 47:36 that when people find the truth here, 47:38 then they are equipped to go 47:39 and share it back in their own country. 47:41 Be a light to their own country. 47:43 So this is a resource 47:44 that you can get through that website 47:46 to simply start praying as a church. 47:48 And to start volunteering 47:50 to my little church up in Kirksville 47:53 where I have a chance to be a part time Pastor up there, 47:55 we're planning to start actually creating a time 47:58 where refugees can come 47:59 and practice their English in a safe place 48:01 where they're not going to be laughed at 48:03 with a bunch of older members 48:04 who probably can't go do the active things 48:06 that you did there in Houston, 48:09 but they can open their hearts and they can love. 48:11 And that's what these people are looking for. 48:13 And I suspect, I mean, 48:16 if your experience had been different, Antoine, 48:19 when you had gotten here, 48:21 if somebody had put their arms around you 48:23 and loved on you instead of bullying you, 48:26 you would not have ever taken that route 48:30 to become a drug dealer and a gang member, 48:34 but I just praise God that He's reached you, 48:37 and it's really exciting. 48:40 We need to be less selfish with our time. 48:47 You know, I'm sure that this ministry would say 48:50 or whether it is the ASAP 48:53 or for the Reach the World Next Door program 48:56 or for your Refugee Ministries. 48:59 Of course, they can use donations, 49:01 but sometimes it's so much easier 49:03 to just write a check and think, 49:05 "Okay, well, I've done my part." 49:07 But what God is looking for is, as Paul said, 49:11 "You are any epistle from the Lord, 49:14 written on the heart." 49:16 And so what God is looking for is somebody 49:18 that will reach out and share His love with others. 49:23 We recently just did 49:24 a Displaced But Not Forgotten concert 49:28 in both St. Louis and Kansas City 49:30 where we are raising awareness of the needs 49:32 and having some ethnic groups singing as well. 49:36 And one of the focus areas that we did there 49:38 was trying to get volunteers 49:41 who would help with the gardening class, 49:43 to go teach community gardening 49:45 for these refugee groups 49:48 wherever they're living in St. Louis area, 49:50 how to drive needing people who grab their crash helmet 49:53 and bring the car. 49:56 But these are simple things but so incredibly important. 49:58 You teach them English before you teach them 49:59 how to drive I hope. 50:01 Yeah, English, and how to drive, 50:04 and citizenship classes. 50:05 Sure. 50:07 It was such a thrill for me to attend 50:10 one of our citizenship classes 50:12 in Kansas City, watching them. 50:14 That's very important. 50:15 You know, we're going to have to take a break here 50:16 just a second, but I have to ask one quick question 50:19 'cause I will forget otherwise. 50:22 There are refugees 50:24 who have been resettled in a lot of large cities, 50:28 but even in smaller cities, 50:29 how would you find out if a church member is watching 50:33 and says, "Yeah, my church needs to be involved." 50:35 How do you find out 50:37 if there's refugees in your area, 50:39 who to call? 50:41 I would say you're welcome to contact us 50:42 at our website at the Iowa-Missouri Church there. 50:45 And what is the website? 50:47 IMSDA.org/Refugee. 50:50 IMSDA.org /Refugee. 50:56 What we will do, let's just pause right now, 50:59 we'll come back for a closing thought. 51:00 But let's put the address roll 'cause I just believe 51:04 the Holy Spirit is touching someone 51:06 who says we've been looking for a purpose. 51:09 I mean, so many people call here and say, 51:12 "I want to have a purpose to my life, 51:14 but I don't know what I can do, I can't preach, I can't teach." 51:18 This you could do, 51:19 you could reach out and love somebody for the Lord 51:22 and let them see what God is all about. 51:26 So if you want to get in touch with Bryan, 51:30 then here is how you can get the Refugee Ministries. 51:36 Millions are fleeing their homes 51:38 because of war and persecution, 51:40 your gift of $10 per month 51:42 or $120 per year 51:45 can help a refugee student receive a Christian education 51:49 through Refugee Ministries. 51:51 Find out more by visiting their website 51:54 IMSDA.org/Refugee. 51:58 That's IMSDA.org/Refugee. 52:03 You may also call them 52:04 at (515) 223-1197 52:09 or write to Refugee Ministries, 52:12 PO Box 65665, 52:16 West Des Moines, Iowa, 50265. |
Revised 2018-09-05