ASI Conventions

Asi Convention

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: ASIC

Program Code: ASIC180003A


00:01 Music...
00:19 We're glad for each of you
00:21 that came to breakfast this morning,
00:22 and we have... some of you will be coming...
00:25 we'll have more of us coming
00:26 from the breakfast area here shortly
00:29 we got a little late start this morning
00:32 but we're thankful that you're all here
00:35 and this is Michael...
00:36 he's going to ask the Lord to bless us.
00:38 I would ask you to please stand
00:42 as we will talk to our heavenly Father.
00:45 Let's bow our heads and pray.
00:48 Dear heavenly Father, we thank you so much
00:52 for this privilege of coming together
00:55 and worship you this morning.
00:57 I pray that You will bless us in a special way
01:01 by sending your Spirit and talking to
01:04 each one of us personally.
01:06 I pray that you will also bless the Speaker
01:09 as you will present your Word.
01:12 As you called Lazarus to rise and come forth,
01:17 I pray that you will send your Spirit in each one of us
01:22 and Jesus will be lifted up,
01:25 and I pray for all these things
01:27 in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ
01:30 our Savior and Lord
01:31 and altogether we say, amen. "
01:33 Audience: Amen.
01:35 In 1960... 31% of the baptisms in our church
01:39 were in global north
01:41 and 69% in global south.
01:43 How had the situation changed by 2014... 54 years later?
01:48 A massive increase in baptisms in global south
01:52 had enlarged to 97%
01:55 leaving global north with a shockingly small 3% in the U.S.,
01:59 Canada, Europe, Russia and Australia combined
02:04 and only half a percent of the baptisms were in Europe.
02:08 Europe has always been known for sending out missionaries
02:12 to the Third World Countries in times past
02:14 but has now become one of the greatest mission fields.
02:17 Some have started calling Europe The Post-Christian Triangle.
02:21 Music.
02:24 The Granheim Foundation is dedicated to support
02:27 Matteson Mission School.
02:28 It trains missionaries for life
02:30 and gives them vision for serving God
02:32 with all their time, talents and resources
02:35 in a family atmosphere and in an inspiring learning environment
02:39 Matteson Mission School encourages young people
02:42 who wish to come close to God
02:44 and find His plan for their lives.
02:46 The training takes place in various learning arenas...
02:50 in the classrooms... the kitchen...
02:53 the garden... the local community
02:55 and in team activities.
02:57 The simple... yet comprehensive principles of Christian living
03:00 are promoted and careful examination
03:03 and independent thinking encouraged.
03:05 Students are taught to form habits
03:08 that promote Christian integrity.
03:10 To make the training more effective,
03:13 the Granheim Foundation
03:14 seeks to create a model of sustainable evangelism.
03:17 In order to do this,
03:19 it operates a compost production center
03:21 and a local Lifestyle service
03:23 in cooperation with the local church.
03:25 It also networks with local Adventist Businesses
03:29 that function as Centers of Influence.
03:31 May the Lord help us reach more neighborhoods
03:34 in the Post-Christian Triangle.
03:35 We want to thank God for the way He has led in the past
03:38 and trust He will accomplish His work through us in the future.
03:42 Music...
03:45 more music...
03:52 We're happy to be here at ASI this morning,
03:56 are you glad to be here?
03:58 Amen.
03:59 Well, I'm delighted to have with me, Jeremy Zwiker.
04:02 He is currently living in Norway
04:04 and he is the President of the Matteson Mission School
04:06 in Norway
04:07 and he is also President of ASI Scandinavia,
04:10 Good morning, we're glad you're here.
04:11 Good Morning... I'm happy to be here.
04:13 Why don't you tell us a little bit about this project
04:15 that we just saw on the video.
04:17 Yes, so this project is basically...
04:21 I want to create awareness of the needs that is in Europe.
04:26 How many of you were at the GC Session in 2015,
04:29 can I see your hands?
04:31 So, when we were at the GC Session...
04:33 the Secretary... he gave a report
04:36 about what the statistics were like,
04:39 about the baptisms all around the world, right,
04:43 and if you look at the slides,
04:45 we actually can see that Europe
04:48 actually has become a mission field.
04:50 So, when you see... yeah, Europe has become a mission field
04:54 and we started calling this the Post-Christian Triangle,
04:57 if you see the next slide,
04:58 you can see that 97% of all baptisms in our church
05:02 are actually in global south,
05:04 that's the orange area on that map
05:07 and then only 3% is in the blue and the red area
05:12 and then, if you go to the next slide,
05:15 this is the graph that the GC Secretary actually showed
05:19 at the G.C. and then, if you look,
05:21 these are the 13 Divisions
05:23 and the baptisms over five years in those divisions
05:26 and when... when I looked at those slides,
05:28 I noticed that some of the Divisions
05:32 didn't have so many baptisms,
05:34 and if you look closer,
05:37 can you guess which three divisions,
05:40 are in the European Field?
05:43 If you go to the next slide, can you see them?
05:48 Interviewer: You can barely see them.
05:50 You can barely see them, exactly,
05:53 you can barely see that there's actually baptisms happening
05:57 in the European Divisions
05:59 and that's when I realized,
06:01 "Whoa, Europe has become a mission field"
06:04 and... and this is something that I think
06:07 we need to do something about
06:08 and... and it's actually something
06:09 that maybe people don't realize,
06:11 but... yeah, Europe... that used to send out missionaries
06:14 has now become a mission field.
06:16 So, you said that we need to do something about it
06:18 so why don't you tell us what we can do about it
06:20 to help the situation.
06:21 Yeah, well, one... I just want to share one story,
06:24 for example, that...
06:26 that when we got in contact with one of... an Atheist...
06:29 German Atheist... and he...
06:31 he actually got in contact with our school
06:33 and he got convicted about... there's something different,
06:36 we shared our message with him
06:38 and he got so convicted that he decided...
06:41 he wanted to apply to the mission school,
06:43 he got trained... how to reach the secular mind...
06:45 and then, now he's back in the mission field
06:48 and he's reaching people in Germany with that
06:51 so, how can you get involved?
06:53 The last slide... you can see... well...
06:55 obviously you can pray for this mission field,
06:58 you can get training at a mission school,
07:00 on how to reach the secular mind
07:02 or you can serve in a European Ministry
07:04 or you can donate to that cause so...
07:06 so, please get involved and think about Europe
07:09 in your plans... in your minds... in your prayers
07:11 please join us in reaching this important mission field.
07:14 Thank you so much, God bless you.
07:16 Last week, we were discussing your job.
07:19 Has your work situation improved?
07:21 Ah Doc, it's... it's terrible...
07:24 and I don't see any way out of my problem,
07:26 I'm having a hard time finding good employees
07:29 and I just need so many different kinds...
07:31 volunteers, full-time missionaries... students...
07:34 I always have a position that needs to be filled
07:37 but it feels like it's more a matter of luck,
07:40 sometimes, you find the right person
07:42 but usually then they're snatched up by someone else
07:45 or they find somewhere else to go...
07:46 by the time you're done with all of the committees
07:48 and paper work...
07:49 it's kind of like shopping but when you get to the store,
07:53 you realize that someone else has already chosen
07:55 your ideal candidate
07:57 and there they are... pushing them into their carts
07:58 and loading them into their cars...
08:00 "Full disclosure... I'm already taken. "
08:02 Meanwhile, you walk into the store,
08:05 just to find that all the candidates
08:07 have already been picked over,
08:08 it's... it's really discouraging...
08:10 finding the right person is really rare.
08:13 Well, let's try an exercise,
08:15 I want you to imagine a better system to find people.
08:19 What would that look like?
08:21 Sure, at this point, I'm willing to try anything.
08:24 So, first, it would all be online,
08:27 the type of thing that you can do on your Tablet...
08:29 Smartphone and even your TV...
08:31 something that you can do anywhere
08:33 and instead of a potential employee
08:35 going to each Organization's website
08:37 just to fill up multiple applications,
08:39 they can just go to one central place
08:41 and streamline the process.
08:42 We even have all the information online
08:45 so that they know what immunizations to get...
08:47 how to pack... and what to expect at their destination
08:50 and it would be a place for all types of employees...
08:53 paid positions... volunteers...
08:54 I think it would even be fun if this virtual place
08:57 could be for people who can't go as missionaries
08:59 but who want the project in some way.
09:02 They could have a blog from the employees
09:04 as well as list of needs...
09:06 just one central place where people come together
09:09 to change the world,
09:10 you know, through service or by sharing resources,
09:12 I even have a name picked out.
09:15 Vivid Faith... because it would be where faith is hands-on
09:19 where faith is made real.
09:20 You would need a lot of Organizations
09:24 to buy into the idea... sign up and work together
09:27 to make this a smooth process.
09:29 Yeah, but that's the thing,
09:30 it would be in their best interest to do so.
09:33 We'll have potential employees and supporters
09:35 from all over the world going to this site,
09:37 it would be free... really... it's kind of genius
09:40 you're good at this Doc.
09:42 Wait, we have 57 minutes left.
09:46 Pause.
09:47 Good morning, it's so good to be here with you
09:49 and hopefully you've had just a little introduction
09:51 of Vivid Faith,
09:53 but I want to tell you just a little bit of the background.
09:55 Several years ago,
09:57 I was sitting at the General Conference
09:59 in a meeting there
10:00 and an individual got up
10:02 and he basically presented this concept
10:07 and immediately when he sat down I went to see him
10:09 and I said, "I love this idea,
10:11 we want to find a way to connect it with ASI
10:13 and with all the supporting ministries
10:16 and that has happened.
10:18 With this amazing website
10:20 which we're going to launch this fall.
10:21 I have Fylvia with me this morning,
10:23 Fylvia Kline is the Director for Vivid Faith.
10:26 How is Vivid Faith connected to the church?
10:29 It's an initiative of the General Conference
10:32 to create a space where church-owned entities
10:36 and supporting ministries can post their volunteer needs
10:39 and also find volunteers to meet those needs.
10:42 It's been in the making for three years
10:44 and it's going to finally be here in the end of 2018.
10:47 Let me ask you a question here,
10:49 how many of you from supporting ministries
10:51 have need of people...
10:53 volunteers or employees to come and help you?
10:56 Is anyone else in my book,
10:57 yes, thank you, see those hands out there,
10:59 Folks, this is going to be a great tool for us to use
11:03 because it's going to connect the whole Adventist Church
11:07 and help us to see potential people to come and help us
11:11 as well as a place to post their needs.
11:13 Now, this is more than just a website for this,
11:16 tell us, Fylvia, what else is this?
11:18 It's going to be more than a convenient place
11:21 to find mission opportunities,
11:24 it's going to be a virtual place for outreach.
11:27 It's going to be an inclusive community
11:30 not just for volunteers and not just for Adventists,
11:35 it's going to be different in the sense that
11:38 you don't have to want to volunteer,
11:41 to use Vivid Faith.
11:42 You can just come there to observe... to learn...
11:45 to cheer someone else who's on a mission trip.
11:49 So, it's for... say the son who's left the church,
11:52 he hangs out in Vivid Faith
11:55 to watch his parents who are now retiring
11:58 and who are volunteering.
12:00 It's for that curious neighbor
12:02 who wonders why you go on a mission trip every summer,
12:06 it's for that new church member who's not quite ready to do
12:10 more than church on Sabbath.
12:12 So, all these people will be on Vivid Faith
12:15 to vicariously experience a life of compassion and service
12:20 and through that vicarious experience,
12:24 will, maybe, one day connect or re-connect
12:27 to a local Seventh-day Adventist Church.
12:30 So, let's play this out for just a moment here,
12:33 I... I'm in ministry, I want to use Vivid Faith
12:37 to help find people that can help in the ministry
12:40 that' I'm doing... what would I do?
12:43 Come to Booth 208 while you're here.
12:46 Okay, so if you're in ministry
12:48 who wants to sign up to use this service,
12:50 go to Booth 208 and see Fylvia,
12:53 she can help you through the process
12:55 of understanding what to do.
12:56 Or send us an e-mail at info@vividfaith. com
13:02 we want to fill this website up with volunteer opportunities
13:07 that are open in 2019
13:09 because our App is going to launch by the end of this year
13:13 so when the App launches
13:14 and people load that App on their phone
13:17 and they look for mission opportunities,
13:19 we want all of your ministries.. all of the ministries here
13:22 on there
13:23 with mission opportunities for all the young people
13:26 whether they're young or old or in-between...
13:28 who want to serve.
13:30 Now, let me tell you a little secret,
13:31 this is just being launched...
13:33 this is something very new,
13:35 in fact, this is your first main event you're doing
13:39 in actually opening it up, right.
13:41 Fylvia: Yeah, it's so new that I don't start my job
13:44 till next week.
13:46 Well, thank you for working early, okay
13:50 and Fylvia, you said something interesting,
13:53 it can even be used by non-Adventists.
13:56 Now that would be a situation... it would be like observers or...
13:59 Fylvia: Yes.
14:00 But the volunteers themselves are going to be
14:02 Seventh-day Adventist volunteers
14:05 coming into the System available for these ministries to use.
14:09 That's right, unless of course there's an ASI ministry here
14:13 that accepts non-volunteers...
14:15 Non-Adventists volunteers.
14:17 Okay, all right, so you can specify that
14:19 as you set up your ministry as receiving volunteers...
14:22 you can set all that up.
14:23 This is an exciting opportunity,
14:25 I'm really looking forward to how God is going to bless this,
14:28 it's a real opportunity for us as ministries
14:31 to join with the church...
14:32 support the work that is happening...
14:33 support mission around the world,
14:35 and I hope and pray this is going to be a blessing
14:37 to many ministries here today.
14:39 Fylvia: I'm very excited.
14:40 Yes, go to Booth 208... Booth 208...
14:44 see Fylvia... get signed up... thank you.
14:46 Rwanda has worked hard to recover from the brutal genocide
14:52 against the Tutsi in 1994.
14:54 The refugees continue to flood into Rwanda
14:57 from neighboring Congo.
14:59 Terrorists often threaten, beat or kill adults and children
15:03 as they attempt to escape the turmoil.
15:05 After decades of war, many children are homeless
15:09 and missing parents or siblings.
15:11 And they said, "No, it's a trick you are not a soldier, you... "
15:14 and they put my gun here
15:15 and they said, "No, you should be killed. "
15:17 And in that moment, I remembered...
15:21 I didn't know how to pray.
15:23 but in my heart, I just kneeled down,
15:26 head down, then I said, "Oh, please, my God! Help me.
15:30 If I escape this place, I should serve you all the time!"
15:33 The number of people fleeing Congo in 2016
15:36 surpassed the number of refugees fleeing Syria
15:40 in the same time period.
15:41 Yet the world knows little of the current refugee crisis
15:44 in Rwanda.
15:45 Rwandan High Schools are located in the cities...
15:48 a long ways away from the camps.
15:50 Often when returning from class,
15:52 the students find nothing to eat
15:54 then the students have to get up early
15:56 and walk back to school on an empty stomach.
15:59 Brave girls who will walk as much as five miles one way
16:02 risk assault or rape,
16:04 it happens routinely.
16:06 In 2015, Hans and Mindy Thygeson started Impact Hope...
16:11 an Organization that sends at-risk refugee youth
16:14 to safe Adventist Boarding schools in Rwanda.
16:17 For $50 a month, a sponsor gives a young person an education
16:22 and a vocational skill
16:24 plus safety and enough to eat
16:26 and all that in an environment
16:28 that will build relationships with Jesus
16:30 and create a life of service to those around them.
16:33 Music... and speaking in another language.
16:36 You can raise your hand.
16:39 There are other ways you can help too.
16:41 You can volunteer, pray and share with others
16:44 how students in Rwanda's refugee camps find hope...
16:47 visit: impact-hope. org to find out more...
16:50 you can impact hope.
16:53 Music...
17:00 more music.
17:06 Pause...
17:11 Well, it certainly seems that Impact Hope
17:14 is impacting hope in Rwanda.
17:16 This is Hans and Mindy Thygeson
17:19 and they are the co-founders of Impact Hope
17:21 and I have a question,
17:23 how is it that a Real Estate Developer and a Nurse
17:27 are involved in providing support to Rwandan refugees?
17:32 Well, we've been praying to get involved in ministry
17:36 and working diligently
17:38 at trying to find a way that God could use us.
17:40 We had a special desire to get involved in a ministry
17:45 where we could serve the least of these
17:47 as Jesus talks about in Matthew 25.
17:49 About that time, we heard about the refugees in Rwanda
17:54 and that there was nearly
17:56 a 100,000 Seventh-day Adventist refugees
17:59 living in a number of camps in Rwanda
18:02 because they had to flee the persecution in the Congo.
18:05 After a trip there, we met these devout Seventh-day Adventists
18:10 that had a strong faith in Christ
18:14 and we said... we have to do something for these people
18:17 so, we met with the Adventist Union of Rwanda
18:21 and they helped us put together a program
18:24 to educate these needy students
18:28 in safe Adventist Boarding schools.
18:31 So, you're providing some support
18:34 so they can actually go to the Boarding Schools,
18:36 how is that you started the vocational program, Mindy?
18:39 Well, it was our first year... almost the end of the first year
18:43 and this boy named Patrick...
18:44 actually the one who's on the video...
18:46 he came up to me and he said,
18:48 "Mom, is there any way that we can stay at the school
18:50 during our summer vacation?"
18:52 Because the refugees realize the dangers of being in the camps
18:57 not enough food to eat... nothing to do...
19:00 and no money...
19:01 and so, we weren't prepared financially
19:04 for the extra couple of months of school fees
19:07 and learning as we go we realized
19:10 a need for a vocation skill for our students
19:13 it took a year in the making and working with ADRA Rwanda,
19:17 we developed a vocational training program
19:20 that started in December of 2017
19:22 and at the end of that six-week program,
19:25 we had... all 350 at the time of our refugee students
19:29 attending one vocation... they took...
19:32 they had the option of hair dressing, sewing,
19:36 electricity, permaculture which is a form of agriculture
19:40 and plumbing... I think that's the one I didn't say
19:44 and after that six-week program,
19:46 representatives from the United Nations
19:49 and Government of Rwanda were in attendance
19:51 at our closing ceremony
19:53 they said there had never been such a program like that
19:56 in Rwanda... helping refugees
19:58 and they even said,
19:59 "Is there any way that you can continue this Program
20:02 on a year-round basis?"
20:03 Enter ASI...
20:05 so that has something to do with this year's offering
20:08 in support of Impact Hope.
20:10 How is that going to help expand this Program?
20:12 Well, as Mindy said,
20:16 the UN and the Rwandan Union of Seventh-day Adventists
20:20 were very excited about this Program
20:22 and early in this year, they came to us and said,
20:25 "Can we run this Program...
20:27 this trade school that you've started year round?"
20:30 So, with the help of ASI,
20:34 we have now launched this Trade School year around
20:38 which has created a great opportunity
20:40 for this Adventist Academy
20:42 and it's not only for the Academy
20:45 but the students now have a chance to create their own jobs
20:50 if not, get a job for somebody else.
20:52 That's wonderful, so Mindy, tell me...
20:55 how is it that we can help beyond the offering?
20:59 Well, Impact Hope is a sponsorship-based program,
21:03 actually, after the Program was printed,
21:06 we now have... it says 411...
21:09 we now have 611 sponsored students
21:12 with Impact Hope attending safe Adventist Boarding Schools
21:15 but we know from the statistics, from the United Nations' webpage
21:19 there are over 10,000 refugee Adventist Youth in the Camps
21:24 who don't have an opportunity to study a secondary education
21:29 and because we believe very strongly
21:32 in helping the household of the faith first,
21:34 as Ellen White says,
21:36 "We believe that these people are our responsibility
21:39 and that we need to take care of
21:41 our Adventist global church family
21:43 so, we're asking to partner with you.
21:46 As you saw on the video, it's only $50 a month
21:49 to sponsor a young person to an Adventist Boarding School
21:52 which includes three meals a day...
21:54 all their needs provided
21:56 including a mattress which they've never slept on,
21:59 sheets and blankets,
22:00 two sets of uniforms and all their needs.
22:02 It's not that much
22:05 so that's where we are coming to ASI... to you...
22:09 seeing if we can partner together...
22:11 we can help empty the camps
22:13 from these generational refugees who have no hope
22:17 and we just thank you for the opportunity
22:20 and if you have any questions,
22:22 we would love to see you at our Booth.
22:23 We're located at 705.
22:26 Thank you very much, Mindy and Hans.
22:28 God bless you as you continue to impact young people's lives
22:31 for hope... thank you.
22:33 Mindy: Thank you so much.
22:34 Our next offering in action is to talk with someone
22:39 that is no stranger to many of us,
22:41 Claus Nybo is the President of Lifestyle TV
22:44 and we've had fun up here before, Claus...
22:46 Claus: We have.
22:48 Interviewer: And I'm excited to be able to share with them
22:50 some of the things that you've shared with me,
22:52 so, first... I have three questions.
22:54 First I want to know...
22:56 and or for those who may not be familiar with Lifestyle TV,
22:59 tell us a little bit of background...
23:01 what's the purpose and, you know, the mission...
23:04 so we'll start with that as a two-part-one question.
23:07 As most of you know,
23:08 Lifestyle TV is broadcasting in Scandinavia
23:12 reaching one of the most secular parts of the world.
23:14 We have satellite and internet and for 13 years now,
23:17 we have been on the air
23:19 which is a miracle in itself, Debbie.
23:21 Hmmm... hmmm... that is phenomenal
23:23 and so... you've been in existence for 13 years,
23:27 you've come to a point where you might be ready to expand
23:30 so tell us about some of your expansion efforts
23:32 and this is where some of what ASI is coming
23:34 to provide some help.
23:35 Amen, working in a small environment,
23:39 we have had a Studio that really was built
23:42 to be a small living room
23:43 and working out of that for 13 years
23:45 for satellite broadcasting...
23:47 that gets a little claustrophobic
23:48 and it was hard to really do what we wanted to do
23:51 so we prayed for the Lord to provide for a new Studio
23:54 and funding was coming in... a lot of people were responding,
23:57 we had gotten a building permit
23:59 and we even went as far, Debbie, as having groundbreaking
24:02 for building this new Studio
24:04 but the weather wasn't cooperating
24:06 and it was raining and raining and last summer, it was so wet
24:10 that we literally couldn't even get in the field
24:12 and we're getting delayed in the process
24:14 and I think God had a different plan
24:16 and so, to jump into that story,
24:20 right as we were getting ready to build
24:23 and that we thought that we had everything lined up
24:26 to build this new Studio,
24:28 it seemed like the Lord had different plans
24:31 and so, He directed us to a property
24:33 that was six hours north of where we are
24:36 and that already had a Studio in place.
24:39 We started looking at it
24:41 and the whole thought was very hard
24:44 because we have been living personally for 20 years
24:46 where we are...
24:47 had no idea... no interest in moving...
24:49 we finally felt impressed
24:52 that we needed to at least go see this place
24:54 so, at our ASI Convention last New Year in Scandinavia,
25:00 we were basically very close
25:02 and so we said, "Well, we'll drop by... "
25:04 so I had arranged with the Realtor
25:05 that we were going to see the place.
25:06 Driving there... I called him... and he was very apologetic,
25:11 he says, "Oh, I am so sorry, I have failed to communicate
25:15 that you are coming today
25:17 and the owner is on vacation in Spain
25:19 and is not there and I don't have a key
25:21 and I'm three hours away,
25:23 but at least you can go look in the windows.
25:25 So, I was like, "Okay, well, we'll do that"
25:28 and we did it and it was not very exciting...
25:31 we couldn't even see in the Studio
25:32 because, you know, Studios generally don't have windows.
25:36 So, we left the place and we had just driven out of there
25:39 and he calls back and he says, "You can't believe it,
25:42 but the owner just called me
25:43 and he got home from vacation unexpectedly a day early
25:46 and is on his way to the property,
25:48 he will be there in five minutes can you wait?"
25:50 We're like, "Well, we'll turn around"
25:52 long story short, we turned around,
25:54 he was already there when we got there,
25:55 we get out of the car
25:57 and he takes one look at us, Debbie,
25:58 and he says, "Where have I met you before?"
26:01 And I'm like, No, you haven't... "
26:03 well, it turned out that he had been watching Lifestyle TV
26:07 for years and recognized us immediately
26:10 as we walked up there
26:12 and he was so excited he says,
26:14 "This has to be providence"
26:16 and I think it was.
26:18 Amen, amen, so, you have some... we have a video
26:22 that you can actually walk us through
26:24 so we can actually see this Facility.
26:26 Yes, my wife was not able to be with me here
26:29 so I did the next best I could,
26:31 I had her do a voice-over for a video
26:33 of some pictures of the place, so if we can roll that now,
26:36 it will give you a little bit of an idea of what God has done.
26:38 After 13 years of broadcasting
26:42 God called Lifestyle TV to move north to Arvika, Sweden.
26:46 Instead of building a planned new studio
26:49 at the current location,
26:50 God miraculously opened the doors for something much better.
26:54 Hagegarden was built as a music and retreat center
26:57 with a large Studio for recordings and TV productions.
27:01 It's beautifully located in the forest
27:03 with a view right over a lake.
27:05 The Studio has often featured Art Exhibitions
27:08 as a backdrop to live concerts and events.
27:11 With a 46-foot ceiling, this 3,100-square-foot studio
27:16 affords many new opportunities for a variety of Productions.
27:19 Beside the Studio, it has 13 modern hotel rooms
27:24 individually designed.
27:26 The rooms open out to small private patios.
27:29 behind these large windows you'll find an attractive spa
27:34 with sauna and jacuzzi.
27:35 The cozy sitting area with a large fireplace
27:39 is perfect for fellowship
27:40 and the light Scandinavian-style dining room
27:43 gives amazing possibilities for community events.
27:46 Of course, there is a large restaurant kitchen
27:49 able to cater to several hundred people
27:51 as well as smaller special events.
27:53 Fully furnished and with a geo-thermal heating system
27:57 for keeping the running costs low,
27:59 Hagegarden was purchased
28:01 for only 1/7th of today's replacement cost.
28:04 Listen to what Ellen White wrote,
28:06 "The Lord will upon human minds in unexpected quarters.
28:11 Some who apparently are enemies of the truth
28:13 will, in God's providence, invest their means
28:16 to develop properties and erect buildings.
28:18 In time, these properties will be offered for sale
28:21 at a price far below their cost.
28:23 Our people will recognize the hand of Providence
28:27 in these offers
28:28 and will secure valuable property for use
28:30 in educational work...
28:32 Thus men of means are unconsciously preparing
28:34 auxiliaries that will enable the Lord's people
28:37 to advance His work rapidly. "
28:39 All we can say is... "to Him who is able to do exceedingly
28:43 abundantly above all that we ask or think... to Him be glory!"
28:48 Amen, isn't that beautiful?
28:51 Now, we don't have much time left
28:53 and it's obvious that it's a facility
28:55 that offers you lots of opportunities
28:57 for expanding the ministry
28:58 but I want them to hear a little bit of an impact
29:02 on people who have listened,
29:04 can you tell us one story about that.
29:06 Yes and just finishing off, this is really incredible
29:09 because the Facility here allows us to connect with Viewers
29:12 and bring them in for different kinds of health sessions...
29:15 other seminars and make personal contact.
29:18 Now, I wanted to share just one story as Debbie says,
29:20 this was really unique because... this last year,
29:23 for the first time, we were off-air for five days
29:27 because of technical problems
29:28 and we didn't know what to do to get back on,
29:30 it was an old-service system
29:32 that had been running for 12 years,
29:33 we got a mail the first day from a Viewer watching
29:37 and he writes in how he is the leader
29:39 of another Christian denomination,
29:41 but he had noticed that we were off air
29:44 and he was praying that God would bring us back on air
29:48 so that he could proclaim the truth.
29:50 The rest of us kept praying and long story short...
29:55 on the fifth day, as we are working on it,
29:58 finally the Lord gives us the idea
30:00 of trying to merge three different Servers into one
30:04 and by a miracle it worked and we got back on...
30:07 and let me just read the beginning of a mail
30:10 that I got from this same man that day.
30:13 He writes, "I was walking in the woods earlier
30:16 thanking God that He hears prayer
30:19 and that Lifestyle TV can send clear Biblical preaching
30:23 and now when I come home and switch on Lifestyle TV,
30:28 I saw that the broadcasting is working again.
30:31 God's Word is again being proclaimed
30:35 and explained on Lifestyle TV.
30:37 Thank you Jesus, amen. "
30:40 The Lord has so many people out there, Debbie,
30:43 that are just waiting to be gathered in.
30:45 This man was literally praying and thanking God
30:48 at the same time that a miracle was happening,
30:51 to get us back on air and he didn't know.
30:53 Amen, amen, thank you so much Claus for sharing
30:55 and we want to pray with you and for you
30:58 as you continue to share God's love with others.
31:01 And thank you ASI for your support... your prayers
31:03 and for part of the offering going to help us
31:05 in this new Facility this year. Thank you.
31:07 Interviewer: Thank you.
31:09 Music...
31:12 Examining contributing factors that lead to global hotspots
31:15 of health and longevity
31:17 and with God's help,
31:18 we're developing a spirit of Farm Stew.
31:21 Our teams are comprised of African Christian Trainers
31:24 to educate and equip families
31:27 with the skills they need to thrive.
31:29 Tens and thousands of Africans have already participated
31:32 in our hands-on Biblical-based classes...
31:34 in these classes, we train on kitchen gardening
31:39 plant-based nutrition
31:41 and the skillful preparation of local foods by local people.
31:45 We also focus on small-business enterprise and sanitation
31:49 particularly focusing on girls.
31:51 I'm Joy Kaufman, Founder of Farm Stew.
31:54 I'm a public health nutritionist,
31:57 master gardener and a mom.
31:58 It's the "mom" in me that drives my passion for this work.
32:02 Farm Stew equips mothers and fathers
32:04 with the skills they need to prevent disease, hunger
32:07 and poverty in their own families
32:10 offering a hopeful witness to the world.
32:13 Through Farm Stew training,
32:14 many will come to know of the source
32:16 of abundant and eternal life.
32:19 Thank you for sharing the recipe for abundant life... Farm Stew.
32:23 Music.
32:27 Joy, tell us a little bit more about Farm Stew.
32:31 First of all, what does Farm Stew mean...
32:33 it's an acronym.
32:34 Yes, it's the New Start for Africa...
32:36 so it stands for farming, attitude, rest and meals,
32:41 sanitation, temperance, enterprise and water.
32:45 And why is it important for those differences
32:49 in that particular area?
32:50 So the needs of people in the rural villages in Africa
32:54 are different than those of ours
32:56 and so, we got to meet them right where they are
32:58 and allow them to be able to thrive in their local context.
33:01 So, how does it work?
33:03 So, we actually have four teams now.
33:06 We're very excited, this time last year we had six staff,
33:09 now we have 17...
33:10 we're hoping to get 20 by the end of the year,
33:12 they are based in Uganda reaching south Sudanese refugees
33:17 and a team in Zimbabwe
33:18 and what I do and what God does through me
33:22 and through these Leaders is, they have just small groups...
33:27 small teams that are formed
33:29 and they go out into the rural villages
33:31 bringing cooking classes, agricultural classes,
33:34 water and sanitation classes into the hands of the people
33:37 and we train local leaders in each and every village
33:40 so they can train others and others and others...
33:43 and it's just going on...
33:44 we had a milestone this week,
33:46 40,000 people have been trained by Farm Stew.
33:48 Amen, so tell us some...
33:51 I know they're out and they give you reports,
33:54 have you heard from anybody recently about what's going on?
33:57 Yes, and what's so amazing is, on this little phone right here,
34:00 I can actually manage these teams,
34:02 I'm on the phone with them every week...
34:05 each team leader... we have an hour conference call
34:07 and just yesterday, I got this amazing picture
34:11 actually from Uganda, this is Betty and David
34:14 and Betty is one of our original trainers...
34:17 she has her training from Bugema University,
34:20 David was jobless...
34:22 like most of the men in these rural villages,
34:24 there are no employers
34:26 and so, David was trained to farm
34:30 our original occupation given in the Garden by God
34:33 and so, he is now growing rows and rows...
34:36 he has all these ideas... all these ideas for expansion,
34:39 he's providing food for his neighbors
34:41 and he wants to train others
34:43 and Betty says that even the...
34:46 the neighbors are proud of David's garden.
34:48 That's wonderful, so, speaking of expansion
34:51 how is this year's offering
34:53 going to assist Farm Stew in doing that?
34:55 So, we praise God... we... we really...
34:57 I was so inspired by last year's Convention that we...
35:00 we said, "Where can we go next?"
35:02 So, we actually asked the local church... the Uganda Union
35:05 and they said, "We have a million south Sudanese refugees
35:08 on the northern border of Uganda,
35:10 we need some people there,
35:12 there are a lot of Adventists there
35:14 and we can go... so actually in March,
35:16 I want to show you what we...
35:17 God opened the door and we launched...
35:19 nine months before we hoped to...
35:21 and we launched a team
35:22 and gave them... actually their own copy of our ASI Certificate.
35:27 Okay, so we have a picture that shows that.
35:29 Yes, we do... so this is Edward and I in the green shirts,
35:32 he is our Country Director for Uganda
35:34 and we're launching Doreen in the middle,
35:36 she's been a volunteer for our church for 20 years,
35:39 this is the first time she's had paid employment
35:41 with mobilizing this message but an incredibly talented woman
35:45 and then... actually two Church Elders on her side...
35:47 Paul and Joseph
35:48 who are now being trained and equipped
35:50 to help their own people
35:51 they actually live in the bitty, bitty refugee camp themselves
35:54 and they are perfect ambassadors for this message.
35:58 So, tell us a story,
36:00 some of the pictures give us an... some insight
36:02 as to what actually happens.
36:03 Okay, so Rose is one of the women that we have trained
36:07 and she actually is now growing her own food,
36:11 she's thrilled about that
36:12 and in her garden you can see her with Paul
36:15 and she has 14 children that she's caring for,
36:18 not her own but these refugees...
36:20 half of the refugees... of these million people are children
36:23 so she's bringing them in and caring for them in her own home
36:27 and you can just see... these are just ten of her kids,
36:30 can you imagine taking care of them...
36:32 one of the things we trained her on was water and sanitation,
36:35 you know, the World Health Organization
36:37 says that hand-washing is the single most important factor
36:41 in saving lives,
36:42 more effective in even than any single vaccine
36:44 or medical intervention,
36:46 so, we build what's called the "Tippy Tap"
36:48 it's a way to have running water but using very little of it
36:52 and Rose... I'm so proud of her...
36:53 she actually has two Tippy Taps not just one...
36:56 she has one by the bathroom
36:58 and one where she prepares her food in her kitchen
37:01 so she's very proud of her Tippy Taps.
37:03 That is really something, all right... Tippy Taps...
37:07 okay...
37:09 I'll tell you one other thing, she's so proud of her garden
37:12 and she grows something called "Sukuma wiki"
37:15 can you imagine what this is?
37:17 "Sukuma wiki" is a Swahili word
37:20 for the strength to get through the day,
37:22 so we know greens give us the strength to get through the day
37:25 they give us the nitric oxide that increases circulation
37:29 so it's collard greens but they love their Sukuma Wiki.
37:32 Interviewer: And I loved it,
37:34 when I was there, that's what I ate a lot of
37:36 so that was really great,
37:37 yes, so we are looking forward to what the ASI offering
37:41 is going to do to expand Farm Stew.
37:43 Yes, so we will be able to hire more staff,
37:46 we like to have teams of five
37:48 and I just want to share with you an Ellen White quote
37:50 that inspires our work, she says,
37:52 "When right methods of cultivation are adopted,
37:57 there will be far less poverty than exists today.
38:00 We now intend to give the people practical lessons
38:02 on the improvement of the land
38:04 and thus induce them to cultivate
38:06 their land now lying idle...
38:08 if we accomplish this... " she says,
38:10 "we will have done a good missionary work. "
38:13 So, I just want to invite you to partner with Farm Stew.
38:16 I thank you also for already doing that
38:19 and come visit us at the Booth at 9:15
38:22 and at the session this afternoon at 3:30.
38:24 Thank you so much for the opportunity.
38:26 Interviewer: You're welcome.


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Revised 2019-01-03