Have you ever met a Corporate
Executive Missionary that's on
00:00:01.06\00:00:03.82
fire for God? Well,
stay tuned to do just that
00:00:03.85\00:00:07.23
My name is Yvonne Lewis and
you're watching Urban Report
00:00:07.26\00:00:10.98
Hello, and
welcome to Urban Report...
00:00:32.55\00:00:34.62
My guest today is John Casillas,
Senior Vice President of
00:00:34.66\00:00:38.90
HIMSS... listed by Treasury
and Risk Magazine as one
00:00:38.93\00:00:42.74
of the top 100 Global
Thought Leaders in Finance
00:00:42.78\00:00:46.53
and Fellow for the World Bank.
Welcome to Urban Report... John
00:00:46.56\00:00:51.65
Thank you Yvonne,
it's great to be here...
00:00:51.69\00:00:53.56
It's so great to
have you here, you know,
00:00:53.60\00:00:55.60
in private... we've
talked and I've told you,
00:00:55.63\00:00:58.28
You're a "Dare to Dream Walk-in"
00:00:58.31\00:01:00.68
I mean, really, the things that
00:01:00.72\00:01:03.02
God has blessed you to
do, have been so incredible...
00:01:03.05\00:01:06.45
tell us a little bit
about your background...
00:01:06.49\00:01:09.26
Where do you come from?
I hail from Bucks County,
00:01:09.29\00:01:12.44
Pennsylvania... I have eight
siblings... family of ten...
00:01:12.48\00:01:18.53
and we lived in Thompsonville,
Pennsylvania.. not too far away
00:01:18.57\00:01:23.04
from the Amish
country... Ah... OK, OK...
00:01:23.08\00:01:26.40
What was your childhood like?
Well, when you have eight kids,
00:01:26.44\00:01:32.54
it's always trying to
figure out where to sleep...
00:01:32.58\00:01:36.47
what to eat...
So did you come from
00:01:36.50\00:01:39.92
impoverished situation...
We actually, we waited in
00:01:39.95\00:01:44.90
Welfare lines... even
at that time it was tough
00:01:44.93\00:01:49.81
for a long time for our family,
my dad worked all the time,
00:01:49.85\00:01:54.32
my mom worked... even
so we had a rough time...
00:01:54.36\00:01:57.57
I remember his take-home pay was
like $86 a week at that time,
00:01:57.61\00:02:01.82
my mom would come out with this
little budget book and she would
00:02:01.86\00:02:06.04
you know, make sure that
we had all the expenses met.
00:02:06.07\00:02:10.89
That has to be so difficult,
as you were growing up
00:02:10.93\00:02:15.38
did you know that you were poor
or did you feel like you had
00:02:15.42\00:02:19.15
everything that you needed?
I had no idea I was poor,
00:02:19.19\00:02:22.91
and I had no idea that I was
Puerto Rican... and I was both,
00:02:22.95\00:02:28.13
But I just... it
just didn't occur to me
00:02:28.17\00:02:35.41
and, you know, mom was very
good at making sure that we had
00:02:35.45\00:02:40.48
everything... and we had a
very supportive family structure
00:02:40.52\00:02:46.01
That's great... what was
the spiritual environment like
00:02:46.05\00:02:50.80
as you were growing up?
Dad was not a member of the
00:02:50.83\00:02:54.97
Church... and he was prone to
stay out and do things like that
00:02:55.01\00:03:03.70
mom was our spiritual rock,
and she was a praying woman,
00:03:03.74\00:03:11.55
I loved her dearly but she...
she prayed a lot and she prayed
00:03:11.59\00:03:20.24
dad into the Church.
Wow! after how many years?
00:03:20.28\00:03:24.01
Oh, that was... probably
around 20 years of praying...
00:03:24.05\00:03:30.68
Isn't it interesting how...
when we have an issue like that
00:03:30.72\00:03:36.89
to pray for, we
should pray without ceasing.
00:03:36.92\00:03:40.31
Don't give up because
that answer still can come
00:03:40.34\00:03:43.69
after 5 years, 10
years, twenty years,
00:03:43.72\00:03:46.88
so your mom hung in
there... and prayed your dad...
00:03:46.91\00:03:51.14
into the Church... It's
amazing how, when we talk
00:03:51.17\00:03:55.33
amongst the brothers and
sisters how much of our memory
00:03:55.36\00:03:59.93
is locked into watching mom
pray Tell us, tell me something
00:03:59.97\00:04:04.50
about that... Well,
I mean, she would pray
00:04:04.54\00:04:09.14
a lot and I remember going
past their bedroom... which
00:04:09.17\00:04:13.91
we never were permitted
really to go into the bedroom,
00:04:13.95\00:04:18.54
but looking through the
door and seeing mom pray,
00:04:18.57\00:04:22.86
she also got eight
kids ready in the morning
00:04:22.90\00:04:31.06
and the way that she woke
us up was that she would put
00:04:31.10\00:04:33.66
the King's Heralds
on... in the morning...
00:04:33.70\00:04:37.62
Oh... So keep your eyes upon the
00:04:37.65\00:04:40.38
eastern skies... you know,
and we are there listening to
00:04:40.41\00:04:43.31
this stuff, you
know, when we were kids...
00:04:43.34\00:04:44.73
and we grew up that way.
Every Sabbath morning, we'd hear
00:04:44.76\00:04:49.42
the record play... and
we knew that it was time
00:04:49.45\00:04:56.04
to get up and go to Church...
and she would drive us for
00:04:56.08\00:04:58.91
45 minutes... sometimes
an hour, sometimes longer...
00:04:58.95\00:05:02.25
depending on the traffic...
to get to the Bucks County
00:05:02.29\00:05:05.14
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
She was very dedicated...
00:05:05.17\00:05:09.47
Was your dad supportive at
that time of your religious
00:05:09.51\00:05:13.78
affiliation? Was he supportive
even though he wasn't going?
00:05:13.81\00:05:17.63
I would say he was...
he didn't really stop it
00:05:17.67\00:05:22.38
he didn't join it but it
became a lot easier, of course,
00:05:22.42\00:05:27.42
when dad had his
conversion experience.
00:05:27.45\00:05:29.99
Right... He lost
his mother and I think
00:05:30.02\00:05:32.49
he began to think a little
bit more... seriously about what
00:05:32.53\00:05:37.53
was happening and I remember...
00:05:37.56\00:05:40.72
I remember I broke
the news to mom. I said,
00:05:40.76\00:05:43.44
"Mom, did you know that
dad was reading the Bible?"
00:05:43.47\00:05:47.31
and she's like, "What?...
" You knew before she did.
00:05:47.34\00:05:51.11
Oh yeah... I remember, you know,
because I would walk past again
00:05:51.15\00:05:55.63
walking past the bedroom and
dad... when he reads in English,
00:05:55.67\00:06:00.11
he lips it, you
know, so tip,tip,tip,tip...
00:06:00.15\00:06:02.79
you know, he's doing
that... and I was like,
00:06:02.82\00:06:05.39
"Well, that's really cool,"
and then I just, for some reason
00:06:05.42\00:06:08.35
I thought I'd tell mom
about it and she was shocked...
00:06:08.39\00:06:13.20
Look at the example of
your Godly mother that won your
00:06:13.24\00:06:17.42
father... not so much
necessarily by what she said
00:06:17.46\00:06:21.60
but by what she did... as
the Bible tells us... that
00:06:21.64\00:06:25.72
that, you know, converted spouse
can actually win the other one.
00:06:25.75\00:06:30.96
Well, as a matter of
fact, that's what happened.
00:06:31.00\00:06:37.12
More recently, we had
a... it was September of 2009
00:06:37.16\00:06:42.62
and my mom went in for a
routine gall bladder operation
00:06:42.66\00:06:48.09
and she never came
back out of the hospital.
00:06:48.12\00:06:51.60
There was a surgical error,
it's in the medical records,
00:06:51.63\00:06:55.92
as the cause of death, and
00:06:55.96\00:07:00.53
there are a lot of
dimensions to that...
00:07:00.57\00:07:04.60
when you lose your mom
it's a foundational cornerstone
00:07:04.63\00:07:10.66
and all of a sudden, for
me, it was a loss of identity
00:07:10.69\00:07:15.54
and also a crisis of faith. I
could not believe that God was
00:07:15.58\00:07:20.95
in that same operating
room where the surgeon committed
00:07:20.99\00:07:26.33
that error for a
woman who dedicated her life
00:07:26.36\00:07:30.29
so fearlessly towards the
cause of God... in our family
00:07:30.32\00:07:34.33
and all over... she was
well respected in the community
00:07:34.36\00:07:39.61
in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico,
so, again, a lot of dimensions
00:07:39.64\00:07:44.85
to that but... to the
point... dad goes to church
00:07:44.89\00:07:50.84
as fearlessly as
prompted, you know, he's
00:07:50.87\00:07:56.08
he's at that Church all the
time and that's where he gains
00:07:56.12\00:08:00.27
his strength and
energy and he's totally...
00:08:00.30\00:08:03.01
So, you know, in
the Bible it says,
00:08:03.05\00:08:06.50
"Blessed are those who die
in the Spirit... at that time,
00:08:06.53\00:08:10.11
their works follow them,"
and you see the outworking of
00:08:10.14\00:08:13.45
her life all over... in
witnesses, in Puerto Rico,
00:08:13.48\00:08:16.75
in America, in the
family, We see it in you...
00:08:16.79\00:08:18.43
We see it in you...
and what you are doing
00:08:18.47\00:08:22.17
for the cause of Christ. I
want to go back for a second
00:08:22.20\00:08:25.52
because I think that we need to
unpack this a little bit more.
00:08:25.55\00:08:30.94
When your mom died
on that operating table,
00:08:30.98\00:08:35.85
and it became a
crisis of faith for you,
00:08:35.88\00:08:40.69
so many people don't
understand, we don't understand
00:08:40.72\00:08:44.33
why things happen, I
lost my mom at 19 so I really
00:08:44.37\00:08:47.94
do understand the whole
scenario of losing a parent,
00:08:47.97\00:08:52.87
and your mom was your spiritual
foundation at that point
00:08:52.90\00:08:57.47
so, to lose her meant to
lose some of your identity
00:08:57.51\00:09:02.15
where were you
with God after that?
00:09:02.18\00:09:05.21
Because there are some people
that are going through that
00:09:05.24\00:09:07.21
right now... where were you with
God after you lost your mom?
00:09:07.24\00:09:11.53
This is where the
spiritual rubber meets
00:09:11.57\00:09:16.04
the road of
experience... in other words,
00:09:16.08\00:09:20.26
I was sorely
tested... Hmm, hmm...
00:09:20.30\00:09:28.39
and you come to a point
in life where you really...
00:09:28.43\00:09:35.16
you're forced to believe what
you really think you believe...
00:09:35.19\00:09:41.38
Ah... OK... OK?
You are raised with all
00:09:41.41\00:09:44.46
this information, you are
raised with all those beliefs,
00:09:44.49\00:09:47.40
but when, you know,
things like that happen,
00:09:47.44\00:09:51.79
it really tests whether or
not you believe what you believe
00:09:51.83\00:09:56.76
and in that case,
my mom and I were very
00:09:56.79\00:10:00.31
close we were very good
friends, she would come up from
00:10:00.35\00:10:03.99
Puerto Rico and stay with
me 5 or 6 months at a time,
00:10:04.03\00:10:07.02
and she used to
chase me around the house
00:10:07.05\00:10:10.71
and we'd laugh, we
went to Church together,
00:10:10.74\00:10:14.37
we did all kinds of things
together... and she was a lovely
00:10:14.40\00:10:18.73
person so I had
to really internalize
00:10:18.76\00:10:26.39
that notion that God would allow
something like that to happen,
00:10:26.42\00:10:31.47
I think, and if I can turn to
the Bible, because that's where
00:10:31.51\00:10:36.52
I always turn to... Please...
00:10:36.56\00:10:38.27
I read about John the Baptist,
John the Baptist was blessed
00:10:38.31\00:10:44.00
among men, you know, he
was considered by Christ,
00:10:44.03\00:10:46.35
he was called one of
the greatest men, right?
00:10:46.39\00:10:48.68
Hmm, hmm... ...
and he gave everything,
00:10:48.71\00:10:53.52
for the cause of the Lord,
I mean, he lived in the desert
00:10:53.56\00:10:57.46
he didn't go into
town to get a bite to eat,
00:10:57.49\00:11:00.98
...he ate locust and
honey... all right...
00:11:01.01\00:11:05.97
and he followed the
will of God faithfully,
00:11:06.00\00:11:10.89
all the way to prison...
and then from the prison
00:11:10.93\00:11:17.78
to some feast where
the King said... you know..
00:11:17.82\00:11:21.60
"OK, you can put
his head on a plate. "
00:11:21.63\00:11:24.25
You know, that was
his fate... and you know,
00:11:24.28\00:11:29.76
for some people...
and I've had that struggle
00:11:29.79\00:11:35.23
with that.. I've said, "Why
did God allow that to happen?"
00:11:35.27\00:11:38.09
and I'm a big
believer of Christianity...
00:11:38.12\00:11:42.19
and the writings
of Ellen G. White...
00:11:42.23\00:11:43.80
I believe that
she was a prophetess
00:11:43.84\00:11:45.54
and I read about that
in The Desire of Ages,
00:11:45.57\00:11:48.36
and it impacts me even
more so, now that I lost my mom
00:11:48.40\00:11:51.52
because for us, she
was our John the Baptist.
00:11:51.56\00:11:54.34
hmmmmmmmmm... So
how could God allow the
00:11:54.37\00:11:57.09
surgeon to cut her portal
vein and have her essentially
00:11:57.12\00:12:00.63
bleed to death? Hmmmmmmm...
00:12:00.67\00:12:02.41
How could that
happen to a servant of God?
00:12:02.44\00:12:07.91
and I came, you
know, around... and, and,
00:12:07.94\00:12:13.34
I didn't revolt against
God or anything like that,
00:12:13.38\00:12:16.62
It just... those
questions haunt me...
00:12:16.65\00:12:18.95
and some of those
things are still unresolved...
00:12:18.98\00:12:20.90
you know, but I
know that with mom...
00:12:20.94\00:12:27.09
everything pointed to God...
if mom were alive today...
00:12:27.12\00:12:32.19
if she... if I would
have walked away from God,
00:12:32.23\00:12:34.94
that would have been
the worst case scenario,
00:12:34.98\00:12:37.66
hmmmm, hmmmmm So
that's one thing...
00:12:37.70\00:12:41.21
I want to honor my
mom, Yes, yes, yes, yes...
00:12:41.24\00:12:45.44
But secondly, I want to
bring honor to my God...
00:12:45.48\00:12:49.61
and if my God had to take my
mom then, that's just the way,
00:12:49.64\00:12:57.70
that's just His will...
that working of His will...
00:12:57.73\00:13:02.35
and, you know, we
can't, we don't see the
00:13:02.39\00:13:09.86
beginning from the end,
we just have to have faith,
00:13:09.90\00:13:13.01
and walk it...
That is exactly what
00:13:13.05\00:13:17.96
this is about, isn't it?
A faith walk... is it not,
00:13:17.99\00:13:22.18
you know, faith is not
just believing that everything
00:13:22.22\00:13:26.38
is going to be OK...
faith is holding on...
00:13:26.41\00:13:29.81
when things aren't
OK... That's, that's...
00:13:29.85\00:13:34.47
Since I've given my life
to the Lord, that has been
00:13:34.51\00:13:39.66
the story of my
life... hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...
00:13:39.70\00:13:43.32
in fact, it's more so... that...
there are times when you are
00:13:43.36\00:13:48.88
spiritually just rejuvenated...
and you feel God in everything
00:13:48.92\00:13:54.41
you see Him...
you know He's there...
00:13:54.44\00:13:57.14
but there are many
times when it's dark...
00:13:57.17\00:13:59.99
and you have nothing to
go on, except your belief
00:14:00.03\00:14:04.20
and your faith, and that...
00:14:04.24\00:14:07.36
that was one of
those dark moments for me.
00:14:07.39\00:14:09.79
That... you know... I so
appreciate your transparency
00:14:09.83\00:14:13.65
here because so many
people are dealing with...
00:14:13.69\00:14:17.07
these are basic existential
issues... you know, what do I do
00:14:17.11\00:14:22.66
when I am in the midst of
my wilderness experience...
00:14:22.70\00:14:26.45
and I can't... I can't
reason my way out of it,
00:14:26.49\00:14:30.77
I don't understand
it, but I have to trust
00:14:30.81\00:14:35.58
in a sovereign God
who did not cause this,
00:14:35.62\00:14:39.99
in His sovereignty,
He allowed it to happen,
00:14:40.02\00:14:45.10
but I have to trust Him
that whatever happened...
00:14:45.13\00:14:50.46
happened for a
reason... and that's where your
00:14:50.50\00:14:54.59
faith comes in and the Bible
says, "For without faith, it is
00:14:54.62\00:14:56.78
impossible to please Him...
" so, you know, your desire
00:14:56.82\00:15:01.41
to hang in there with
God... even in the midst of this
00:15:01.44\00:15:05.99
dark experience...
is... it's a blessing...
00:15:06.03\00:15:09.98
it's a blessing for those
who are going through that
00:15:10.01\00:15:13.97
same kind of
experience right now...
00:15:14.00\00:15:16.67
What would you
tell somebody who is...
00:15:16.71\00:15:19.30
look into that
camera... this one right here...
00:15:19.34\00:15:22.67
and tell someone who is
going through a dark time...
00:15:22.70\00:15:27.00
speak to that person...
about what they should do
00:15:27.03\00:15:32.63
during that
time... Well, first thing,
00:15:32.66\00:15:37.11
I've been there and I
think we all have over here...
00:15:37.14\00:15:45.91
I would tell you
this... that life is hard,
00:15:45.95\00:15:53.54
and I'm not telling you anything
new... I want to identify with
00:15:53.57\00:16:00.96
what you're going
through... life is hard,
00:16:01.00\00:16:04.88
and it's not fair...
there are times when you just
00:16:04.92\00:16:12.20
want to give
up... I felt that...
00:16:12.23\00:16:15.36
there were times when I
just wanted to give up...
00:16:15.40\00:16:21.51
and somehow this God
that we always talk about,
00:16:21.55\00:16:27.63
was able to reach me in
my darkness and He was able
00:16:27.66\00:16:36.09
to, after 18 years of
walking away from Him,
00:16:36.13\00:16:41.15
He was able to
reach down and pick me up
00:16:41.18\00:16:44.64
and give me life again...
I really... really was a
00:16:44.68\00:16:49.41
walking dead man...
before I gave my life
00:16:49.44\00:16:53.42
back to Christ... I had
left the Church for 18 years,
00:16:53.45\00:16:56.24
Was this after your mom died?
This was before my mom died...
00:16:56.27\00:17:00.01
Okay... I know,
00:17:00.04\00:17:01.07
I'm mixing things a
little bit, but, I realize that
00:17:01.10\00:17:09.37
all the things that the
world was saying was success,
00:17:09.40\00:17:13.37
simply weren't...
that, you know, the nice car,
00:17:13.40\00:17:18.43
the money in the
bank, the nice house,
00:17:18.46\00:17:20.56
all those things that the
world sort of pulls you towards
00:17:20.59\00:17:25.92
in all of their
advertising and the magazines...
00:17:25.95\00:17:28.32
everything... is all geared
towards this false reality...
00:17:28.36\00:17:34.01
and you have this
"still small voice"
00:17:34.05\00:17:37.62
God saying, "You
know, it's not about that"
00:17:37.66\00:17:41.94
it's about Him, it's
about Him, it's about Jesus,
00:17:41.97\00:17:48.18
I remember when I realized
that, I was lying on my couch,
00:17:48.21\00:17:54.57
and I basically said to
the Lord ... at that time...
00:17:54.61\00:18:00.90
and I was not talking to
the Lord... at that time,
00:18:00.94\00:18:02.74
actually I was talking to
"three gods"... One was real...
00:18:02.78\00:18:07.97
the other two weren't...
and I was being induced into
00:18:08.00\00:18:13.08
the spiritual
realms... there are a lot...
00:18:13.12\00:18:15.85
there are some
stories around that...
00:18:15.88\00:18:18.54
but I basically just said,
"Lord, if you want this heap
00:18:18.58\00:18:22.89
of junk lying on this
couch... you can have it... "
00:18:22.93\00:18:25.80
That was it...
that's how I gave my life
00:18:25.83\00:18:30.25
to the Lord... then,
right after I said that,
00:18:30.29\00:18:34.72
I had been having
trouble breathing...
00:18:34.76\00:18:36.61
and I had to go to the
hospital, but I was ignoring it,
00:18:36.64\00:18:39.88
because I knew it was bad...
but I just didn't want to...
00:18:39.92\00:18:45.02
I just didn't care at that
time, so, I basically said,
00:18:45.06\00:18:50.12
as an afterthought... but,
if you are going to take me
00:18:50.16\00:18:55.14
heal me... and
the next day I woke up
00:18:55.17\00:18:59.68
and I could breath...
which didn't happen...
00:18:59.72\00:19:04.53
I mean, I had trouble breathing
when I woke up in the morning,
00:19:04.56\00:19:07.20
Right... I breathed in deeply...
00:19:07.24\00:19:09.12
This morning was
totally different from
00:19:09.15\00:19:11.26
the other mornings... It
was completely different...
00:19:11.30\00:19:13.72
and I realized that the
Lord heard me and then I
00:19:13.76\00:19:18.05
really got on my knees
and I gave my life to God.
00:19:18.09\00:19:22.34
it's the best
decision I ever made.
00:19:22.38\00:19:24.19
Absolutely... When
was this? How long?
00:19:24.23\00:19:26.31
It was October of 1996.
And you've never looked back?
00:19:26.35\00:19:30.41
Never looked
back. Never looked back.
00:19:30.45\00:19:32.22
I'll tell you what
though... Since that time,
00:19:32.26\00:19:35.97
it hasn't been rosy... I
had to deal with things like
00:19:36.00\00:19:40.37
the loss of my
sister, the loss of my mom,
00:19:40.40\00:19:43.21
I've had to deal with things
like-what do I do for a living?
00:19:43.24\00:19:47.52
How do I make
my next rent check?
00:19:47.56\00:19:50.86
you know... or my
next mortgage payment...
00:19:50.90\00:19:53.36
all those things, you
know. It has not been easy.
00:19:53.40\00:19:57.78
But look at where
God has taken you from
00:19:57.81\00:20:01.48
to where you are now, you
know, I mean, as one of the
00:20:01.51\00:20:06.45
top 100 Global Thinkers
on Finance, you know, as the
00:20:06.48\00:20:11.38
Senior Vice President of HIMSS
as a Fellow of the World Bank,
00:20:11.42\00:20:17.95
you know, and yet, what
you're telling us is that..
00:20:17.99\00:20:21.74
your road has not been an
easy one and yet God has led you
00:20:21.78\00:20:28.70
all the way... It's amazing...
00:20:28.74\00:20:32.02
How is it juggling
your Christianity...
00:20:32.06\00:20:35.78
your Seventh-day Adventist
Christianity with your career,
00:20:35.82\00:20:40.63
how do you do that?
How do you negotiate that?
00:20:40.66\00:20:43.24
First of all, I am so,
00:20:43.27\00:20:46.90
so thankful, that I am
a Seventh-day Adventist
00:20:46.94\00:20:49.55
Come on, come
on... You know, I just...
00:20:49.58\00:20:52.46
I love the truths that we
hold dear to our hearts...
00:20:52.50\00:20:58.10
I love that we're in the
Movement that started in 1844...
00:20:58.14\00:21:02.32
that we are a part of... I
love the three angels' messages
00:21:02.36\00:21:06.51
and I love that message...
to give to the world...
00:21:06.55\00:21:09.23
I was just in Costa Rica
at "It is Written" event...
00:21:09.26\00:21:12.85
I was one of 10 pastors and
we had 20 baptisms in our Church
00:21:12.89\00:21:16.44
the Church that I was pastoring,
there were about over a hundred
00:21:16.47\00:21:19.25
baptisms all together...
So you're pastoring as well?
00:21:19.28\00:21:21.84
Yes... See, you know what?
00:21:21.88\00:21:23.37
I didn't even see that in
your bio, I didn't even know,
00:21:23.40\00:21:26.13
I knew that you had attended
seminary but I had no idea
00:21:26.16\00:21:28.57
that you were a pastor! So
let's just add that to your
00:21:28.60\00:21:30.93
list of many accomplishments!
There are "Professional Pastors"
00:21:30.97\00:21:34.26
and there are "Lay Pastors"
I fit in the latter category,
00:21:34.29\00:21:36.66
OK... that's still, I
mean, that's still awesome...
00:21:36.70\00:21:40.47
But I absolutely
embrace our message and I love
00:21:40.50\00:21:43.89
to teach it and to
preach it wherever I can.
00:21:43.92\00:21:47.27
But, you know, to the
people that are out there
00:21:47.31\00:21:53.12
that are
struggling, all I can say is,
00:21:53.15\00:21:55.16
those struggles
are there for a reason,
00:21:55.19\00:21:58.14
Hmmm, they were
there, for reasons,
00:21:58.17\00:22:00.76
that as I look back, and look at
how I dealt with those struggles
00:22:00.79\00:22:05.39
I understand that God is working
in me to develop love, joy,
00:22:05.42\00:22:10.81
peace, patience, humility,
self-control, you know,
00:22:10.85\00:22:16.22
all those things,
that really bring value,
00:22:16.26\00:22:20.03
and goodness and
gentleness, to life... right?
00:22:20.06\00:22:23.80
hmmm, hmmmm ...
all those things...
00:22:23.83\00:22:25.83
that's what God's
doing, and what I do,
00:22:25.86\00:22:29.07
is almost irrelevant... you
know I know it sounds impressive
00:22:29.11\00:22:37.50
Global Health IT
Fellow for the World Bank,
00:22:37.53\00:22:40.12
and Senior, Vice
President, HIMSS,
00:22:40.16\00:22:43.03
actually God
gave me that, hmmm...
00:22:43.06\00:22:45.90
you know, it's
nothing that I did,
00:22:45.93\00:22:48.08
hmmmm, God gave me an idea,
00:22:48.11\00:22:52.16
back in 1996...
00:22:52.20\00:22:55.67
with those ideas that
He gives us, there are some
00:22:55.71\00:22:59.58
responsibilities...
What was the idea?
00:22:59.61\00:23:01.82
Tell our viewers
what the idea was...
00:23:01.85\00:23:03.99
The idea that crystallized in my
mind, in my professional life,
00:23:04.02\00:23:11.08
was Medical
Banking... What is that?
00:23:11.12\00:23:15.25
What is medical banking?
So Medical Banking... and I
00:23:15.29\00:23:18.71
visited with 125 banks' CEOs,
not necessarily trying to find
00:23:18.75\00:23:26.93
the idea but that's what
happened as a result of it,
00:23:26.97\00:23:31.31
I began to identify much
more with how a bank looks
00:23:31.35\00:23:35.19
at the community... and
one of the key anchor points
00:23:35.23\00:23:39.04
in any community
is the health care...
00:23:39.08\00:23:40.91
the health care side,
the hospital... the doctors,
00:23:40.95\00:23:43.64
it is very
important... in the community...
00:23:43.67\00:23:46.71
those relationships...
and for a banker...
00:23:46.75\00:23:49.31
to finance
those relationships...
00:23:49.35\00:23:51.88
it's just very important too...
A lot of times you will see a
00:23:51.91\00:23:55.60
banker on the hospital board,
you know, and that's why...
00:23:55.63\00:23:59.26
because the bank wants to
maintain tight relationships
00:23:59.29\00:24:03.16
and really... to enhance
the quality of the community,
00:24:03.20\00:24:07.03
so I started to look at that
through the lens of a banker
00:24:07.06\00:24:10.79
and with my healthcare
background... I began to see
00:24:10.82\00:24:15.38
how banks can use their
resources to take healthcare
00:24:15.42\00:24:20.86
from where it's at
today, to leapfrog many problems
00:24:20.89\00:24:26.30
and challenges that
we have, for instance,
00:24:26.33\00:24:29.38
we spend between,
depending on who you read,
00:24:29.41\00:24:32.39
10 to 30% of healthcare dollars
on the paper-chasing healthcare
00:24:32.43\00:24:37.82
the administrative
side of healthcare,
00:24:37.85\00:24:40.08
with banks... we are able to
save at least 35 billion dollars
00:24:40.11\00:24:44.90
annually using their
technology and their resources,
00:24:44.94\00:24:49.87
So, what I did was, I
helped to bring together
00:24:49.91\00:24:53.81
the healthcare side
and the banking side
00:24:53.84\00:24:56.51
and to bring those
technologies together...
00:24:56.55\00:24:59.86
to create a whole new portfolio,
00:24:59.89\00:25:02.87
of medical banking services,
that are offered by the largest
00:25:02.91\00:25:05.97
banks in the world
today. That's tremendous...
00:25:06.00\00:25:09.38
that is tremendous...
that's why... you're one of the
00:25:09.42\00:25:14.02
100 top guys... and
globally... that's tremendous...
00:25:14.05\00:25:18.58
That think tank that was formed
in Franklin, Tennessee was
00:25:18.61\00:25:22.28
eventually sold to a
global Health-IT Association
00:25:22.31\00:25:26.16
called the HIMSS and the
Health Information Management
00:25:26.20\00:25:30.01
System Society or
HIMSS, and HIMSS now is...
00:25:30.04\00:25:38.02
when I came in, I was able to
broker a relationship with the
00:25:38.06\00:25:42.17
World Bank that is spending
money on Health Information
00:25:42.20\00:25:46.28
Technology... Hmmmm,...
00:25:46.31\00:25:47.65
I was thinking more like
a banker, so my language...
00:25:47.69\00:25:51.67
they could understand...
so I became the first Fellow
00:25:51.71\00:25:55.66
in the World Bank to
help them with their policy
00:25:55.69\00:26:00.48
around investment and
health information technology...
00:26:00.52\00:26:03.08
in developing
countries around the world...
00:26:03.12\00:26:05.22
That's tremendous...
and then you see...
00:26:05.25\00:26:07.09
when you go to these developing
countries... like I got a couple
00:26:07.13\00:26:10.71
of e-mails from you...
like you were over in Vietnam...
00:26:10.74\00:26:13.22
you got to preach or something,
it's like you are taking
00:26:13.26\00:26:15.70
the gospel with
you... on these trips...
00:26:15.74\00:26:18.27
Well, the coolest
thing in the world is...
00:26:18.30\00:26:20.76
is that wherever you go...
there's an Adventist Church
00:26:20.79\00:26:23.01
right around the
corner... and if you do the
00:26:23.05\00:26:25.03
Sabbath School
Quarterly, you don't have to
00:26:25.06\00:26:27.01
worry about going in cold...
so... I love it, you know,
00:26:27.04\00:26:31.66
when I travel, I love
going to our Churches...
00:26:31.69\00:26:34.09
I love to encourage people...
I love praying with them...
00:26:34.12\00:26:36.45
I love our
Socials... it's awesome...
00:26:36.48\00:26:39.68
and I do that in New Zealand,
I was in New Zealand at a
00:26:39.71\00:26:43.62
Church there... the church
in New Zealand is on fire...
00:26:43.65\00:26:47.55
Auckland, New
Zealand... I love that place...
00:26:47.59\00:26:50.53
I was in Australia and
visited Avondale College...
00:26:50.56\00:26:52.96
they were so kind
and gracious to me...
00:26:52.99\00:26:54.73
they gave me a place to
sleep, why wouldn't you love
00:26:54.76\00:26:58.02
this Church... I was
able to see Sunnyside...
00:26:58.06\00:27:03.19
the Ellen G.
White's estate there...
00:27:03.23\00:27:06.01
and then from there... I
went to the Philippines...
00:27:06.04\00:27:08.14
I had been
supporting a mission there...
00:27:08.17\00:27:12.08
Danny Hanson from
Tennessee started a mission
00:27:12.12\00:27:15.20
in the Philippines...
so we talked there...
00:27:15.24\00:27:18.29
and from there...
I went to Vietnam...
00:27:18.32\00:27:20.76
Now in Vietnam... I just
want to share a little story...
00:27:20.79\00:27:23.40
OK... we got 30 seconds...
OK... we got 30 seconds...
00:27:23.44\00:27:27.09
So essentially, I went to
Vietnam with the World Bank
00:27:27.13\00:27:30.75
to talk and I had a...
there was a plenary session...
00:27:30.78\00:27:33.46
which means that everybody...
850 Health Care Executives...
00:27:33.49\00:27:36.37
were there... I gave
that talk in 4 minutes...
00:27:36.41\00:27:39.91
I became the number one
speaker of that entire event...
00:27:39.95\00:27:44.59
out of all 75
speakers... Wow!...
00:27:44.63\00:27:46.61
...and I basically
told the story of how my mom
00:27:46.65\00:27:48.60
lost her life... Yes...
00:27:48.63\00:27:50.10
I wish we had more
time... I can't believe...
00:27:50.13\00:27:52.57
our time has slipped away...
Thank you so much John...
00:27:52.60\00:27:55.87
will you come back
again? Absolutely...
00:27:55.90\00:27:57.51
Because you
are... Dare to Dream...
00:27:57.55\00:27:59.09
Join us next time... It
just wouldn't be the same...
00:27:59.12\00:28:02.26
without you...
00:28:02.29\00:28:03.37