Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY018076A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 mending broken people, 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 removing pain... 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:29 heal a heart that hurts, 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:39 mending broken people... 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 mending broken people. 00:56 Music. 01:01 More music. 01:10 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn 01:12 and we want to welcome you once again to 3ABN Today 01:15 and I'm so excited 01:17 that I have the opportunity to host this particular interview 01:22 because some gentlemen are here that I interviewed in 2008 01:26 that God had given them a vision... 01:28 and... oh, it's amazing what He's done since then. 01:31 I just want to take this opportunity 01:34 on behalf of everyone here to thank you so much 01:37 for your prayers and for your love 01:40 that you always are expressing to us 01:43 and for your financial support, 01:45 this is the "Mending Broken People" Network 01:48 and I have to say I am very impressed 01:52 that our Founder, Danny Shelton... 01:55 when he began this network, 01:58 he did not worry about competition, 02:02 in fact, this program that you're watching today... 02:05 our Flagship Program... 02:06 we almost always are talking about other ministries... 02:11 other ministries that we invite you to support 02:14 because we believe with all of our hearts 02:18 that the cattle on a thousand hills belong to the Lord 02:22 and God has enough funds to get all of His work done 02:26 that He wants done, 02:27 of course, you probably heard the punch line, 02:30 those funds are in your pocket... 02:33 but today, let me introduce you to our very special guests. 02:37 First we have Jean Florvilus 02:40 and Jean you are the CEO and Director of... 02:44 President for Orphans International Helpline. 02:49 Yes, I am. 02:50 And you know, I just have to say upfront... 02:52 you may have to change the title of your ministry 02:55 because this has so much more... 02:59 I mean, there's so much that you all are doing 03:01 that's so amazing 03:02 but we're going to come back and get your story in just a moment. 03:06 Then we have Stephen Blosser, am I saying that right? 03:10 That's correct... 03:11 Stephen, you are with Michigan State University, 03:13 I know you're an Engineer... 03:15 you work with the Engineering Project 03:16 but you are the Assistive... 03:19 Stephen: Technology Specialist. 03:22 Shelley: What is an Assistive Technology Specialist? 03:24 Stephen: Well, at Michigan State, 03:26 we have 2,100 students with disabilities. 03:29 Shelly: Wow! 03:30 Stephen: And I am the Specialist that helps them 03:33 with all of their technology, I'm an Engineer... 03:35 Rehabilitation Engineer... 03:37 I meet with the students, one-on-one... 03:39 find out what their challenges are... 03:41 some of them have difficulty speaking and other things... 03:45 reading... and we find computer software 03:49 or different tools that they use to help them get an education. 03:53 Shelley: Amen... amen... that's wonderful 03:56 and you're going to see in just a moment 03:58 how God introduced Stephen to this ministry... 04:02 what a tremendous boost that has been. 04:06 Next, we have Pastor Brian Ladiny... 04:09 am I saying that right? 04:11 Yes, you're right. 04:12 Okay, and you a Pastor in Queens and in Brooklyn, right? 04:16 Brian: Yes. 04:17 Shelley: And you're the Vice President 04:19 for Orphans International Helpline, correct? 04:22 Yes. 04:24 Well, we're so thrilled to have you here 04:27 and I'm just anxious to jump into your story 04:31 because these two gentlemen are both from Haiti 04:35 but you have such an amazing backstory 04:40 to how this ministry began, 04:41 what we want to do Jean, let's start with you, 04:44 you grew up in a Baptist Christian home. 04:50 Jean: Yes. 04:51 And you come from a long line of Baptists. 04:53 Jean: Yes. 04:54 Pastors... even your brothers are pastors, right? 04:58 All right, so you grew up as a Baptist, 05:01 when did you meet Brian's mother? 05:06 I met Brian's mother in New York in 2012... 05:11 no... 1992... 1992... I met Brian's mother 05:17 and she introduced to me the Adventist message, 05:21 she invited me to her church. 05:23 I didn't want to go... 05:26 Shelley: Why not? 05:27 Because what I heard was Adventist is cult... 05:32 they don't believe in Jesus Christ... 05:35 Shelley: Oh really? 05:37 Jean: We know as Baptists, Jesus is our center... 05:41 the center of our lives... 05:42 that's what we learn in our churches 05:45 and I didn't want to go 05:47 and she said, "Jean, you will be blessed 05:50 if you come and worship with us. " 05:51 I didn't want to 05:53 and she went and talked to another young man 05:55 and she talked to that young man 05:58 for that young man to come and talk to me 06:00 and see if maybe I'll listen to that young man... 06:04 probably the same age as me, I'll listened and I went 06:08 and Saturday morning... I listened to the worship... 06:12 I looked at the hymnal... 06:13 it's different with the hymnal that we use in our Sunday church 06:19 because in Haiti we use 06:22 half French and half Creole in our hymnal... 06:25 the Adventist hymnal... it's only in French 06:28 but I... I realized there were some songs 06:31 that are similar to our songs, 06:33 and I said, "Well, okay, I'm just watching... " 06:36 and the Pastor came and started preaching... 06:39 Shelley: But wait a minute... 06:40 I remember this one point of the story 06:43 is... not only were you told 06:45 that this group... being us... were a cult... 06:49 but you were told 06:50 we used a completely different Bible, weren't you? 06:53 Yes, I've heard that Adventists have a different Bible. 06:56 Shelley: Which is not true... never has happened... 06:59 and we want to clarify that 07:01 because isn't it amazing 07:03 how people can tell the most interesting things 07:07 on other-people groups, so... so you then were looking 07:12 not only the hymnal but also at the Bible. 07:15 The Bible... because I wanted to see 07:17 because according to what I heard, 07:18 the Bible you guys were using was a different Bible than ours 07:21 than us... and then I looked at the Bible 07:24 in French... what we use it's a Bible called Louis Segond 07:28 and I look at their Bible it said, "Louis Segond" 07:32 and I opened from Genesis to Revelation... 07:35 I see the same thing... 07:37 and I was... I said, "Hmmm... these people they... 07:40 they use the same Bible as us" 07:42 and Pastor started preaching 07:44 and he preached clearly from the Bible, 07:46 and I said, "Wow!" I was touched by the service, 07:51 it was very spiritual 07:52 and I heard "Jesus" mentioned many times, 07:55 you know, I said, "Okay... " 07:57 after the church, she called me, 07:59 she said, "So, how was the church today?" 08:01 I said, "Well, it went well, I enjoyed it. " 08:03 She said, "Really?" 08:04 She said, "So, is that something 08:05 that you think you might be interested in?" 08:07 I said, "About what?" 08:08 She said, "Becoming Adventist. " 08:09 I said, "Ah, naw, naw, naw, naw, I don't think so" 08:12 and she said, "Really?" 08:13 I said, "No. " 08:15 She said, "Okay" and we're there talking, talking 08:17 and few... probably I think a month or two later, 08:20 there was a Crusade at her church 08:22 and then they invited me to that Crusade 08:25 and I went probably three, four, five, six nights... 08:29 listening to the Pastor 08:31 and then, I was touched by everything 08:33 and Pastor made an appeal 08:37 and I became an Adventist, I got baptized. 08:39 Shelley: Much to your family's chagrin. 08:41 Jean: Yes... and family were very upset about that 08:44 because they realized that I betrayed them 08:50 from Baptist to Adventism. 08:53 Yeah, when all you were doing was following the truth, 08:56 I'm just going to fast forward so, you actually ended up 08:59 then becoming friends with Brian down here, 09:03 you all went to Andrews University together... 09:05 Jean: Yes. 09:07 Shelley: Tell us... you went... 09:10 when I said they're both from Haiti... 09:12 they live in the United States now... I should have clarified, 09:15 but you made a trip to Haiti and what year was that? 09:20 And you came back and talked with Brian about this. 09:24 Okay, so, I went... after I got baptized in New York 09:28 and then, I went to Florida... 09:31 I moved to Florida... and from Florida, 09:33 I've been involved in the church in Florida 09:36 and I realized this message is so powerful that I learned 09:40 from New York 09:42 and also involving in church in Florida, 09:44 I said, "I got to take this message to Haiti to my people 09:47 because they don't know about this Adventist message, 09:50 it's so powerful... it's in the Bible" 09:52 and I talked to my Pastor 09:54 and he said that... "Well you can apply to go" 09:56 I said, "Well, I need to go to school 09:58 to learn more about the Adventist message 10:01 so I can go back to teach that message to the people in Haiti" 10:06 and then he told me that there was a school... 10:08 there were two Adventist schools 10:10 he introduced to me what's Oakwood College 10:12 and Andrews University 10:14 and I applied for Oakwood 10:15 and later on, my mind said, 10:17 "No, you need to go apply for Andrews" 10:19 and I sent an application to Andrews 10:22 and Andrews answered me before Oakwood 10:24 so, I was approved for Andrews and I went to Andrews University 10:28 that was in 2001... I went to Andrews 10:31 and then, while I was at Andrews in 2003, 10:34 I realized, "I need to go to Haiti. " 10:37 I said, because I have a vision for that... 10:40 I don't want to wait until I finish with the school 10:43 to go over there... 10:45 I want at least before I finish 10:47 so I can visit and know exactly where I'm going to start 10:49 spreading the gospel 10:52 and when I got to the country, 10:53 I see children... five- six-year olds 10:56 walking the street... holding plate... 10:58 begging for food to survive, 11:00 I said, "Wow! How can I come here 11:04 to tell people that Jesus loves them 11:07 while they're starving?" 11:09 So, I said, "We must do something to meet their needs 11:13 and after that, we can share Jesus with them. " 11:17 And I came back to Andrews and then I... I... 11:21 I shared this with Brian Ladiny and also the students... 11:25 my colleagues and even teachers... I shared that with 11:28 and then they were so touched but we didn't have money 11:30 but with money we have left 11:32 in our Account at Andrews University 11:34 we took that money and sent them to Haiti 11:37 to start a feeding program. 11:39 Shelley: Praise God. 11:40 So, let me just hit pause button with you for just a second, 11:44 we're going to jump down to the end to talk to Brian, 11:45 so, Brian, you all obviously have some history, 11:49 your mother's the one who introduced him 11:52 to the Adventist message, 11:53 what did you... how did it impact you 11:58 when he came back and told you of these starving children 12:01 walking around in the streets with the plates... 12:04 what was your initial impression? 12:07 Yes, first of all, when I was at Oakwood studying... 12:10 doing my undergrad in Theology 12:12 and my mom told me that you have to meet Jean 12:16 at Andrews, you have to go to Andrews 12:18 so that you can meet him there because he's a wonderful person 12:21 and he then will tell you more 12:22 about the work that he wants to do in Haiti, 12:25 so I was so excited when I get to Andrews 12:27 so, that's where we... we see each other 12:29 we saw each other and then he was telling about the dream 12:32 the Lord has given him to go back to Haiti 12:36 and how the Lord has chosen him as Moses 12:39 to go and to deliver the people back there 12:42 and then... that story came to me because my mom also... 12:46 the way she was sponsored by a missionary here from the US 12:50 to help her out that we can come here in the US 12:53 so I said, "I have to give back also. " 12:55 Shelley: Amen. 12:56 Brian: She also was raised by missionaries... helped her out 12:59 for school... everything... so she was telling her story 13:03 and I felt compelled to go back and help out 13:05 we went to Haiti together and see the devastation... 13:08 the kids in the street begging food to survive 13:11 and we said, "We have to do something for 13:14 money that we have from school" 13:15 it was tough for us... have to work at Andrews University 13:19 and then send some money that we have... 13:20 like that to help out. 13:22 So you're both in Theology classes at Andrews University 13:25 but God just let you know... 13:26 see, some of us... oh, it's so wrong 13:29 God will give us a vision and we'll think, 13:32 "Oh, let me get totally prepared first" 13:34 and we procrastinate 13:35 but I think when God shows us something, 13:39 He wants us to start moving in as they say, 13:40 "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. " 13:45 So, you started the feeding program 13:48 but then you learned that many of the children 13:52 were staying around afterwards, 13:56 you've got your Director down there... tell us that story. 13:58 Yes, after the... the Director called me 14:02 and he said that, "Jean" I said, "Yes. " 14:05 "We have a problem here. " 14:06 I said, "What happened?" 14:08 He said, "Well, I realize that we have some kids... 14:11 after they finish eating, they stay... 14:14 stay around in our porch and we need to leave the Center, 14:17 we need to go and schedule another feeding for tomorrow, 14:21 and I approached some of them 14:22 and I said, 'You need to go. '" 14:23 And some said, "We don't have place to go... 14:26 we don't have any place to go. " 14:28 And he said, "What do you mean, you don't have any place to go?" 14:30 They said, "Well, we don't have any house" 14:32 and he said, "Jean, I think we need to do more than feeding. " 14:38 Shelley: He found, some of them didn't have parents. 14:40 Jean: That's right... and I said, 14:42 "Wow! We don't know what to do 14:44 because we don't have any money to rent a place 14:47 or build place to put the children. " 14:49 And I told him, "Well, we have to pray about it. " 14:52 And I talked to a guy at Andrews University, 14:56 he was a retired professor and I talked to him 14:59 and he said, "Jean, you need to do something about this 15:03 because I love Haiti, I've been down there 15:06 and I... I... I've helped over there before 15:09 and I see that the Lord called you for something special, 15:13 so you need to do something" 15:14 and he said, "You need to find a place... " 15:16 because I went to him for advice, 15:17 I need to know what to do with that situation. 15:19 He said, "You need to find a place to put the children. " 15:22 And I called the guy and he found a Center over there 15:25 and he rented for us... it wasn't that much money 15:29 in the countryside... like around 400 dollars US a year 15:33 we have to pay for that but we don't have that... " 15:36 Shelley: It sounds cheap unless you don't have it. 15:39 Jean: Yeah, and then so... he said... 15:41 he said, "We find... we find two rooms 15:43 that we can rent and put children" 15:45 and he put the children for us 15:47 so, now we have to look for beds and clothes and this and that 15:51 and people also to sleep with the kids 15:53 because we didn't have that in mind, 15:54 and he put... he organized everything for us 15:57 and... but we know that we cannot stay there for long 16:00 because we have to have our own place to put the children 16:03 but we came and talked to students and professors 16:06 and they... people donate towards this ministry, 16:09 it is amazing, they donate and then we were able to 16:12 take care of the children and a few days later, 16:18 we went back to Haiti... 16:19 we were looking for land... property... 16:22 to put a... a... a... a... a... an orphanage... 16:25 to build an orphanage because we need to have a property... 16:27 we realized that we have... 16:29 once we have children we have to have a place for them 16:32 and also, we have to build a school to put the children 16:35 so that we can educate them 16:36 and also, our main purpose there is to evangelize. 16:40 So we have envisioned a church as well 16:43 and we purchased 20 acres of land 16:48 not too far away... 16:49 like half a mile away from where the children were 16:53 and we purchased a property but it was a blessing... 16:56 we... every time we take missionaries over there, 16:59 we find another family that hosts them for us 17:02 every year and we said, 17:06 "Okay, we need to build our own missionary house... 17:08 so when missionaries come, they can have a place to stay. " 17:11 Shelley: It... and I will say this, 17:13 "It isn't always the most comfortable thing 17:16 to go and stay in the home of a stranger... " 17:19 especially, you don't know what kind... 17:21 so if you're trying to get people to come over 17:24 to the mission field for temporary times, 17:27 it's nice if they can have 17:29 a little private space of their own. 17:32 Yes, and we purchased a property and we talked about it 17:38 one missionary went to Haiti and she said, 17:40 "Jean, we need to pray about it 17:42 because we need to build 17:44 a missionary home... a mission home here. " 17:45 And I said, "Okay" but just "okay" 17:47 because I know we don't have money 17:49 and we came home... 17:52 I received a phone call from that lady 17:54 and she said, "Jean. " I said, "Yes. " 17:56 "You won't believe it. " 17:58 I said, "What happened?" 17:59 "I had an old friend from high school, 18:02 I haven't seen for years and I come across this guy 18:07 and... and he told me that he's about to die, 18:11 he has cancer... he's about to die... 18:13 and he doesn't have anybody to organize his funeral for him, 18:17 'As you used to be my old friend from high school, 18:20 I want to give you everything I have here, 18:22 and so you can organize my funeral... ' 18:24 and he said, 'I have this amount of money in the bank, 18:27 I want you to organize my funeral... 18:30 and after... the money left over... 18:32 I want you to find a charity to give that money for me. '" 18:36 Shelley: Wow. Brian: Amen. 18:37 Jean: And then, she got that much... she organized... 18:40 after that guy passed away, she got that money 18:42 and she gave that money to build that mission home. 18:45 So that's why today, we call this mission home, 18:49 "Wanda's Missionary House. " 18:51 Shelley: Amen... amen... so... 18:53 so, you have built the mission home, 18:59 you've built an orphanage but let's talk about the church 19:05 we're Stephen... we're going to get you in here in just a minute 19:08 but let's talk about the church, 19:11 first of all, Brian, the people of Haiti... 19:17 I know that there is a fairly strong Catholic population there 19:23 and some Baptists... 19:25 but most of the people... 19:27 if they're not exposed to Christianity, 19:30 what do they practice? 19:31 Yes, as we know, Haiti was the first Black country 19:37 to ever get their independence... 19:38 they're from Africa as well 19:40 and there came with them a sense of Voodooism... Voodoo 19:43 and most of them, they practice that 19:46 and they value it so much to the point that 19:50 whenever they have a headache or whatever they have, 19:52 they see the Voodoo priest or witchdoctor, 19:55 thinking that they will do something for them 19:57 so they practice that in Haiti and those people... 20:02 if they're not Christian... 20:03 if they're not professing Jesus Christ, 20:07 they will be Voodoo worshippers. 20:10 Okay... and... and... I mean, Voodoo is a religion, 20:13 some people just think it's something that you do 20:15 but it's a religion 20:17 and there's a lot of poverty in Haiti isn't there? 20:20 Okay, so, here you've got... 20:23 have you already built the school? 20:25 I mean, you've built the orphanage, 20:26 have you built the school? All: No. 20:28 Because the school is part of the church. 20:29 All: Yes. 20:31 Shelley: So, you recognize... and this is what... 20:33 you're going to see what God is doing with this ministry, 20:36 it's so amazing... 20:38 you recognize now that you really need the church. 20:42 Tell us the miracle story of your church. 20:47 Miracle story of the church... 20:48 you know, while we're feeding... 20:50 we provide education for the children, 20:52 but the area is dark when you come to Christianity 20:55 and... and our main purpose was to go and evangelize the land 21:01 and tell people about the good news of Jesus... 21:03 He's coming back 21:05 and for them to have hope not on Voodooism but in Jesus, 21:08 that's their only hope... 21:10 and we built a warehouse... we built mission home... 21:14 we built orphanage... 21:16 and we realized that the Church is important 21:19 but we don't know how it's going to come 21:22 to find money for a church... 21:24 and we organized a mission trip to Haiti 21:26 and... we have a group of Americans went down 21:29 there were like nine or ten of us... we went down 21:33 and... as a matter of fact, 21:34 Pastor Brian was organizing the... 21:36 the program for the preaching... 21:38 every night to have a different preacher... 21:40 and we have a lot of people... 21:42 there was no light... nothing in the area... 21:45 Shelley: When you say "no light" what do you mean? 21:47 Jean: There was no electricity, 21:48 no electricity in the area at night time 21:52 they heard that this group are sharing Jesus... 21:54 something about Jesus... 21:56 so they want to come to listen 21:58 to know exactly what we have to offer 21:59 and every night they come... 22:01 in the dark they came to listen to the Word of God... 22:06 many people showed up and we spent seven days doing that 22:10 lot of people... we called for... 22:12 we made appeal... people come 22:15 and we pray with them 22:16 and after the seven days concluded, we left, we came home 22:20 and when I got to Berrien Springs... my office 22:25 I received a call from a lady in the west coast 22:28 and she called... she said, "Is this Jean?" 22:31 I said, "Yes, this is Jean. " 22:32 She said, "I heard that you guys... 22:34 I received your newsletter... 22:35 you were supposed to go to Haiti on a mission trip, 22:38 I said, "Yes, Ma'am we went. " 22:39 She said, "So, I looked at something about evangelism... 22:42 you guys were supposed to preach seven day week of evangelism. " 22:47 I said, "Yes, we did. " 22:48 So, she said, "How many baptisms you had?" 22:50 I said, "We didn't have any. " 22:51 She said, "You didn't have any?" 22:53 I said, "Yes. " She said, "Why?" 22:54 I said, "Ma'am, we don't have any church to put them 22:58 so we did not baptize anybody. " 23:00 Shelley: So, your appeal to the people was 23:03 to accept Christ as their Savior and make that decision... 23:05 Jean: That's right. 23:06 Shelley: But you didn't make an appeal for baptism. 23:08 Jean: No... and prayed for them 23:09 that are under evil bondage 23:12 so the Lord can remove them from that 23:14 but we don't want to make appeal for baptism 23:16 because we don't have any place to put them 23:17 and she said, "So, why don't you have a church in the area?" 23:22 I said, "We don't have money to build one. " 23:24 She said, "Really?" I said, "Yes. " 23:25 She said, "Okay, no problem. " 23:27 So she hung up the phone 23:28 and in... probably 30 minutes to an hour later, 23:31 she called back and I received the phone call 23:35 and I said, "How can I help you?" 23:36 She said, "This is so-and-so, I just called... 23:39 I talked to you a few minutes ago about a church in Haiti. " 23:44 I said, "Yeah, I remember you. " 23:46 She said, "Well, I was talking to my husband... 23:49 we decided to build a church in Haiti for you. " 23:52 Shelley: That's a two-hander. 23:53 Jean: I said, "Are you sure... really?" 23:55 She said, "Yeah. " 23:56 And, she said, "So when do you want to start?" 23:59 I said, "I'll start right now. " 24:02 I said, "For Christ... I'll start right now. " 24:06 And she said, "Here's my credit card, 24:08 take this amount of money to begin the foundation. " 24:11 And then, we started. 24:13 Shelley: You built a beautiful church. 24:15 Jean: By God's grace... by God's grace 24:17 we started the foundation 24:19 and... and... and... and it finished... and after that 24:22 we were even trying to invite 3ABN 24:24 because a lot of people in the community... 24:27 Shelley: Here it is... the finished product. 24:28 Jean: Yeah, a lot of people in the community 24:30 wanted to see this church... it's amazing 24:33 and there are people that believed 24:34 that this church would never finish 24:36 because they said, "How are you going to finish this church?" 24:38 I said, "Well, this is God's work, 24:39 if God can just give the seed money to start it, 24:43 it will finish. " 24:44 It took us four years to finish 24:47 and we called the Haitian Conference in Haiti 24:50 and the Union President... they all came down... 24:52 the staff closed office to come down 24:55 and dedicated this church to the Lord. 24:58 Shelley: I think they have a picture of this. 24:59 Jean: And people from all over, Adventists, Non-Adventists, 25:04 to come see this miracle 25:05 because this is the first building in Bombardopolis area 25:08 there's no other building like this... 25:10 and God placed it over there for a purpose... 25:13 we tell them that. 25:15 Brian: Actually, it was... it was a dream 25:17 that God gave to Pastor Jean Florvilus 25:20 and God told him, 25:21 "This is the way you should build the church for me 25:23 in Bombardopolis 25:25 Everything that's inside the church... outside the church... 25:27 this is how I want you to build it for me. " 25:29 He didn't know how he was going to do it, 25:31 it was way back before 2003 he had received a dream... 25:34 and then the Lord made that dream come true. 25:37 And you know, you're sounding more like Moses all the time... 25:40 He gave you a pattern up on the mountain, right? 25:43 Jean: Yes, yes, yes, yes. 25:44 So now, you also then began to school inside the... 25:47 Jean: Inside the church 25:49 because the church has two wings on it, you know, 25:53 when you look at the church it has two wings on the church 25:55 and then on... we use those wings 25:57 because we put them for Sabbath School 25:59 and so, during the week they have a school in there 26:02 and then on Saturday, they have Sabbath School teaching. 26:06 Shelley: So, you've got not only orphans 26:08 but you have other children also. 26:10 Jean: Other children from the community. 26:12 But not only our school... we also have... 26:14 before we put our children inside that school, 26:17 we sponsored 200 schools outside, 26:20 yeah, non-Adventist schools, we pay for the teachers... 26:25 we provide the school supplies, 26:27 the uniform... for orphans... for kids... 26:29 because they are... our school doesn't have... 26:31 now this is... in Haiti we have a college called... 26:35 the high school here in Haiti is called "College" 26:40 so when our kids finish with elementary school, 26:44 they have to go to high school 26:45 and we don't have high school in our Center 26:48 and so we have these children that we have been helping, 26:50 we said, "Okay, we're going to send you to this school outside 26:55 so you can get your education. " 26:57 So, we have one elementary school outside we sponsored 27:00 and also the high school outside we sponsor 27:03 and now we have one inside... on campus. 27:06 Shelley: You know, I don't think people understand 27:10 some of the difficulties that you face 27:13 when you go to an underdeveloped country like this, 27:16 you didn't have any clean water, tell us about your well. 27:20 It is a big miracle... big miracle... 27:23 before... when we got there, 27:25 there was no river in the area where people can collect water 27:28 or nothing at all... you have to have a well 27:31 and there are two... 27:34 it's not well but it's a source the way to get water... 27:37 it's not clean water... it's not clean water 27:39 they got water there... 27:41 and it's like a... probably two miles away from our Center 27:45 and we realized we need to have water 27:48 because how are we going to operate here without water 27:50 and we had been praying about it 27:52 and it's the same thing... we went on a mission trip 27:56 we had our secretary write a Newsletter 27:59 and post it saying, "We need help for a well, 28:03 we want to dig a well in Haiti. " 28:05 And we came back 28:07 we find message on our answering machine 28:09 a guy from Holland, Michigan called 28:12 and said, "We received your... 28:14 my wife sponsors a child from your Organization 28:16 and I'm a retired Well Driller 28:18 and I received a Newsletter from you 28:20 saying that you are looking for people 28:22 to help you with a well. " 28:23 I said, "Yes" and I called him back 28:26 and he said, "Yes, I want to help with a well. " 28:28 He said, "So, what kind of well are you looking for, 28:30 what kind of machine you have?" 28:32 I said, "Sir, I've never done with a well before 28:35 and I don't know what machine we need, 28:37 we just know that we need a well. " 28:38 And he said, "Well, I went to Haiti before 28:43 years ago... during Papa Doc... the old President 28:46 and I drilled a well for a mission in Haiti, 28:49 so, I believe I can help you, 28:51 we need to find this type of drilling machine 28:54 because your soil over there is very hard 28:56 and he started searching and searched... searched... 29:00 and he found a good machine 29:02 and then, we find money donated for the drilling machine 29:06 and he went to Haiti and drilled a well for us on campus 29:09 so this he... when he finished with the well, 29:12 he said, "Jean... " I said, "Yes... " 29:14 "I've been drilling for more than 40 years in Michigan, 29:18 I found water for you here... I never find in the States. " 29:23 Shelley: Wow! 29:24 He said, "The water is so pure, 29:27 you don't need to put anything on it. " 29:29 we used to purchase water from Port-au-Prince 29:31 to go to the countryside, 29:33 he said, "From now on, 29:34 you do not need to purchase water from Port-au-Prince, 29:36 he took a bottle of water from Haiti... 29:38 took it to a lab here in the States, 29:40 he said, "Jean, there was nothing bad in the water, 29:43 do not purchase water at all... just get it... " 29:46 He said, "Make sure your container is clean 29:48 you put in the water... 29:49 but after that, you're free to drink the water. " 29:51 Shelley: Glory to God, I mean, 29:53 it is so amazing how God has led them each step of the way 29:56 and how rapidly everything worked... 29:58 we're going to show you a video before we finish 30:01 so that you can really see the development of this 30:03 but we've been ignoring Stephen here 30:05 who's sitting in the middle 30:07 and Stephen, tell us how God connected you 30:13 with these two gentlemen 30:15 and with the Orphans International Helpline. 30:19 Yes, well, the story starts when I was at MSU. 30:22 We... we have a reputation there 30:24 of being very good at supplying the needs 30:27 of our students with disabilities 30:29 and I saw this over the years, I've been there for 40 years 30:33 and I prayed one day, 30:35 "Give me an opportunity to share some of these solutions 30:40 that we find for students. " 30:41 Right after I prayed, 30:43 I happened to be with something I'm not usually in the... 30:47 the Receptionist area... I answered the phone... 30:50 and I got a phone call from India 30:53 and they needed someone to help with the blind school there, 30:57 I went there and I started the projects and we... 31:00 Shelley: You were actually not just praying... someone to share 31:03 but you were wanting to do something 31:04 for God's glory, right. 31:05 Stephen: That's correct. Shelley: Okay. 31:07 Stephen: And I had this opportunity... 31:09 it was a miracle that God answered the prayer, 31:11 he said, "Please come and help us. " 31:14 Shelley: And this man didn't even know you were Adventist, 31:17 it was an Adventist Minister, okay. 31:19 It was a random call to a Center 31:21 where we have a reputation of helping people. 31:24 Shelley: Yeah. 31:25 Stephen: And... so I accepted and I went there 31:28 and I realized after my trip that I needed little more help 31:32 so I took the General Conference of our Church... 31:38 offers: Mission Institute... 31:40 I went there and I took the class, 31:42 I learned about the cultures 31:45 and the different obstacles and problems 31:47 that you could have in the mission field 31:49 and I was prepared then. 31:51 Let me just hit pause here for just a second 31:54 because many people don't know 31:56 that the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church 31:59 provides this Mission Institute Missionary Training 32:03 absolutely free, 32:04 you went in person to a two-week course in Andrews 32:09 but you can also go online, 32:12 do you know, do you just go to the... 32:14 Just go... just: missioninstitute. org 32:17 missioninstitute. org 32:20 and you can take the online class at your own pace 32:23 but I know you're high on this training, 32:26 you said that everybody should do it. 32:29 Stephen: Oh, everyone should do it before they go, 32:30 it prepares you. 32:32 Shelley: Okay. 32:33 And right after my training, I went and visited... 32:36 well, I was doing a... 32:38 at our... it's a time when our church has Camp Meeting 32:47 and I was at Camp Meeting 32:49 helping with the Booth on Mission work 32:53 and a gentleman came to me, Ken came to me, 33:00 he was the President of a hospital and he had visited Jean 33:04 and he came and explained the need there at Haiti... 33:08 at Orphans International Helpline 33:09 and said, "You know, you should help them. " 33:12 And it was like God speaking to me, 33:15 another answer to a prayer to open up that opportunity 33:19 so, with the training and with the mission work, 33:23 I went to see Jean at his office 33:25 and I said, "Is there anything I can do to help?" 33:29 And he had been looking for an Engineer like myself 33:32 to help with the construction 33:34 of this wonderful hospital now that they're doing. 33:36 Shelley: So... so God had... I mean... 33:39 I know that medical facilities are few and far between 33:42 down there... particularly good facilities, 33:44 so, God had now increased your vision 33:47 that you wanted a hospital and what does He do? 33:51 He sends you an Engineer! 33:53 Yes... Amen... 33:55 But I have to say, not just any Engineer, 33:59 he's at Michigan State University 34:02 and he is the... 34:04 kind of the head of the Capstone Design Program there, 34:07 with engineering students 34:10 who are wanting to prove their prowess in the Engineering Field 34:14 right? 34:15 Stephen: That's correct. 34:16 Shelley: So you had a whole group. 34:18 Stephen: All the resources... 34:19 Shelley: All the resources. Stephen: Yes. 34:20 Jean: It's... it's powerful... it's powerful... 34:24 because when Mr. Blosser stopped by my office and talked to me, 34:28 I was so touched because we are in the process 34:33 of the foundation 34:35 and I'm using the Haiti Engineer and I don't know exactly... 34:41 I've never dealt with... 34:43 I've never dealt with something like that before and so... 34:45 Shelley: So you don't know if it's going to be 34:46 earthquake and storm proof... 34:48 Jean: So, I said, "Lord, what are we going to do here?" 34:51 I called the Board, we had a Board Meeting 34:53 and said... the Board said, 34:54 "Are you sure this is going to be earthquake proof 34:56 and this and that... " and I said... 34:58 even people that donated to this Program... the building 35:02 said, "Are you sure?" 35:03 I said, "Well, I'm sure because 35:05 they said they know how to do this, 35:07 so, I believe they will do it right. " 35:09 So when Mr. Blosser stopped by and said, 35:11 "Jean, do you have anything going on 35:13 either school or any building?" 35:16 I said, "Sir, you stopped at the right time... 35:20 you are a God-sent angel to us because we need your help. " 35:24 And since then, he took over. 35:26 It is amazing... 35:28 he went over there and saw the construction 35:31 and made adjustments... what needed to be done... 35:33 it's amazing. 35:35 Shelley: So had you ever been to Haiti before? 35:36 Stephen: I'd never been to Haiti before. 35:38 Shelley: Isn't it amazing when you ask God, 35:40 "Lord I want to do something more for you" 35:42 how He opens the doors! 35:44 Stephen: Yes... can I share an adventure of going there? 35:45 Shelley: Surely. 35:47 Stephen: It's kind of an adventurous trip 35:50 going to Bombardopolis, Haiti 35:51 which is about 200... 35:54 150 to 200 miles outside of Port-au-Prince. 35:58 It's a long trip... it takes all day to go there 36:04 and the roads in Haiti, 36:06 especially the rural ones are very rough 36:08 so, you have to be able to withstand a lot of jolting 36:14 and bumping and... it's a lot of fun 36:16 but it's also... 36:18 Shelley: Like having chiropractic adjustment 36:19 isn't it? 36:21 Stephen: It was getting near the evening... 36:24 we were all very tired and the roads... the rough roads 36:28 they just tear the tires up on these vehicles 36:32 and we had had... we had stopped in Gonaives 36:35 and we have some of our spare tires fixed 36:39 and they got broke... they got punctured again 36:42 we were on our last tire... we were a long ways... 36:46 we had a good 30 miles which takes several hours 36:50 and the tire went... was flat and we had a little compressor 36:56 we got it out of the truck... 37:00 and we put it on the tire that was flat 37:02 and we started the compressor up 37:04 and when you have compressor pumping air into the tire, 37:08 and the tire is hissing... 37:09 you know, the air is coming out 37:11 almost as fast as the compressor is putting it in 37:14 and I... I... they... everyone in the truck... 37:17 and all the people that were with us 37:19 said, "Are we going to make it?" 37:20 And I looked ahead about 100 feet and I said, 37:23 "We might make it up to the next hill" 37:24 and then we prayed. 37:27 I said, "Lord, help us here, this tire isn't holding air 37:32 so, send your angels to put a stopper on this. " 37:36 Well, the air is hissing out, tire was up... 37:41 and we pulled off the compressor, 37:43 we all jumped in the truck and we headed off 37:45 and I was waiting... 37:48 looking out and waiting for the tire to go flat again 37:51 because I figured, we'd have to pump it up every... 37:53 every three miles at the most or 100 feet... 37:57 we made it all the way there... just amazing... 38:01 God just brought us there, we were exhausted, 38:05 we didn't have much time 38:07 because we had to measure the foundation 38:09 on the hospital and do a lot of work. 38:12 Shelley: So Stephen, did you take some of these... 38:15 I forget the... 38:17 Capstone Design... did your students go down with you 38:21 or how did that work? 38:22 Stephen: I brought back the design of our Solar System... 38:25 there's no electricity there... 38:27 Shelley: Whew... 38:28 Stephen: A large part of the world doesn't have electricity. 38:31 There's another Organization 38:33 ADRA... who's been helping us as well 38:35 and the need for electricity in our... 38:40 in our schools and mission projects around the world 38:44 is very intense and it's the same way there 38:46 so our students have addressed this issue... we... we... 38:50 I brought back these projects 38:51 to our Engineering Student Team at MSU 38:54 and they have designed a control system 38:58 that will integrate solar and wind... 39:02 Shelley: This is your team? 39:03 Stephen: This is my team... 39:04 this is the team that worked together 39:07 and they're excited now... they say, "Wow!" 39:10 These are Capstone students, they graduate now... 39:13 they have jobs... many of them 39:15 but they want to take the time to visit this installation 39:18 and help with... set up the solar panels 39:20 and to teach the people in Haiti who are very skilled... 39:24 the people who live there 39:27 can learn how to install and maintain the System. 39:30 Shelley: Really, okay, so the hospital is under construction 39:34 for what? A year... two years? 39:36 Stephen: A year and a half. 39:37 Shelley: A year and a half, okay, 39:39 and you're looking at... 39:40 how long do you think before you finish? 39:42 Jean: This question comes quite often... how long... 39:46 we say, "This is God's work. " 39:48 I say, "We don't have the money. " 39:50 Shelley: Why did I know you were going to answer that way? 39:53 Jean: So, the way we work... 39:56 because everything on our property is a miracle. 39:59 Shelley: Absolutely. 40:01 Jean: We... we wanted... because the way we put things, 40:05 we... the Lord impressed us to build an orphanage, school, 40:08 church and health center. 40:10 In the area there was no hospital at all. 40:14 Bombardopolis' population is 50,000... 40:18 Shelley: Wow! 40:20 Jean: 50,000... women are dying every single day 40:24 pregnant women... 40:25 if they have any complication at birth... 40:28 automatically they'll die. 40:30 There was no place for them to have C-Section in the area. 40:34 For you to have C-Section, you have to drive five... six hours 40:38 to Episco Gonâve... a big city or Episco Port-de-Paix 40:41 it's like Stephen just told you about how the road is 40:44 and no transportation, 40:46 you cannot find any transportation 40:48 if you don't have somebody with their own cars 40:51 and it's not easy. 40:52 You can count how many people in Bombardopolis with car... 40:55 maybe 10... 50 people you can find with cars 40:58 so, we said, "Lord... " 40:59 two years ago, while we were in Haiti, 41:01 a young woman came from Port-au-Prince, 41:04 she's from Bombardopolis, 41:05 she used to live in Port-au-Prince 41:06 pregnant with twins 41:08 and she got sick in Port-au-Prince 41:11 and they took her back to her place in Bombardopolis. 41:15 They realized that she's not going to make it. 41:16 She got there around like, 8 p. m. 41:20 at 11 she passed 41:22 and the kids inside of her were still kicking 41:26 no one can save the lives of the children. 41:30 I was so touched... just next to our Center 41:35 it hurt us so bad 41:36 and I said, "Father, 41:37 I believe this was here for something important. 41:41 We need to have a clinic in this area 41:44 where we can save lives of women and children 41:47 so this won't happen again 41:49 and we prayed about it. 41:51 Two years ago, we went to Haiti... 41:56 there was Hurricane Matthew... 41:58 Hurricane Matthew went to Haiti and the... this was a big flood, 42:02 we cannot go the way we used to go to our Center... 42:05 we cannot go... we went a different route 42:07 and then we got to a town called Ma Rouge 42:11 and then there was an accident 42:12 a bus has an accident across the road 42:15 and we stopped... we cannot go any further 42:17 and here is a... a... an ambulance... 42:20 a car coming with a pregnant woman... she has complications 42:23 the feet come out... is that how you say it? 42:25 Stephen: Breech Birth. Shelley: Yes. 42:27 Jean: Okay, they cannot do anything for that lady 42:29 and they have to take her to Port-de-Paix... 42:32 a big town which is three hours away from where we were. 42:35 We cannot cross 42:37 because we stopped because of the accident, 42:39 we spent probably like, two hours... three hours 42:42 and the car said, "We have to take this woman back home 42:45 because there was no way... " it was at night, 42:47 there was no way we can make it to Port-de-Paix 42:49 and they went back home with that lady 42:51 we don't know what happened to her life 42:54 but it was heartbreaking for us. 42:56 I said, "Father, it is time... " 42:58 because if we had a clinic in Bombardopolis, 43:02 they could go to our Center, 43:04 we could save that woman's life and the kid 43:07 and we came home... 43:08 we put that story in the Newsletter 43:11 to tell people exactly what's going on 43:13 another person called... 43:15 said, "I was so touched by that story, 43:20 I want to give money to start a foundation for a clinic in Haiti 43:25 and that's how we started the foundation. 43:27 Shelley: Praise God, 43:29 you know, I am just sitting here thinking 43:31 of how people who have no electricity... no water... 43:36 no medical services... and then suddenly you show up 43:40 God sends you 43:42 and how you're building... not only feeding people 43:47 but you're building the orphanage, 43:49 you've built the church... 43:50 they must... they must think 43:52 that church is the most gorgeous thing 43:54 they've ever seen. 43:55 Jean: Yes, they do... they do. 43:56 Shelley: No wonder it's full every Sabbath 43:58 but to... to think of the hope... 44:00 you know, I know you well enough to know 44:04 and, by-the-way, this gentleman has... 44:09 he has graduated from the Theology Program 44:12 and he is... he's got such a heart for the Lord 44:17 and I know that evangelism is his number-one thing 44:21 but you've got to meet their needs... 44:23 God's given you such a compassionate heart 44:25 let's show the video that you brought because this... 44:29 everything we're saying... 44:30 I just wanted you to hear them say 44:32 but let's look at their video 44:34 because it'll give us a good overview. 44:36 Orphans International Helpline OIH was formed in 2003 44:43 to provide shelter, food, clothing, medical care 44:47 and Christian education to Haiti's orphans 44:50 located in Bombardopolis... in jungles of Northwest Haiti 44:55 our close neighbors. 44:57 Music... 45:04 OIH is a shining light to the community 45:07 a place where community comes for physical 45:10 and spiritual safety. 45:11 The Campus contains several buildings. 45:15 The church is well attended each Sabbath 45:17 and the side rooms are used all week as classrooms 45:20 for teaching local children and boarding students. 45:24 Children singing: Jesus bids us shine 45:25 with a clear, pure light, 45:28 Like a little candle burning in the night, 45:35 In this world of darkness, we must shine... 45:40 You in your small corner, and I in mine. 45:43 After each school year, 45:45 the children experience a formal graduation 45:48 which brings many families together to celebrate. 45:51 After Hurricane Matthew, 45:56 OIH distributed care packages 45:58 in a collaborative project with Feed My Starving Children. 46:03 Piano music. 46:11 Construction is complete on our house and orphanage. 46:14 All buildings use heavily reinforced concrete 46:18 to prevent disasters if earthquakes strike again. 46:22 The orphanage will provide a home for many boarding students 46:26 who lost their parents. 46:28 Piano music 46:33 more music... 46:39 Children are given three meals each day. 46:41 Starving people from the village come to the OIH Facility 46:46 asking us to please help them feed their families 46:49 so, OIH did the only thing that we could do... feed them. 46:54 With the migration of earthquake victims 46:58 to the Bombardopolis area, 47:00 the need for food has become even greater. 47:03 Music. 47:06 In Haiti, just a little over 50% of primary-school-age children 47:12 are enrolled in school. 47:14 Children who complete secondary school is less than 2%. 47:19 OIH provides a much needed educational resource for Haiti. 47:23 Local gardens and Sharon's Farm project 47:28 are providing much-needed food the community. 47:31 Our well-drilling project 47:34 has provided fresh, clean water to our campus 47:37 as well as several wells for the village and other places. 47:41 This on-going project is a blessing in the community 47:45 as they learn well-drilling and well-maintenance skills. 47:49 Before our well was completed, water had to be carried 47:53 from a mile away. 47:55 Jimmy, an architect, created the plans for OIH Health Center 48:01 while he was a student at Andrews University. 48:04 Jimmy and several other volunteer engineers 48:07 continued to guide the construction 48:10 of the largest building on the OIH Campus. 48:12 Music... 48:14 The local community is very excited 48:16 about this much-needed project. 48:19 Workers are doing the construction 48:21 without the use of heavy equipment. 48:22 These bucket brigades actually move concrete very fast. 48:27 The project is also providing training for many young people 48:32 in the community as they learn construction methods. 48:35 When this hospital is completed, 48:38 the local people will be very proud of their accomplishment 48:41 and all will share in maintaining 48:44 its continued operation. 48:45 Engineers inspect the foundation 48:50 and specify a few adjustments needed 48:52 using water levels and laser-measurement tools. 48:55 The donation of a dump truck 48:59 has been a great asset to the work here. 49:01 Music. 49:03 Capstone Engineering Design students 49:05 at Michigan State University 49:07 completed the design of a solar- 49:09 and-wind-electrical-power system for the hospital. 49:12 Several of these students desire to travel to Haiti 49:16 and help install this System. 49:17 The Resource Center for persons with disabilities at MSU 49:22 is also a partner in this project 49:24 as they help to share knowledge of disability education 49:28 to students in Haiti. 49:30 Local people learn first-hand how to install solar panels 49:35 and connect them to batteries 49:37 and converters to power the campus. 49:39 These skills will be very valuable in Haiti 49:43 and other parts of the world 49:44 where electricity is not available. 49:47 Lansing, Michigan SDA Church is participating in this project 49:53 by funding the purchase of solar panels 49:56 and equipment for Haiti 49:58 and by training missionaries 49:59 how to build and install power systems. 50:02 if you or your church wishes to participate 50:06 in this innovative mission project, 50:08 or if you would like to sponsor a child, 50:11 visit the OIH website. 50:13 God will bless you. 50:16 Music. 50:20 Pause. 50:23 This all began with two college students who... 50:27 God put it on their heart in 2003 50:30 to start a feeding program in this area 50:33 and look what God has wrought, praise God. 50:36 Okay, we are obviously looking for... 50:40 the Orphans International Helpline 50:44 is looking for people who would like to come down 50:47 to assist in the building, 50:49 if you are a professional... if you are a builder 50:53 or a carpenter 50:55 or an electrician or a welder or a plumber or whatever... 51:02 you're looking for people 51:03 and you can have some when they come down 51:06 but also maybe your church would like to be part of it, 51:11 what is Lansing Church doing, Stephen? 51:13 The Lansing Seventh-day Adventist Church is... 51:17 has authorized us to sponsor a project in Haiti 51:22 to build this... 51:24 this solar-and- wind-power System for the hospital 51:28 so we're going to be training people 51:32 right at the Lansing Church 51:34 by installing solar systems on our church 51:36 at the same time. 51:38 Shelley: Praise God. 51:39 Stephen: Duplicate... so they'll get the experience there 51:41 they'll know how to do it, they'll get training 51:43 and they'll be able to go to Haiti 51:46 and share their skills with the people there 51:49 so they can be productive. 51:51 Shelley: That's exciting, 51:53 so your church maybe would like to take this on as a project 51:57 or maybe the Holy Spirit is inspiring you 51:59 to help build the first-ever hospital in this area. 52:03 We want to put the address roll up 52:06 so you will know how to get in touch with 52:09 Orphans International Helpline. 52:11 Music. 52:15 Orphans International Helpline provides food, clothing, 52:19 shelter, educational and medical programs 52:22 and the Word of God 52:23 to 1,000s of orphans 52:25 in underdeveloped areas of the world. 52:27 To find out how you can sponsor a child 52:30 or help OIH financially, please visit their website: 52:35 OIHonline. org 52:39 you may call them at 269-471-2629 52:44 or send your donations to Orphans International Helpline 52:48 PO Box 123 Berrien Springs, MI 49103 |
Revised 2018-10-16