Participants:
Series Code: ASIC
Program Code: ASIC180003A
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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. |
Revised 2019-01-03