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Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201917S
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00:11 >> It has stood the test of time -- God's book, 00:16 the Bible, still relevant in today's complex world. 00:24 "It Is Written," sharing messages of hope 00:28 around the world. ♪♪ 00:39 >> Welcome and thank you for joining us on 00:41 "It Is Written Canada." Our special guest today is 00:44 Gem Castor, and he's been talking to us about absolute 00:48 reliance. And when I think of that title, 00:51 "absolute reliance," I think of those well-known words that are 00:55 recorded in Proverbs 3:5 and so on. 00:59 It goes, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on 01:03 your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge 01:07 Him, and He shall direct your paths. 01:10 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from 01:15 evil. >> Mm-hmm. 01:17 So, welcome, Gem. We are so happy to have you with us in our studio again, and we 01:22 are looking forward to hearing more about God's faithfulness in your life and how He's answered 01:28 your prayers. >> Thank you for having me back. [ Chuckles ] 01:32 >> So, last time, we were talking about how George Mueller, the life of 01:36 George Mueller inspired you, and you heard a speaker talk about George Mueller's life. 01:42 And for our guests -- or for our viewers, if they don't know who George Mueller is, 01:48 George Mueller was a man who took God at His word. He was a missionary. 01:52 >> Yes. >> And his whole life wasn't really dedicated to God to begin 01:57 with. He was kind of a reprobate, he was a thief, he was a womanizer, 02:02 he was a drunkard, and then he had a conversion when he heard a friend pray. 02:08 >> Mm! >> And he's like, "I want that kind of connection with God." 02:12 And it changed his life, and from that time on, he relied upon God. 02:17 He came to the place where he just depended upon Him to supply all of his needs. 02:22 And you heard his story, and that inspired you. 02:25 >> That inspired me so much. >> Yeah. 02:27 >> So it somehow encouraged me to take Him at His word. 02:31 >> Yes. >> And God is so amazing. 02:32 This is one thing I learned about God -- that He's so 02:35 patient with us, that He's a powerful God. 02:37 He's faster than the speed of light, but he walks at our own pace. 02:41 >> Yes. >> He's just so patiently walking with me. 02:45 I'm a slow learner, [Laughs] especially as a missionary, especially on trying 02:51 to rely upon Him. >> Yes. >> Because I guess -- And the 02:53 beautiful verse that you read awhile ago, it said, "Trust in the Lord with all," and the 03:00 "all" word has been repeated like three or four times, and I had been refusing to give God my 03:07 all, but God was so patiently waiting upon me, one step after another, and talking about 03:15 what's this, talking about reliance, talking about depending upon God. 03:19 God is just showing me that, after He shows me this one miracle, I should not be 03:25 satisfied... >> Mm. >> ...that He want to show more. 03:29 >> Mm. Give me an example. >> Like, for example, if I've experience a provision -- a 03:35 provision -- something like this, because most of the time we're thinking that, when 03:40 another test that is similar to the previous test that we have faced before, there's doubt in 03:45 our minds thinking that, "Oh, God will not repeat that." >> Mm. 03:49 >> But God is not done. >> So, last time, we were talking about how you do not 03:54 receive a salary, you are not an employed missionary, that God has been taking care of you for 03:59 the last nine years... >> Mm-hmm. >> ...and you haven't gone 04:03 hungry, and you have been traveling all over the world. And God has sent you on 04:08 airplanes, which must be expensive. You're staying in hotels and 04:12 people's homes and in churches all over the world. How does that happen? 04:19 >> Gem has made God his planner, his organizer, his travel agent. >> Yes. 04:26 >> Like you said, total reliance on God. >> And my constant traveling 04:32 companion, as I travel most of the time alone. So you ask how does that look? 04:38 >> Yes. >> And I think there was one experience that really cemented 04:45 my faith in God. >> Mm-hmm. >> And that was the time that I 04:48 was asked to go to evangelism training, because, remember, I told you last week I was not a 04:56 theology student. I did not graduate learning about evangelism, Bible work. 05:02 I graduated business. I graduated in management. I took up management because I 05:07 don't know how to manage my life. [ Laughter ] 05:11 Now I'm doing God's business. So, there was one friend of mine who asked me, "So, Gem, how long 05:20 do you plan to be a missionary?" And that was a good question, and it caught me off guard 05:24 because, all the while, I thought this was just a series of mission trips. 05:29 And I did not realize that the Lord is calling me for a full-time missionary work. 05:35 And when I look back on my life before, being a photographer, doing business, I'm thinking 05:40 that life is quite boring. This is amazing! This is awesome here, 05:45 experiencing God every single trip, every single day, and thinking, "If God allows me to 05:50 be a missionary for the rest of my life, then praise God." And my friend said, "I suggest 05:56 that you have an evangelism training." And then she said, "I suggest 06:01 that you learn it from this organization, from this school." And that particular school that 06:09 she talked about, it's not really a school. It's a training...program. 06:15 And the training program opened in the Philippines in -- guess where -- in front of our house. 06:21 >> Mm! >> Wow. >> It's my home church! 06:23 It's just across the street! And then my friend said, "Are you thinking of enrolling in the 06:28 Philippines?" "Of course. It's just in front of our 06:31 house." And then she said, "No, no, no, go the U.S." 06:34 And I said, "No, I can't go to the U.S. I don't have a visa." 06:38 And she said, "You apply for a visa, then." "It's easy for you to say. 06:43 You are not a Filipino. For us Filipinos, it's like winning a lottery to get a U.S. 06:49 visa. And for a person like me, who does not have salary, my 06:52 business is closed, I don't have a bank account, it's like entering heaven." 06:56 [ Laughter ] And then she said to me, "Gem, move by faith." 07:02 And then I said, "Yes, let's move by faith." I was saying those words, but I 07:07 was not really fully believing it. >> Both: Mm. 07:10 >> Have you caught yourself in that situation? >> Oh, yeah, I can relate. 07:13 I can totally relate. >> [ Laughs ] >> So, you went and applied for 07:18 a visa. >> Before I applied for a visa, this is the thing, because when 07:21 you apply for a visa back in the Philippines, you have to pay 160 U.S. dollars. 07:25 >> Mm-hmm. >> And for me, I was so in doubt. 07:28 Like, again, as I have said before, the previous provision, sometimes you're thinking that 07:33 it's not going to be repeated, so I prayed, and the Lord provided. 07:37 And I applied. Before I even applied, I was thinking, "This money will just 07:42 go to waste," because I applied for a New Zealand visa a year before that and I got denied. 07:47 >> Mm. >> And I'm thinking, "This is U.S. 07:50 I could not do this." >> Mm-hmm. >> So I still went on, and then 07:55 I saw that God was leading me through that provision. So I went, and the moment I paid 08:01 the amount -- because God provided more than $200, and I did not even say, "Praise the 08:07 Lord." I said, "Oh, this will just go to waste." 08:09 [ Laughs ] I was still in doubt. But, still, the moment I paid 08:15 the amount, I could not sleep, and I'm the kind of person who has no problem sleeping. 08:20 I could sleep anywhere. I could sleep in a train standing up. 08:24 >> Mm. >> I could sleep in the airport, any position. 08:28 I even discovered I had the gift of public sleeping. [ Laughter ] 08:33 But the moment this happened, I could not go to be-- I could not go to sleep. 08:38 I could go to bed, but I could not go to sleep. And one particular night, I was 08:44 in that turmoil. The Lord just somehow spoke to my heart. 08:48 "Have you forgotten that I was the one who's been taking care of you?" 08:51 >> Mm. >> So I got up, I knelt down, and I said, "Lord, I'm sorry. 08:56 It's all You who's been taking care of me, so please forgive me. 09:00 I surrender this to You." The moment I said that, "I surrender this to you," I had 09:05 peace. So, make a long story short, now interview time. 09:08 I prepared myself. I wore my tie. I'm supposed to look like a 09:12 missionary, so I wear my long sleeves. I went to the interview, to the 09:17 U.S. embassy, and there was a lot of people waiting. The moment I sit down, I could 09:23 not breathe. I did not know what was happening. 09:25 I was having panic attack. I have not experienced panic attack before. 09:29 So I was looking for a place to pray because I needed to pray. The Lord gave me peace that 09:34 night. I needed that peace. So I was praying, "Lord, please, 09:37 lead me in that place." Because... the U.S. embassy was just filled 09:43 with Filipinos trying to get out of the Philippines. So the Lord gave me this 09:47 thought, "Go to the bathroom." And I went to the bathroom, and I knelt down and prayed. 09:52 Praise God that the U.S. embassy bathroom is clean. [ Both laugh ] 09:56 And I prayed a desperate prayer, and I said, "Lord, please, I need You right now. 10:00 I desperately need You." This is one thing I realized, that our desperation is the key. 10:07 >> Both: Mm. >> Because that's the only way that we will seek God with all 10:10 of our hearts. >> Yeah. >> So I prayed, and the Lord 10:13 gave me peace, and this is one thing I realized, that when we seek God with all of our hearts, 10:18 any place in this world will be transformed into a prayer room. >> Yes. 10:22 >> I got out of that kneeling position, and I had peace, and then interview came. 10:28 The first question that was asked -- "Mr. Castor." I said, "Yes, sir." 10:32 "How much is your monthly income?" [ Chuckles ] Remember, I don't 10:36 have an income. [ Giggles ] And the Lord just convicted me, "Be honest." 10:40 So I told him, "I'm sorry, sir, I don't have a monthly income." He said, "Why is that?" 10:45 "I'm a missionary volunteer, sir, so I don't get paid for my work." 10:49 "Then how do you live?" "I live by faith, sir." And he was irritated because he 10:54 thought that I was joking, and he said, "I live by faith, too, but tell me, how do you live? 10:58 How do you buy your food? How do you buy your clothes?" And I said, "The Lord provides, 11:03 sir," which is true. And then he opened my passport, and he saw my passport was 11:07 halfway stamped. He said, "If you are not paid for your work, how come you 11:11 travel so much?" I said, "Sir, I'm in a prayer ministry, and the Lord uses 11:15 other people to pay for my fare." He said, "Okay, that's 11:18 acceptable. How about your hotel? How about your food? 11:23 How do you survive outside of the Philippines? It's expensive to travel." 11:26 I said, "Sir, I live in the homes of those people who invites me, and then they feed 11:29 me," which is true. And then he's running out of questions. 11:33 And now he came up with a difficult question, and he said, "How about emergencies? 11:39 Do you encounter emergencies?" I said, "Yes, sir, God is faithful, and He provides the 11:44 right amount of money for the right amount of emergencies." >> Mm. 11:47 >> And then he told me, "Then you receive money for emergencies?" 11:52 And I said, "Yes, sir, God is faithful." "Then you just lied to me!" 11:55 And then I said, "How come, sir?" He said, "Because awhile ago, 11:58 you were telling me that you don't receive any amount of money for your work, and now 12:02 you just lied to me." And remember my condition before my panic attack? 12:05 >> Yes. >> I would've passed out. >> Yeah. 12:07 >> But God gave me the answer, and I told him, and I know it was God. 12:11 I could not have come up with an answer. And I told him, "Sir, awhile 12:15 ago, you were asking for a regular monthly income, but emergencies are not regular." 12:19 >> [ Laughs ] >> Is that a smart answer or not? 12:22 >> Yeah. The Lord gave you it. >> And I'm not that smart! And the moment those words came 12:27 out of my mouth, I had this expression in my head like, "Wha..." 12:31 [ Both laugh ] And this is one thing amazing, that when you see God working, 12:35 you'll be blown away. >> Yeah. >> You'll be blown away. 12:38 It's not because of you. >> Yeah. >> It's only because of God. 12:42 >> Yes. >> And later on, make long story short, he gave me a 10-year 12:46 multiple entry. >> Both: Wow. >> So you got the ticket you 12:50 were looking for to get into the United States, you got a visa, and that is like gold to a 12:57 Filipino. >> It is. >> And you're waiting for 13:00 something like that, and you didn't have enough faith to even believe that that would happen. 13:04 >> It's only because of Him. >> Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. 13:07 We're gonna take a break now, and we're gonna look at a song. The song is "Little Is Much," 13:12 and we've been talking about how a little faith is much in the hands of God. 13:17 >> Mm-hmm. 13:22 ♪♪ 13:31 ♪♪ >> ♪ In the harvest field now ripened ♪ 13:40 ♪ There's a work for all to do ♪ Hark, the Master's voice is calling ♪ 13:52 ♪ To the harvest, calling you ♪ Now, does the place you're called to labor ♪ 14:04 ♪ Seem so small and little known ♪ ♪ It is great if God is in it 14:15 ♪ For He will not forsake His own ♪ ♪ Little is much when God is 14:25 in it ♪ ♪ Labor not for wealth or fame ♪ There's a crown, and you can 14:37 win it ♪ ♪ If you go in Jesus' name ♪ And when the conflict here is 14:48 ended ♪ ♪ And our race on earth is run ♪ He will say, if you've been 15:00 faithfu-u-u-l ♪ ♪ "Welcome home, my child ♪ Well done!" 15:16 ♪ Little is much when God is in it ♪ ♪ Labor not for wealth or fame 15:27 ♪ There's a crown, and you can win it ♪ ♪ If you go 15:36 ♪ If you go ♪ If you go ♪ In Jesus' 15:51 ♪ Na-a-a-a-me ♪ 16:04 >> There's a line in that song that goes, "Little is much when God is in it. 16:09 Labor not for wealth or fame. There's a crown, and you can win it, if you go in Jesus' name." 16:16 >> Amen. >> So, you have been sharing with us, Gem, about not laboring 16:22 for wealth or fame, trusting the Lord in guiding you, and He will provide. 16:27 He even gave you wisdom to know what to say when you were in the American embassy. 16:31 >> Mm-hmm. >> And He calmed you -- you had a panic attack. 16:36 >> Oh, yes. >> And God has been guiding throughout your life, and He has 16:40 been providing. Can you share another story? >> Oh, like, this is one thing 16:44 that I've learned from all of this -- whatever God has given us, it's not just entirely for 16:50 us. It's for those who are in need, for those who are needing to 16:54 find Jesus. >> Mm-hmm. >> And I've been looking for 16:58 happiness before. I'm... I'm a searcher for joy. 17:03 And then now I discovered that joy only comes when we follow His will, when we abide, when we 17:09 share what we have, and this is the reason why right now I'm sharing here with you, because 17:14 you could not keep to yourself what the Lord has done in your life. 17:19 >> Right. >> And it's wonderful, it's awesome to brag about God... 17:22 >> Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. >> ...to brag about what He has done. 17:25 >> Yeah. >> So, I remember one time while I was here in the U.S. 17:30 It was last year. And we have, like, an important meeting back in the 17:35 headquarters, the church headquarters, and my friend is coming from Iceland, and the 17:40 whole family is coming from Iceland, but he is in Washington Airport -- Dulles. 17:47 >> Mm-hmm. >> And I'm in Baltimore. And going to that place is quite 17:54 far. And it was still a Sabbath day. So I don't want to go ahead of 18:01 God, so I remembered the verse that you read awhile ago -- "Trust in the Lord with all of 18:06 your heart; lean not on your own understanding." I'm thinking, "Lord, I have to 18:10 trust You in this. What do You want me to do? Teach me how to go about it." 18:14 Remember, absolute reliance? >> Yes, absolute reliance. >> So I asked the Lord, "Lord, 18:19 please teach me what to do here," and I checked Uber, and Uber will cost me 76 or 72 18:26 U.S. dollars -- just one taxi ride. And I'm thinking, "That's like a 18:30 plane-ride cost!" 18:32 So I'm thinking, "Lord, I need more options," and I remembered 18:35 that beautiful verse in Psalms 32:8. 18:37 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should 18:40 go; I will guide you with mine eye." 18:42 And I was praying, praying. The Lord somehow convicted me, "Just go back to Uber again." 18:47 And I checked. There's an Uber option -- there's an UberPool. 18:51 >> Mm. >> And UberPool, you'll be riding with other passengers, 18:54 and I'm thinking, "I have not experienced that before." So I prayed and even asked God, 18:59 "What time would You want me to go?" And I spent time reading. 19:04 That Sabbath afternoon I spent on my knees, spent time with my Word, and the Lord gave me 19:08 "6:00 p.m." I said, "Okay, I'll book 6:00 p.m." 19:12 While I was there waiting for the taxi, for the Uber, I could see in my app that this ride 19:18 was, like, stuck in a corner, going around and around, and then, later on, finally, it 19:25 picked me up. And the moment I got in, the wind blew the door of this car, 19:33 and then it slammed, and the guy said, "Man, careful with my door!" 19:38 He's a big, huge, African-American guy who has golden chain, a huge pendant, 19:44 golden rings. I'm thinking, "This dude, I just somehow irritated him." 19:50 And I said, "I'm sorry, man. It was the wind." And the guy said, "Just careful 19:55 with my door." So I shut up, and then he was driving, and I asked him, "So, 20:01 how was your day?" [ Laughs ] And he told me, "I have a lot of 20:05 things to complain about, but I know that we could choose to be happy." 20:09 And I said, "I like your attitude, man. You're a positive man." 20:13 And then he noticed that I'm a bit chatty, so he opened a window, he turned on the music, 20:19 and he said, "Do you know about reggae?" And I said, "Yes, I live in the 20:24 islands. I'm from the Philippines, so I know reggae." 20:27 And then he said, "Oh, would you mind if I --" before I could even say yes, he turned on the 20:32 volume. He just wants to drown me out. >> So, now, at this stage, even 20:36 though it's an UberPool, there's gonna be many other passengers picked up. 20:40 You're the only one in the vehicle with him? >> I'm the only one there, and I 20:45 was just thinking, "This guy doesn't want to talk." And I was just praying, and 20:50 then he asked me, so he said, "Are you from here?" And I said, "No, I'm not from 20:55 here." "So you travel a lot?" I said, "Yes, I travel a lot." 20:58 And he asked me, "So, what's your work?" I told him jokingly -- he did 21:02 not know -- "I'm an assassin." And he just turned to me. [ Laughter ] 21:06 And I said, "No, I'm a missionary. That's why I travel a lot." 21:10 And then he asked me about stuff about mission work. And the more I share, the more 21:15 he begin to be intently listening. And he closed down his window, 21:20 he turned down the volume, and he begin asking. And then he even opened up -- he 21:26 opened to me about his abandonment issues, he opened to me about how his kid is sick and 21:32 he does not even want to go out during that day because he was depressed, and then, all of a 21:38 sudden, the Lord was just moving in his heart. And I told him, "You know what? 21:43 You know what? God is working in your life, Sean." 21:45 And he said, "I don't know about it because there's just a lot of ugly things that's happening in 21:49 my life." And I said, "You know, even if ugly things happen, I believe 21:54 that God is still good because God is in control." And so, while we were talking, 22:00 the Lord convicted me right now, the Lord spoke to my heart, "Give him what I gave you last 22:05 week." Somebody gave me a $100 bill, and I want to confirm it, 22:10 God, the whole amount, Lord. [ Both laugh ] >> Because you don't have a 22:14 regular income, and all you have is now a $100 bill in your pocket, and you have to give it 22:18 away to this guy. >> Yeah! And the Lord strongly suggested 22:21 that I give it to him. >> Wow. >> So I picked up -- And, 22:25 usually, you give the tip at the end of the trip, and, this time, the Lord wanted me to give it to 22:31 him right away. So I took the $100 bill, gave it to Sean, and Sean said, "What is 22:36 this?" And I said, "That's for you from the Lord." 22:39 He said, "What's this?!" "That's for you from the Lord." He said, "It doesn't make 22:44 sense." And I said, "What doesn't make sense?" because he knows about 22:48 my story now. He said, "You, a poor missionary, the one who does not 22:52 have a salary, giving me this amount, this doesn't make sense." 22:55 I said, "That's why it's not my money -- it's the Lord's, so you have to receive it." 23:00 And this guy just pounded his steering wheel and said, "You just don't know!" 23:05 And he was getting violent like, "You just don't know!" And I'm thinking, "Calm down!" 23:11 [ Laughter ] I'm afraid he'll punch me. And then he said, "You just 23:16 don't know." And then he told me, "You just don't know what this means. 23:21 This morning, I was awakened at 5:00 a.m. I'm not a morning person. 23:26 I was awoken from my sleep at 5:00 a.m., and there's something that's speaking in my heart, 23:33 saying, 'I will do something special for you today.'" >> Both: Mm. 23:37 >> And then I told him, "It's the Holy Spirit." And then he told me, "That's why 23:41 you just don't know." And I told him, "That's why God wants me to give you this. 23:46 This is for your kid." And he said, "You know what? You were my first passenger 23:50 today at 6:00 p.m. I was not planning to get out of bed, and you see me going around 23:58 in your app. I was not planning to pick you up. 24:01 I have not picked up UberPool before." He said, "You're my first 24:05 UberPool." And I told him, "You're my first UberPool, too." 24:09 [ Laughter ] And he told me, "And you know what? 24:13 Most people who comes and sit down in my car, they sit at the back. 24:18 You sit at the front." He didn't know that Filipinos wants to sit in the front 24:22 always. >> [ Laughs ] >> And he said, "You were 24:25 chatty. That's why I turned the volume and then I just -- I want to 24:30 drown out. But you kept on sharing." And I said, "You asked." 24:35 And then he said, "I was drawn to what you're sharing." And I said, "It was really the 24:41 Holy Spirit." And then his phone rang. Another passenger wanted to come 24:45 in. And then I was praying, "Lord, I don't want this conversation to 24:49 end." And he said, "No. Reject. This ride is just for you." 24:53 >> Aww! >> Before we got to the airport, he said to me, just a hundred 24:58 meters away from the airport, he said, "Gem, can you do me a little favor more -- one more 25:04 favor?" And then I asked him, "What's that, Sean?" 25:07 He said, "Can you pray for me?" >> Both: Mm. >> So I prayed for him, I gave 25:12 him all the tracts that I could get, and I even gave him my card, and I said, "Sean, I might 25:18 not have $100 bills, but every time you need prayer, just call me." 25:22 I prayed for him, and I opened my eyes -- Sean's eyes was teary, gave him a huge hug, 25:30 waved goodbye to the brother, and I said, "Wow, this is what happens when God takes control 25:34 of your life." >> Mm. >> So He really used you as His 25:39 instrument to share with Sean all about Him and how powerful He is. 25:45 >> By His grace. >> And how the Holy Spirit was working in his life. 25:50 We've come to the end of our time together. I know it's gone so quickly, but 25:53 we're gonna get together again next week. 25:55 I just want to offer our viewers this little book called 26:00 "The Need" -- "The Need of the Holy Spirit." 26:03 And so if you would like to receive this little booklet, we 26:06 will send it to you free of charge. 26:09 Just look at the information that is on the screen right now. 26:13 And, also, if you want us to pray for you, just contact us at 26:17 the number on the screen, and we will pray for you. 26:22 >> So, thank you once again, Gem, for joining us, and we're 26:25 looking forward to meeting with you again next week when we hear 26:29 about more divine appointments that God has put on your hand 26:33 and given to you so... >> Looking forward to it. 26:36 >> Mm-hmm. >> Thank you. 26:38 Friends, let's pray together. Father in heaven, we thank You, Lord, that we can trust You. 26:44 We know that we do not have to be afraid. When we put our trust in You, we 26:49 can trust in You with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding, that you will 26:55 even silence the feelings of anxiety that we have, Lord. I thank You, Lord, for being 27:02 there for us always. In Jesus' name, amen. >> Amen. 27:06 >> So, friends, until next time, I leave you with the words of Jesus, where he said, "It is 27:10 written: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of 27:17 the mouth of God.'" >> Friends, thank you for remembering that 27:23 "It Is Written Canada" exists because of the kindness of people like you. 27:27 To support this life-changing ministry, please call us now at 27:32 1-888-225-5449. You can also send your 27:39 tax-deductible gifts to the address on the screen, 27:42 or you can visit us online at ItIsWrittenCanada.ca. 27:47 >> And we will do everything we can 27:49 to maximize your gift. For example, a gift 27:51 of $5 is enough for one episode to be broadcasted 27:55 to 50 households across Canada. Or a gift of $10 is 28:00 enough to reach five individuals with five heart-changing 28:03 Bible lessons. >> Friends, thank you so much 28:07 for your financial support and your prayers. 28:10 Our number, again, is 1-888-225-5449. 28:17 Or you can visit us online at ItIsWrittenCanada.ca. 28:24 [ Soft music plays ] ♪♪ 28:35 ♪♪ ♪♪ 28:52 ♪♪ |
Revised 2020-01-30