Participants:
Series Code: TDYL
Program Code: TDYL250008A
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00:03 I want to spend my life.
00:10 Mending broken people. 00:15 I want to spend my life. 00:36 I want to spend my life. 00:42 Mending broken people. 00:47 I want to spend my life. 01:06 Hello and welcome to Thursday Night Live. 01:09 I am so excited tonight because we have a special program for 01:15 you. 01:20 this program promises to be by the grace of God. 01:24 But before I introduce our guest to you, we're going to 01:28 have some music. 01:30 Alison Spear and Tim Parton are going to bring to us No One 01:34 Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus. 01:39 I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus. 01:50 Since I found in him a friend so strong and true. 01:59 I would tell you how he changed my life completely. 02:06 He did something that no other friend could 02:24 do for me. 02:28 Like Jesus. 02:34 There's no other friend so kind as he. 02:45 No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. 03:02 Oh how much he cares for me. 03:13 My life was full of sin when Jesus found me. 03:24 And my heart was full of misery and woe. 03:32 But Jesus came and placed his loving arms around me. 03:40 Then he led me in the way that I should go. 03:51 No 03:56 one for me like Jesus. 04:05 There's no other friend so kind as he. 04:19 No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. 04:36 How 04:40 much he cares for me. 04:59 No one 05:24 ever cared for me like Jesus. 05:27 How beautiful. 05:28 Thank you Alison and Tim for that lovely song. 05:31 The words are just so precious. 05:33 I can't help but harmonize. 05:37 I wanted to sing the third part but anyway it was great. 05:42 Well our guests tonight are Dylan and Kerry McWilliams from 05:47 Gideon Rescue Company. 05:48 Welcome to 3ABN Today. 05:51 Thank you so much. 05:52 It's a pleasure to be here. 05:52 It's so great to have you. 05:55 You know when you think about how no one cares for us like 06:01 Jesus, what you guys are doing is taking Jesus into every 06:08 situation. 06:10 So tell us about Gideon Rescue Company. 06:15 What is that about? 06:16 Dylan tell us. 06:22 organization that most of us are Seventh-day Adventists that 06:26 are part of it. 06:27 We go to disaster zones and we try our best to demonstrate the 06:34 love of God there. 06:36 It actually began in 2010 with the earthquake in Haiti. 06:42 I joined the group in 2017. 06:47 We've been a part of it ever since as a family and really 06:53 full time the last two years or so. 06:56 So it's just been a really good experience and a blessing to us 07:01 to just be able to be a part of it and to help further the 07:05 work. 07:06 How did you first hear about it? 07:08 So I actually graduated from Daystar Adventist Academy in 07:12 Castle Valley, Utah and the assistant boys Dean and the 07:18 Bible and history teacher were the two founders of Gideon 07:20 Rescue Company. 07:25 disaster zone and different things that they got to be a 07:28 part of. 07:30 I could see that they really cared about people and that if 07:36 we keep the service of God supreme, it doesn't matter 07:38 what's in front of us, God can move it. 07:40 That's right. 07:42 It inspired me and I was like I want to be a part of this. 07:45 I want to inspire other young people. 07:48 And so and then when I met Carrie, we went to a few 07:53 disasters as a family and she was hooked as well. 07:57 Carrie, how did you find out about it? 08:00 Mostly through Dylan. 08:01 When we first got married, we had talked about mission trips 08:04 and he told me all about it and I was like the next response I 08:07 want to go. 08:08 So really a couple months after I said that, we went on our 08:11 first response. 08:12 Oh, that's so great. 08:13 How long have you guys been married? 08:15 Six years. 08:16 Oh, that's nice. 08:17 You have children? 08:18 Yep. 08:18 We have three. 08:19 Wow, nice. 08:21 They go with us in the disaster response. 08:23 What role do they play? 08:27 Sometimes they don't think that they can do much, but just 08:31 showing up will start the conversations with people and 08:34 put smiles on their faces and they just are there to make 08:39 people smile. 08:40 Oh, that's so nice. 08:41 So tell us something about like, give us your first, what 08:45 happened at your first mission trip for Gideon Rescue? 08:48 So I guess it was kind of my first one. 08:52 I went to Indonesia for a big earthquake and tsunami and it 08:57 was life changing. 09:02 impossible doors and I got to experience the promises of the 09:08 Bible firsthand. 09:10 And it instilled in me that man, that so many times we 09:14 focus on the God of the past and of the future and that God 09:18 can do great and amazing things. 09:20 Right? 09:23 is the God of the present as well. 09:25 That's right. 09:28 answer. 09:34 things for our own pleasures when really what God is asking 09:38 us is when he says, ask me and I will give it to you. 09:44 He wants people to see his character. 09:47 He wants to get the glory. 09:48 He wants people to not look at others or themselves, but to 09:52 look to him. 09:53 That's right. 09:59 righteous man avails much. 10:00 We're not claiming to be righteous, but we can claim him 10:03 who is. 10:04 That's right. 10:05 And prayer is a powerful thing. 10:07 It's an act of war against the enemy and it's really our only 10:11 weapon. 10:13 Yes. 10:20 How has it impacted you both? 10:21 Well, for me it's drastically changed everything. 10:25 I grew up in the Adventist Church and I just felt like I 10:30 had this acclamation to Bible truth. 10:34 Like I didn't really understand much. 10:36 I didn't have this conviction of change that I wanted to be a 10:42 part of this movement. 10:44 It's like I didn't really quite understand what we were 10:48 supposed to do. 10:52 like, well, what is this supposed to do? 10:56 And I think being a part of Gideon SU Company has just 11:00 instilled in me that what God cares about is people. 11:05 And what he wants to reach is people and he wants to use us 11:09 to do it. 11:13 but you, but the whole world. 11:15 He wants to reach people and he can only do that if we 11:19 surrender our lives to him. 11:21 And my faith has grown. 11:23 I mean, we've seen impossible things happen and we've seen 11:28 miracles that could spend hours talking about. 11:31 And every trip, my faith goes up. 11:34 Yes, and we're going to talk about some of those miracles 11:36 because it does change everything, doesn't it? 11:40 What about you, Carrie? 11:41 How has it impacted you? 11:42 Yeah, like Gideon said, to just focus on people and just 11:46 sharing God's love with them and just going without a plan 11:49 and just jumping in and doing it. 11:54 So tell us about the latest disaster where you ministered. 12:00 So we actually went to Hurricane Barrel. 12:05 This was July 2024, and it was a category four hurricane that 12:12 hit the Grenadine Islands and specifically hit Union Island 12:16 really hard. 12:18 And we just decided like, hey, we want to we want to go. 12:22 And one thing I wanted to mention about Gideon SU Company 12:26 is we kind of go in a unique way. 12:30 We don't really have a plan. 12:32 We go with a backpack with packed is full of literature as 12:38 we possibly can and maybe an extra pair of clothes and a 12:42 toothbrush. 12:43 But the goal is to get in and start spreading the gospel. 12:48 And we have we have different skills. 12:50 We have search and rescue dogs. 12:52 We have chainsaw search and rescue, swift water rescue, 12:56 high angle rescue. 13:01 get us into these disaster zones. 13:03 And then we can use those skills to open the door to the 13:08 heart and reach them with the everlasting gospel. 13:12 So let me get this straight. 13:15 So when you leave home, you're not leaving home with a whole 13:18 bunch of suitcases and stuff like that. 13:19 You have like a backpack, a backpack, and that's it. 13:22 And the clothes on our body. 13:23 I know my husband wishes I'd travel like that. 13:27 We it's actually very we've learned that the more we take, 13:31 the more we just get we have to drag around. 13:34 You know, I'm not using. 13:35 Yeah, we end up not using it. 13:37 You know, we take like there's been times where I don't even 13:40 take a water bottle anymore. 13:42 God provides food, water, bedding, jackets like we just 13:47 we go. 13:48 We take the principle in Luke where Jesus is like I sent you 13:52 without a money bag or sandals, extra clothes just and God 13:56 provided. 13:57 And I can tell you we both can that we've never lacked 14:00 anything and God's. 14:02 In fact, we've gained. 14:05 Yes. 14:06 Yes. 14:07 Yeah. 14:09 So when we went, we actually tried to beat the hurricane. 14:13 We wanted to get there first and ride the hurricane out. 14:16 There was a few of us that went. 14:18 I went before Carrie about a week before Carrie went and we 14:23 got actually got stuck in Puerto Rico and we got to the 14:27 storm hit. 14:28 We couldn't get in. 14:29 So we were stranded in Puerto Rico. 14:30 So we didn't really know what to what to do. 14:32 So we were just kind of trying different avenues. 14:36 And a very crazy story how God would just send us just there 14:41 just for one person is we were driving by a national guard 14:45 base in Puerto Rico. 14:46 And we just decided to jump out and go and see if they could 14:49 help us at all. 14:51 So myself and another team member, Brock, we walked up to 14:54 this this guard shack and handed them all literature and 14:57 was talking to them. 14:58 And then a commander comes out and he says, you're early for 15:02 your appointment. 15:03 And we were like, our appointment? 15:06 We didn't know we had an appointment. 15:07 And he's like, what would you would you like to wait or come 15:10 back at one thirty? 15:12 And we were like, we'll come back at one thirty. 15:14 We didn't really know what we were doing. 15:16 So we left and we get the rest of a team together and we just 15:19 pray like, Lord, direct us. 15:21 Where do we need to go? 15:23 And we go back and they tell us directions of how to get into 15:25 this commander's office. 15:27 And we go. 15:29 And sure enough, the lady that she was expecting us and we 15:32 come in and we sit down and she's like, so I don't really 15:36 know why you're here or why my schedule freed up. 15:39 But what can I do for you? 15:41 And it was it was amazing because even though she 15:45 couldn't help us to get in, she we got to tell testimonies to 15:48 her. 15:50 controversy that she was very excited about. 15:53 And it's just amazing if God, God cares for her. 15:57 And if we look at these opportunities like these delays 16:00 as opportunities to reach people, God gives them to us. 16:05 And we have to act on that. 16:06 And I just praise God that instead of being disappointed 16:09 that we were delayed for two days on Puerto Rico, that we 16:13 were looking for opportunities and we jumped on it. 16:17 And God, God opened the door. 16:19 So the delay actually was just a little detour because God had 16:23 some things for you to do there. 16:25 Yes, absolutely. 16:26 So people for you to reach there. 16:27 And then you went on. 16:29 Yep. 16:33 waiting. 16:36 An airplane lined up or anything. 16:39 And a lady gets off a private jet and she comes up and she's 16:43 she's talking. 16:45 I said, hey, we're on our way to Union Island and our goal is 16:48 to share hope in the soon return of Jesus. 16:51 And I'd like to share some with you. 16:52 And she just like was like, thank you so much. 16:55 This is amazing. 16:56 Can I get your phone number? 16:57 And she left. 16:59 And about 15 minutes later, she called and she said, hey, I 17:02 really am impressed with what you guys are here to do. 17:04 And I would like to pay for a jet to come and pick you up and 17:08 fly you all the way into Union Island. 17:11 Look at God. 17:13 Absolutely. 17:14 Look at God. 17:15 It's so amazing to me how he connects the dots. 17:21 You know, you start out with one kind of plan. 17:24 You know, you're headed to Union Island. 17:26 But you get delayed in Puerto Rico. 17:31 And then, you know, then you get into this person's office. 17:35 Yeah. 17:40 I mean, God opened the doors at every juncture and even the 17:44 taxi drivers. 17:48 geared straight to Bible prophecy and America and the 17:51 three angels message. 17:52 And it just blew our minds. 17:54 Every opportunity, if we just opened our mouth and said, hey, 17:57 how are you doing? 17:59 Yes. 17:59 And it just, it all came out. 18:01 And they're, hey, I'm struggling. 18:02 And we give them a track on the soon return of Jesus or faith 18:06 or hope in troubled times. 18:08 And it would just open the door. 18:11 Wow. 18:11 Wow. 18:12 Have you always been on fire for God? 18:17 I would like to think so. 18:19 But looking back, definitely not. 18:21 You know, we were absorbed with ourselves. 18:25 We were absorbed with building our house. 18:27 We were absorbed with the things of this world. 18:30 And it was just a wake-up call that we just both kind of 18:35 experienced at the same time where we sold our house, we 18:38 quit our jobs, we've invested our time into this. 18:41 And if we watched the days of Noah, if anybody's ever seen 18:44 the days of Noah, if you haven't, it's on Amazon Prime. 18:47 Ah. 18:51 Ministries. 18:52 And it really woke us up to the urgency of the message that we 18:56 as Adventists need to be proclaiming. 18:59 And that since then, we've just really been trying to invest 19:02 every moment of our life into reaching people. 19:06 So was there an event that made you say that you need to do it 19:12 or you both just kind of came to that conclusion at the same 19:15 time? 19:20 conclusion as we kept studying and praying. 19:24 I think that, you know, one thing that people need to 19:28 remember is when we seek God, God's got a plan, first of all. 19:35 He's got a plan, and we can get so sidetracked into life and 19:41 doing life that we lose sight of the urgency of the hour. 19:47 And you guys are saying to us, it's time to wake up. 19:51 We want to wake you up. 19:54 It's so important. 19:55 It's so, so important. 19:57 And I think the devil is so shrewd because he knows how to 20:02 just kind of lull us into this pursuit of other things. 20:08 This comfortable state. 20:10 Yes, yes. 20:12 But we need to be pursuing Jesus, that he's the key and 20:16 sharing the gospel is the key. 20:19 I've been like really focusing on the gospel. 20:23 What is the gospel and how do we get it to people so that 20:28 they understand it's not about us, it's about him. 20:31 Yeah, absolutely. 20:37 a demonstration of the gospel. 20:39 Yes. 20:42 knowledge. 20:46 we need to provide them with the knowledge and the resources 20:48 to say, hey, this is what I believe and this is what's 20:51 changed my life and I'd like to share it with you. 20:54 That's great. 20:55 So tell us some more about Union. 20:57 So what happened? 20:58 And I think you have some pictures too. 20:59 Yes. 21:04 This was about a week after we arrived. 21:05 But when we first arrived on Union Island, it was totally 21:09 devastated. 21:16 And we got taken up. 21:18 We got off the plane and they escorted us to this hospital 21:24 where the roof was gone. 21:26 Everything was just in like there was no electricity. 21:28 There was no water anywhere on the island. 21:32 And when we got to the hospital, they showed us where 21:35 we could stay. 21:38 roof and there's like six inches of water on the ground. 21:42 So we're we set up our cots to they provided us cots. 21:45 They provided us bedding and our pilot, he's a good friend 21:51 of ours. 21:54 And he flew us in and because we were able to pay for his 21:59 fuel now that the lady offered to pay it. 22:01 And he got the whole hospital, the network up and running. 22:06 He got their water lines running. 22:08 He got electric. 22:10 And then we tarped their roof and got the hospital 22:13 operational. 22:15 And then we just started going out into the community, going 22:19 to different points of distribution and working and 22:22 organizing, getting food and water out to different parts of 22:25 the island. 22:26 So when you first got there, how did you know where to go? 22:30 Like what did you think? 22:34 Like where am I going to go to start? 22:37 How do you start? 22:38 It's a really good question because every moment, every 22:42 time you arrive in a disaster, it's total chaos. 22:45 There's no like we have no idea what to do, no idea where to 22:48 go. 22:50 And immediately was if we look for people, like how can we 22:53 reach people? 22:55 And as soon as we stepped off the plane, there was a lady 22:56 that they just collapsed in one of our team members arms just 23:00 sobbing and she had lost everything. 23:02 She was her friend had died in the hurricane and she was 23:07 standing in chest deep water for like eight hours, you know, 23:11 with with a category four hurricane and tornadoes all 23:15 around. 23:18 And we were able to just tell her that, hey, God has not 23:21 forgotten you. 23:22 God has a plan for you. 23:24 We left her with some steps to Christ and she's actually she 23:26 may even be watching this program today. 23:28 She's she's been talking with us and we've been sending her 23:31 Bible studies and it's just been a great opportunity. 23:36 And when we met her, all of a sudden we focused on her and 23:41 she actually had connections in the whole island and different 23:44 people started coming to us and they thought we knew what we 23:47 were doing. 23:48 We really didn't. 23:49 So but they still took us. 23:50 They said we want to take you to the hospital. 23:52 It's a good place. 23:53 And it turned out being a great place because there was it was 23:56 up on the hill. 23:56 There was no mosquitoes. 23:57 Oh, yes. 23:58 The breeze. 24:00 You know, I have to say that the ministry that you guys have 24:04 is amazing. 24:05 Like I don't I can't see myself doing stuff like like going to 24:10 places where there's no electricity, no water. 24:13 No, that would just be unless the Lord, I guess the Lord, if 24:17 the Lord told me to do it, I would do it. 24:19 I mean, but I don't feel like that's my ministry. 24:21 But anybody who does that is that's so powerful because 24:26 you're going into situations that are just, you know, it's 24:30 actually kind of like what's going to happen in the time of 24:33 trouble when there's no electricity or there's, you 24:38 know, every resource is kind of not available. 24:41 Absolutely. 24:42 So it's a that's amazing. 24:45 So after you got everything set up there, did you were you able 24:51 to I know you were giving out literature and all. 24:53 Were you able to have Bible studies, pray with people? 24:56 How did you fit all of that in? 24:58 Yeah. 25:00 I mean, that whole island got probably every person got 25:03 probably five different kinds of glow tracks at different 25:05 times. 25:06 You know, there's only three thousand people on the island. 25:08 OK. 25:12 And yes, we we sung songs everywhere we went. 25:14 We were praying with people and doing different Bible studies. 25:20 But one really cool story is just was just before Carrie got 25:24 there and we were doing distribution and the island was 25:28 running out of food and water. 25:30 You know, there's no aid coming in. 25:32 All the aid is going to some of the bigger islands. 25:34 And there was a ferry once a day that could only take a 25:37 couple hundred people. 25:38 And everybody's trying to get off the island. 25:40 Now, what what group of islands? 25:42 This is the Grenadine. 25:43 The Grenadine. 25:45 And all of a sudden we get a phone call from a French 25:49 military warship that says we are on your way to your island, 25:53 to the island. 25:55 And we got your phone number from somebody and we would 25:58 like, would you be willing to go down to the dock and check 26:01 the depth of the water for us? 26:04 So in my human thinking, I grabbed my snorkel that I had 26:08 brought my mask and I walked down to the dock thinking, what 26:12 am I going to do? 26:15 I can and just estimate the depth of this? 26:17 I have no idea. 26:18 Yeah. 26:23 thinking, what are we going to do? 26:25 And all of a sudden a diver comes up from the water and 26:28 gets onto this boat. 26:30 And we're I walk up to him. 26:31 We said, hey, do you happen to have the depth of this? 26:34 He's like, yep, I just did a dock inspection and he gave us 26:37 all this information. 26:38 Wow. 26:43 have the text. 26:46 a detailed report. 26:48 I would like to work with you and your team alone on the 26:50 island. 26:52 And we'd like to bring you aboard our ship. 26:55 Oh, my word. 26:57 Is that the ship? 26:58 That's the ship. 26:59 That's the French military ship. 27:03 And it was very cool. 27:04 They actually escorted us on the ship the next morning. 27:07 And we got to meet the captain and all of his cabin crew. 27:11 And we got to give each one of them a great controversy. 27:14 And the captain was so excited. 27:16 Of course, you know, the French are very more secular mindset. 27:20 Yes. 27:23 Yes. 27:24 But they they were all so open to this. 27:26 And the captain was so excited that we had all written in his 27:29 book. 27:30 And I'm actually still in contact with him today. 27:32 And he is he is reading the book and he he's asking 27:35 questions and he's excited. 27:36 Wow. 27:43 that way. 27:44 A diver came up from the water. 27:46 And I mean, how's that for timing? 27:48 I know. 27:52 walk down to the dock, if we had stayed at the hospital and 27:54 said, I have no idea. 27:55 This is impossible. 27:56 I can't check the depth and give up. 27:58 Yes. 27:58 We would have never. 27:59 But if we went down there in faith, trusting. 28:01 And this is our one of our verses that we always claim. 28:04 First Corinthians two, verse five, it says that your faith 28:08 should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 28:11 Yes. 28:12 Yes. 28:12 That is what our faith is in. 28:14 Yes. 28:16 It's impossible. 28:17 That's right. 28:18 But with God, all things are. 28:22 Jordan. 28:23 The waters apart. 28:24 And that's just what I was thinking. 28:26 You had to put your foot in the Jordan first. 28:29 You had to step into the water. 28:31 Absolutely. 28:32 And then it parted. 28:33 Yeah. 28:34 Look at God. 28:35 It's amazing. 28:36 That's amazing. 28:37 That is amazing. 28:38 And after he saw this, and he was like, Would you mind if I 28:41 sent a medical team with you into the town, and you guys 28:47 just go door to door, and check on people for their medical 28:49 needs, and my team would like to get in and do stuff. 28:53 They were a young group of people that wanted to just do 28:56 anything they could. 28:59 And they were excited. 29:05 But we just started going house to house, and his name was 29:10 David. 29:12 And they were making fun of me, of course, because every house 29:14 we stop at, I'm praying with them, and I'm giving them 29:17 literature. 29:22 And as we continue down, we get to this house, and it's the 29:27 House of Faith, is what it's called. 29:30 There should be a picture of the House of Faith. 29:34 Is that the House of Faith? 29:35 That's the House of Faith. 29:36 Okay. 29:41 Every other house around it is totally demolished. 29:46 And not a window is broken on this house, not a piece of 29:48 siding is broken. 29:50 And when we first arrived on the island, we were driven by 29:54 this house, and one of the town leaders, he said, at this 29:58 house, we were very much afraid. 30:00 There was a man that lived here that we came before the 30:02 hurricane hit, and we said, You have to leave this house. 30:05 It's going to be destroyed. 30:06 You're going to die. 30:07 And he just said, No, I'm not going to leave. 30:10 God built me this house. 30:11 I'm going to stay. 30:13 And the hurricane came, and after the hurricane had left, 30:18 they go back, and he is there sitting in his house with not a 30:21 window broken. 30:23 And even the whole town knew that this was the hand of God. 30:28 And it turns out that this man was a Seventh-day Adventist. 30:32 And the Seventh-day Adventist Church had built him this 30:35 house. 30:36 Wow. 30:40 And this house has gone worldwide. 30:43 It's a testimony to the whole island. 30:45 The whole island knew that God's hand was in this. 30:47 And when we took our French, there should be some pictures 30:50 of the little medical team that we walked through the little 30:54 villages with, and we walked them by this house. 31:01 And when I explained the situation, their mind was 31:05 totally blown. 31:07 They said, This is impossible. 31:09 And by the end of that day, David, the French commander, he 31:14 came up, and he said, I've never believed in God, but he 31:18 said after today, I've seen something on this island that I 31:21 know God is in. 31:22 And he said, What I see in you is what I want. 31:26 I want to see people through the eyes that you see them. 31:31 And he took a great controversy, and we're still in 31:34 contact. 31:35 So pray for him. 31:35 His name is David. 31:36 David. 31:38 You know, when I think about how important it is that people 31:43 see God through us, that they see the love of Jesus through 31:47 us, that is so important. 31:49 And it can be done if we are surrendered to doing the Lord's 31:56 will. 32:00 tells you to stay, if everybody's telling you, you 32:03 need to get out, maybe you should get out, unless the Lord 32:05 is telling you to stay. 32:07 Because sometimes people, you know, they will stay, and 32:10 they're told to evacuate, and they won't. 32:12 But this man was told by the Lord to stay. 32:15 Because God needed his house to be a testimony to the world. 32:17 Yes, yes, yes. 32:19 And all the other houses were destroyed, right? 32:22 Everything around him. 32:23 Everything around him. 32:24 It was only by the hand of God. 32:26 Yes, yes. 32:27 And after this is when I called Carrie, and I said, sweetie, 32:32 you have to come. 32:34 So you weren't even there at this point? 32:36 Not at that point. 32:37 Oh, wow. 32:38 Okay, so what happened when you went? 32:40 So, well, when he called, I wasn't sure. 32:43 I was like, well, like, what's the situation like? 32:45 It's gonna be a perfect family overseas mission trip. 32:52 And I was like, okay, like, I guess let's pray about it and 32:55 think about it. 32:57 And as a mother of three, like, you always go, like, thinking 33:00 about all the scenarios that could happen, and traveling by 33:03 yourself through the airports is especially hard with three 33:07 little kids by yourself. 33:08 And how old are your children? 33:10 The oldest is four, and then two and one. 33:13 At the time, the youngest was six months. 33:15 Oh, my, yeah. 33:17 Yeah. 33:18 So I continued to pray about it, and I just felt impressed 33:22 to read John 14. 33:23 And in that chapter, it just talks about how God will send a 33:26 comforter to give you peace. 33:28 And so I was like, you know, I'm gonna just step out in 33:31 faith and I'm gonna go. 33:33 And so I had another mother come with me, Brock's wife, 33:38 Annie, decided to come along with, and so we traveled 33:42 together. 33:45 And took the airport first. 33:47 We took the airport to Florida. 33:49 And then a good friend of ours, Carl, flew us the rest of the 33:52 way, which was really nice. 33:53 We didn't have to fly commercially. 33:55 Yes, yes. 33:56 That always helps. 33:57 So once you got there, what was your first impression? 34:01 I was like, well, I wanted to dive in and like, okay, let's 34:05 start. 34:08 oh, you need to slow down. 34:10 Like, you need to take it their pace. 34:12 You can't always do everything that Daddy gets to do or Dylan 34:16 gets to do. 34:17 And so just to do it their pace. 34:20 And sometimes they bring the people to us. 34:24 Like, the people will see little kids and will come over 34:26 and just start talking and asking questions. 34:29 And it's a great barrier to start off. 34:33 Did they have to get shots and all that stuff to travel? 34:37 Okay, that's good. 34:39 When we got there, we actually, it was really cool that we 34:43 started off walking everywhere and then God gave us a moped 34:47 and we got to drive everywhere on a moped. 34:49 Our whole family piled on a moped and we drove all around 34:52 the island. 34:56 us the ship. 34:58 And then eventually he gave us even a helicopter. 35:00 And we'll get to that story as well. 35:02 But we started out walking and ended with so much. 35:06 Wow, wow. 35:07 What was the biggest lesson that you think you learned from 35:11 Union, from the Union hurricane situation? 35:17 Biggest lesson? 35:18 My biggest lesson was that if we are patient and we endure 35:23 through some of the seemingly delays that God has something 35:28 even greater in store. 35:30 And if we are faithful with the little things like walking door 35:34 to door, handing out literature, doing herbal 35:39 remedies. 35:40 And we were doing hot and cold and charcoal all over. 35:45 And God will give us even greater things. 35:48 To just be able to step out in faith, take those first steps, 35:52 and let those fears and worries just fly away. 35:55 Yes, yes. 35:56 What do you say to people who hesitate to, probably people 36:02 like me, hesitate to go into situations that are really 36:07 different from what they're used to? 36:10 How do you encourage them to join Gideon Rescue? 36:14 Well, I would say you don't need any certifications. 36:17 You don't need any training. 36:19 All you need is a willing heart to serve God. 36:22 And if you have a desire to help people and to reach 36:25 people, God will use you in a mighty way. 36:28 If you can hand out a bottle of water, if you can sing some 36:32 songs and pray with people, if you have a burden for souls, 36:37 God can use you. 36:39 And if you're worried about stepping out in faith and 36:41 wondering what's it like going without a plan, sometimes it 36:45 can be very trying. 36:47 But I promise that it's worth it. 36:52 When you step out in faith and you see God work, you get to 36:55 experience the Bible and the Bible comes alive. 36:57 And you can truly be able to now share this experience. 37:04 It's not just you're sharing some words. 37:06 You're sharing a true experience of the gospel. 37:11 Which makes all the difference, doesn't it? 37:13 All the difference, yes. 37:14 To share that true experience. 37:17 When I hear you talk about not having a plan, I think of the 37:20 story that Danny had told about Mae Chung, who was a former 37:26 board member. 37:28 And she would just go places without a plan. 37:31 She was older, I think maybe in her 60s or 70s. 37:35 And she went to the Philippines, no plan. 37:40 But on the way, she met someone that her husband, who was a 37:44 physician, had treated. 37:46 And he in turn was connected to the president of the 37:49 Philippines. 37:49 And he invited her to stay there. 37:51 It was one door after door after door opening, because God 37:56 has the plan. 37:59 Sometimes- Always better than ours. 38:01 Always, always. 38:03 What would you like us to know about what you're doing? 38:06 So there's actually like two more stories I really want to 38:09 get through. 38:11 One of them is as we were doing natural remedies, there's a 38:14 picture of us. 38:14 We were doing charcoal and hydrotherapy. 38:17 And we did this all over. 38:18 There were so many people that had infections in their feet 38:20 from stepping on nails and glass. 38:22 And it's really hard, as I'm sure you know, to do 38:25 hydrotherapy without cold water. 38:27 Yes. 38:32 any ice on the island. 38:33 They said, no, there's no ice. 38:34 Even when there is electricity, that's very hard to get ice. 38:37 And we said, well, let's pray for ice. 38:39 And we prayed. 38:40 And that afternoon, we actually went down to the dock, and a 38:45 ship had shown up that had left three days prior from 38:48 Venezuela. 38:49 And all they did was make ice. 38:53 And when we started filling buckets and buckets and filling 38:56 bags of trucks and just shipping ice all over the 39:01 island and telling everybody knew that God had sent this ice 39:04 boat, because this group came and they prayed for ice and God 39:09 sent the ice three days prior. 39:11 He will answer our prayers before we even ask. 39:13 Yes, before you even ask. 39:16 I can tell you the look on that lady's face when we walked in 39:19 her door with a bucket of ice to do hydrotherapy on her feet. 39:23 She was totally just like blown away. 39:25 Yes. 39:26 So this is impossible. 39:27 Yes, yes. 39:28 Look at God. 39:29 Look at God. 39:30 Tell us another one. 39:31 So one of my favorite, we were going around handing out books 39:37 and there was this woman who was just cleaning up the debris 39:40 from her house. 39:41 And as we walked up, we gave her a glow track and she just 39:45 lit up and she said, are you Seventh-day Adventist? 39:48 We said, yes. 39:49 She said, do you have any more tracks? 39:51 And we gave her a whole stack of tracks and she said, I have 39:54 been praying for tracks. 39:56 I am out and I can't get any more. 39:59 And then she began to tell us this story of the day before 40:03 the hurricane hit, she was on a different island and was trying 40:06 to get home before the hurricane hit and was scheduled 40:09 to be on a boat and she was delayed and missed her boat. 40:13 And that boat is gone. 40:15 Nobody's seen that boat. 40:16 The boat she was supposed to be on has disappeared. 40:18 All the people on it have died. 40:21 And she told us this story and she said, I know it was the 40:25 hand of God. 40:26 I was discouraged about my delay but I knew that God had a 40:30 plan. 40:35 And we begin, I wanted to just read her little quote that she 40:39 had when she was talking because I filmed her telling 40:42 this story and what she said afterwards was so profound. 40:48 And she said that she had been praying that the Three Angels 40:53 message could come to her or her whole island. 40:56 She's been praying this every day for a year that the Three 40:59 Angels message could come to her whole island. 41:01 And that this crisis has brought that demonstration of 41:06 the Three Angels message to her island. 41:07 And she was so overjoyed to see it. 41:11 She said that the crisis either brings out the best or the 41:18 worst and that as an Adventist movement we should take the 41:20 opportunity and crisis to show the true love of Jesus. 41:24 And she said that when she saw us being there that that was 41:29 what the world needed and that is to see the Adventist message 41:32 in action. 41:34 And that we are here to fulfill the purpose God has us here for 41:40 and that is not to gain the treasures of this world but to 41:42 gain the treasures for eternity which are souls. 41:46 And when she said that she's literally cleaning up the piles 41:50 of her house and she's so overjoyed that she has a stack 41:57 of tracks to hand out to her neighbors. 42:00 You know it's like where's the faith of us today? 42:04 Would we have that faith when our house is destroyed to say 42:08 I've been praying for an opportunity to reach my island 42:11 and this is it. 42:12 And this is the opportunity that God has given me in this 42:16 crisis where my true character will shine that people will in 42:19 their darkest hour will look and say why are you happy? 42:24 And that's the character that we want to see. 42:26 That's what we want to have. 42:28 So it was just so inspiring to see her and to hear her story 42:32 and it was so cool. 42:34 Yes for sure. 42:36 To be able to praise God in the midst of your adversity to see 42:41 that everything around you is in shambles and to still be 42:45 able to say hey this must be part of God's plan for me. 42:50 Absolutely. 42:55 Wow that's huge. 42:57 We have to pray for that kind of faith. 42:59 We do. 43:01 There's so much going on in the world Christians are being 43:05 beheaded in certain countries and you can't talk about Jesus 43:10 and you can't proselytize. 43:15 The only obstacle we have here is our neighbor's front door. 43:21 Will we knock on the door? 43:23 There's no persecution. 43:24 There's nothing except they could say no. 43:27 Why are we not risking everything just for a simple 43:32 no? 43:35 They might not and we have to try. 43:39 People are hungry. 43:40 They're looking. 43:42 They're searching for something and many of them don't know 43:45 what it is but we know what's missing and we can take it to 43:50 them and that's what you guys are doing. 43:52 How many people are part of Gideon Rescue? 43:54 There's about eight to ten core team members that actively 43:59 respond into different disasters about every disaster 44:04 we can get about three to five out the door to the disaster 44:07 when it happens. 44:09 So there's like a team view. 44:14 Is this like national or is this like in one place? 44:18 A lot of us are in Oklahoma but there's a lot all over the 44:21 world even. 44:22 We have teams in Europe that join us in Ukraine and 44:26 different places all around the world. 44:29 What do you think is what's your vision for Gideon Rescue? 44:33 What do you see God taking it? 44:38 I think our goal is to see this idea replicated in as many 44:46 people as we can. 44:48 We don't need people to join Gideon Rescue Company itself. 44:51 We need people to activate their own mission mindset of 44:57 how can I gather my church members or my school or my 45:00 family and see the opportunity in the disaster field and take 45:04 it and go in by faith and use the skills that you have. 45:11 Maybe it's as a teacher and you can work with the kids. 45:13 You can hold children's programs. 45:15 In Union Island that's what Carrie with the kids. 45:19 Tell us what you do with the kids. 45:20 Yeah we just go around to all the little shelters with the 45:23 kids and we sometimes we'll bring like felts to pass out or 45:27 other little like Bible things and we'll tell stories. 45:29 We'll sing songs and just show them some love. 45:33 And how were you received? 45:36 They loved it. 45:38 As soon as they saw us they all like came in and was just happy 45:41 to see us and especially the little kids to see other kids 45:44 their size. 45:46 Yeah so you would how did you know where to go? 45:50 Like every morning did you have like some place let's go over 45:55 to here this morning or did you just kind of leave and see how 45:59 things went? 46:02 different shelters were especially with like the kids 46:04 that lost like their homes. 46:05 They had shelters for every family and we just kind of 46:09 walked around looking for kids. 46:12 They even did some some pretty not the most pleasant job you 46:19 know and sometimes God asked us to do those things and they 46:23 were able to clean out the clean out the water cisterns 46:26 underneath the hospital which were very disgusting but she 46:30 and several others faithfully went down there and squeegeed 46:34 them all out. 46:35 Wow yeah so they could have clean water again. 46:39 Yes which is crucial. 46:42 So describe how it was when you first went and how it was when 46:47 you left. 46:48 Well like when we showed up we didn't really know what we were 46:51 doing we didn't really have much of a plan we didn't have 46:54 anything except the clothes on our back and our backpack and 46:58 when we left we had a whole Adventist movement on the 47:02 island that was activated and actively handing out 47:05 literature. 47:09 Adventist church was and gave the Adventist church the and 47:13 made their church the the distribution point for the 47:16 whole island and now everybody was coming to get their tarps 47:19 and their supplies and they were getting literature at the 47:22 same time and it was a very amazing story because the guy 47:26 that was the leader of that was actually an ex-Adventist and 47:30 when we were talking he actually flew in on a 47:33 helicopter and a couple days before we left we had a medical 47:36 emergency at the hospital and we needed to airlift somebody 47:39 out and the military the private contractors the 47:45 firefighters like the government on the island was 47:47 desperately trying to call in a helicopter And nobody was 47:50 available. 47:52 And they said, This guy's gonna die. 47:53 We have to get a helicopter. 47:55 And our team, we got the hospital together, and we just 47:58 prayed. 48:02 And he was praying with us, he was crying. 48:06 And all of a sudden, I decided, I'm gonna call the head of 48:10 Samaritan's Purse that we had met. 48:12 And we told him the situation, and he said, I will be there in 48:15 ten minutes with a helicopter. 48:16 Come down to the tarmac, and we'll fly your patient out. 48:20 And when we arrived, the whole island was gathered together, 48:23 wondering how in the world. 48:25 And when they found out that the small team from America, 48:29 Christian team, had prayed for a helicopter, and God sent a 48:32 helicopter, it was just another testimony to them that God is 48:36 alive, and he is there for them. 48:38 He has not forgotten them, even in this most difficult and 48:41 darkest hour, that he was there. 48:43 And they saw that. 48:45 Wow. 48:50 when you first went? 48:52 So, everybody was so excited, and recognized, and grateful 48:56 for life. 48:57 They're like, we recognize that, I mean, they didn't have 49:00 anything to begin with, but they were so grateful that they 49:04 had life. 49:06 And we actually talked to multiple people that the day 49:09 before the hurricane hit, there was actually a huge carnival 49:13 going on on the island, and a lot of witchcraft, and all 49:18 kinds of satanic things happening the day before the 49:21 hurricane hit. 49:22 So many of them said, God is trying to wake us up. 49:27 And we didn't even really need to explain the three angels' 49:30 message to them, that the systems of man are broken. 49:32 They already recognized that the systems of man are broken. 49:36 The healthcare, the government, the religious systems of their 49:41 island were broken, were falling apart. 49:44 And many of them took this as a wake-up message to them, that 49:49 we need to look deeper into why we are here, and we were able 49:55 to have so many of these conversations with people, why 50:00 these things are happening, what they're pointing to, and 50:03 that the greatest event the world's ever seen is coming, 50:07 and we want to see you there. 50:08 Wow, that's good. 50:10 Isn't it interesting how the day before the hurricane, they 50:13 were doing these demonic things that actually, you know, they 50:18 call things like hurricanes and some terrible fires, they call 50:23 them acts of God, they're not acts of God, you know. 50:27 And so isn't it interesting how they were, that's why I was 50:30 asking what was the prevailing kind of spiritual tone of the 50:35 island in general? 50:37 Was it a Christian island? 50:39 I would say it's more Christian. 50:41 They claim to be Christian, but there's a lot of witchcraft and 50:45 voodoo stuff that happens. 50:48 People recognize the mercy of God, because there was like 50:53 three people that had died on that island, and the death toll 50:57 should have been 30 times that, with every house destroyed, and 51:01 hardly any warning of how big it actually was, the hit. 51:05 So where did people go when this hit? 51:07 Did they just stay in the house? 51:09 Yeah. 51:15 son, and his mother, and they all crowded underneath their 51:19 table with their sofa and everything piled up around 51:21 them, and the table was maybe like the size of this, it was 51:25 very small. 51:26 And they said, they just rode the hurricane out there with 51:30 swimming in water, is what he said, with their roof gone and 51:33 it pouring rain for eight hours, you know. 51:37 That is such a horrible, as you picture it, and picture the 51:43 terror that the people must have felt, especially those who 51:47 didn't know God, who didn't know to pray or ask God to be 51:51 with them or protect them or whatever. 51:54 I mean, the terror of all of that. 51:56 We even met a young woman who told a testimony of when the 52:01 hurricane hit, they were standing at the window, and her 52:04 two -year-old daughter was running around, and all of a 52:06 sudden the whole half of the house blew away, and her 52:08 daughter started to get sucked out, and she grabbed her 52:11 daughter's ankle and pulled her back in, and they were able to 52:14 survive underneath their table. 52:16 Wow. 52:17 Praise God. 52:21 Yes, yes, yes, yes. 52:23 So, what, we only have about five minutes left in this first 52:26 hour, and in the second hour we're going to be bringing some 52:31 other team members in. 52:32 We're going to say goodbye to Carrie and bring some other 52:35 team members in. 52:36 Before you go, Carrie, is there anything that you want to share 52:39 about union? 52:41 Is there any other idea or thing that you want to share, 52:45 any experience that you had? 52:47 Yeah, I just want to say, like, a lot of people will ask, well, 52:51 why are you bringing kids to a disaster place? 52:54 Like, it's all destruction, and sometimes people have lost, 52:59 like, everything, and why do you want your kids to see that? 53:02 And I just want to show them that through that, what it's 53:06 like to represent God's love and to help others through 53:09 service, and by them experiencing that and doing it, 53:13 they start to gain their own faith in God and to build their 53:17 own relationship with God. 53:18 And seeing that grow in them is worth taking them. 53:23 Yes, that's got to be so heartwarming. 53:26 Like, you're seeing your children are seeing God in 53:30 action. 53:31 You know, it's one thing to tell them about Jesus and tell 53:34 them about, but for them to see, that's faith building for 53:40 them. 53:41 So it's good for a mom and a dad to see. 53:45 What about you? 53:46 What else would you like to share about union? 53:50 I think that if anybody is contemplating taking their 53:54 family on a mission trip to do it, because I believe that as a 54:00 family working together in union, in ministry, in the 54:05 mission field is even greater than if it was just one person 54:07 going, because now when you show up in a place where 54:11 there's families that have lost everything, and you bring your 54:15 family right to meet them where they're at, to comfort them and 54:18 to be with them and to pray with them and to show them that 54:21 you're there and you care, and many times when you come, you 54:26 show up in a uniform, just me, people think of, well, 54:30 sometimes it could be a threat if you're in a closed country 54:32 or a country like that, or a country like this where it's 54:36 like, well, you're in charge, what do we do? 54:38 Or this is like a police officer, or what is it? 54:41 When you come with your family, they look at you as an equal, 54:46 that they're here to be with us, and they care for us, and 54:50 that is the, I believe, the greatest ministry, because you 54:53 can really demonstrate the love of God in that situation right 54:57 there with your family. 54:59 Yes, share a scripture that you have that applies to what 55:03 you've been doing. 55:04 Do you have one? 55:05 Yeah. 55:11 One of my favorites that we always try to, that we can only 55:19 have through the working of the Holy Spirit, you know, and this 55:23 is the whole goal of what we want to see reproduce, not only 55:28 in us, but in others, and that's Jeremiah 31, 33. 55:36 But this is the covenant that I'll make with the house of 55:39 Israel after those days, says the Lord. 55:41 I'll put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. 55:43 I'll be their God, and they shall be my people. 55:46 No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his 55:48 brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me, 55:51 from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the 55:53 Lord. 55:56 remember no more. 55:57 Yes. 55:58 And that's what we want. 55:59 We want to have God's law written on our heart and sealed 56:01 in our mind, because when that happens, we can truly 56:05 demonstrate the love of God in every aspect of life. 56:08 When every effort that is put forth is meant to help and 56:14 bless others, that's what we want, and we want to instill 56:17 that not only in our children, but in the people that we work 56:20 with, that they see that, and they want to be a part of that 56:22 as well. 56:23 That's beautiful. 56:24 Thank you so much. 56:25 You're going to be with us in the second hour, Kerri, we're 56:29 going to play musical chairs, and we're going to say goodbye 56:33 to you, but thank you so much for what you both are doing. 56:37 I mean, this is powerful. 56:39 I think of Isaiah 52-7, how beautiful upon the mountains 56:45 are the feet of him who bring good news, who proclaim peace, 56:50 who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaim salvation. 56:55 And that's what you guys are doing, how beautiful are the 56:58 feet of those who spread the gospel, and that's what you're 57:02 doing. 57:07 to go to God, because anybody can do this, anybody can be a 57:10 part of this. 57:11 Yes. 57:15 with you. 57:16 We want you to make sure that you stick with us, we don't 57:20 want you to go anywhere, we are grateful for the work that's 57:24 being done around the world. 57:27 There's so many Christians who are answering the call in the 57:31 mission field, and we're just grateful. 57:34 We have all kinds of different mission fields, and we know 57:38 that God has a plan for you, so stick around, don't go 57:42 anywhere, we'll be right back in just a few minutes. |
Revised 2025-03-07