Participants:
Series Code: OTG
Program Code: OTG000007
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00:53 Today is a very special day for our missionaries
00:55 in the Jungles of Guyana; 00:57 today they will be traveling to the village of 00:59 Blackwater, to hold the very first communion service 01:02 for the Amerindian People. 01:04 The team will not be using their usual means 01:06 of transportation, their aircrafts, 01:09 but instead, they will be traveling by water. 01:11 Since the missionaries do not live on the water, they load 01:15 and climb into the only vehicles they have, an arctic cat buggy, 01:19 and dirt bikes and ride across town to the Mabaruma boat docks. 01:23 The missionaries must take everything they will need 01:25 with them today, and this is no small feat. 01:28 The church they are going to attend today is completely empty 01:32 and they must supply everything including: food, water, dishes, 01:36 instruments, crafts, books, Bibles, and life jackets, 01:41 just to name a few items. 01:43 Thankfully, the missionaries have their very own boat 01:45 that they use to travel the water ways. 01:47 The mission was blessed with a boat several years ago 01:50 and they are very thankful to have it. 01:52 It's so nice to be able to travel, because you travel 01:56 sometimes three - four hours on the river, 02:00 and to be able to sit out in the sun, even in the rain. 02:04 You drive along, it is just raining, just pouring down. 02:10 Put the sides on, to stay dry. 02:13 Once all the cargo is loaded, today's team 02:15 can climb aboard the vessel. 02:17 There will be 10 members traveling to Blackwater today. 02:21 Each person has a specific task for today that combined, 02:25 will bring a blessing to the remote Blackwater congregation. 02:29 However with all the extra gear, it seems to be a tight fit 02:33 so they will have to take another boat as well 02:35 that they acquired from the marina. 02:37 Once both boats are loaded, they begin to head up river. 02:41 OK, we are all loaded up here, we are going up river 02:44 to a village called Blackwater. 02:47 They have a small gathering there, that we been going to 02:50 every month, or so for the last almost 5 years. 02:53 Today is kind of a big event, we have the pastor 2 pastors coming 02:57 pastor Rick and pastor Andrea we'll have Communion Service 03:00 for the first time, I think maybe ever up there. 03:02 So we got 2 boatloads of people going up 03:04 to take care of the service. 03:06 We look forward to taking care of the people there. 03:10 I think we can expect probably 30 children, 30 maybe 03:13 40 children even, and probably 20- 25 adults, or so. 03:19 It will be about a 2 hour ride from Mabaruma to Blackwater. 03:23 And it looks as if today they will be blessed 03:25 with good weather, and clear water conditions. 03:28 But just to be safe, they offer up a word of prayer 03:31 before they begin their journey. 03:33 Jah, would you pray for us? Sure, let's pray! 03:36 Heavenly Father, we thank You Lord for the opportunity today 03:38 to go to Blackwater. God we are just so thankful for the people 03:41 there coming to church. We pray that the Holy Spirit will be 03:43 with us. Help us Lord today to share Your message, 03:46 that we may learn much from the Communion Service today, 03:48 and we may learn to love each other, in Jesus' name Amen! 03:55 Guyana is known as the country of many waters. 03:58 It is appropriately named this, since 60% of it is made up 04:01 of river ways that wind through the jungle. 04:04 70% of the Guyanese population lives in the remote jungle, 04:08 so having a boat to access them is crucial. 04:11 Our region that we are working here is covered with rivers 04:14 and jungle. Very difficult to get to. Aviation is part of the 04:18 picture. We certainly do provide the transportation into the 04:22 airstrips of this region, but also we have a boat. 04:24 And our boat provides access to the rivers. I would say 04:28 the majority of the people in this region live along a river. 04:30 But through all of that the ultimate goal is to share the 04:34 love of Christ through these experiences, because you know 04:36 The way they look at it is, they try to understand why would 04:39 you come from America to here. Because all of them are trying 04:43 to leave Guyana to go to America And that's when we can tell them 04:46 about the love of God. And how He has changed our lives to want 04:48 to do something like this. 04:50 Pastor Andre will be accompanying the team 04:52 to Blackwater today. He is the local pastor for region 1 04:56 in Guyana and he oversees 8 separate churches 04:59 scattered along the area. 05:01 The AWA team is very instrumental in providing him 05:04 with transportation, so he can visit his congregations. 05:07 However since he has so many, he is only able to visit each 05:11 congregation every other month, equally 6 times a year. 05:16 But if it were not for the AWA team providing him with 05:19 transportation, his visits would be even more infrequent 05:23 as some of his villages would take him many days to travel to. 05:26 Not only does the plain fly, but we have a boat that requires 05:32 family will come up to this exact church Blackwater 05:35 Every second Sabbath and they will have service. 05:38 Apart from that the AWA will take me from various areas 05:45 to various areas to conduct ministry to some churches 05:49 that will take 2 days to get to, The plane will help me to get 05:52 there by 20 minutes, 30 minutes the most. And I am very proud 05:56 that the Adventist World Aviation has helped us a lot. 06:03 The Wickwire family make it a regular part of their schedule 06:06 to visit Blackwater bi-weekly, since their official pastor 06:10 can't be there every week. 06:12 Jud wants to involve his whole family 06:14 in their ministry in Guyana. 06:16 He teaches his eldest boy Jake, how to drive the boat. 06:19 Usually, every other week, we'll go up to Blackwater and we have 06:22 church service there with them. And every once in a while we'll 06:25 have a health fair, or we'll all get together in a different 06:29 village and do health seminars, or stuff like that. 06:34 Jake is very pleased with the opportunity 06:37 and eagerly takes on the mission. 06:39 As they near their destination, 06:41 they pull into a new construction site. 06:43 This is the new building for the Blackwater church. 06:46 They rent the building they are currently in, and are finally 06:49 able to construct their very own church. 06:52 They are only able to build as funds allow, so for right now 06:57 the church sits empty as it awaits for the 06:59 remainder of the construction costs to be raised. 07:07 Just a few minutes more up river is the current Blackwater church 07:11 They approach the well worn dock and prepare for today's events. 07:15 They have a busy day ahead of them. 07:17 The missionaries are always the first to arrive at the church. 07:20 Since they travel from so far away, and so many variables can 07:25 cause them to delay, time is usually 07:27 just an estimate in the jungle. 07:29 But this gives the team the time to unload, 07:33 and set up for today's special service. 07:40 Today we are on the Barima river at the Blackwater Seventh-day 07:45 Adventist church. It takes about an hour and a half to come up 07:49 the river to get to the church here each Sabbath. 07:52 This is a church, that Adventist World Aviation wins 07:55 for humanity. Helped to establish it and at least 07:58 continue to grow. So today we are here to have their first 08:02 Communion and we'll worship with them today and bring them some 08:07 of the great sunshine of our Lord Jesus. 08:09 Well, it's been really cool to be part of getting the 08:11 Blackwater church going. 08:13 When we first went there, there was about 7 or 8 members. 08:18 But it's amazing because like 30 people would come out, 08:21 or 40 people would come out, and we just assumed, that they are 08:24 all Adventist, and then when you eventually realized that 08:27 they are not. They are just kind of there, because there is an 08:29 activity going on for the day. And then we developed a kid's 08:33 program a bit more that way, So you get like 30 kids out, 08:37 or more every Sabbath we go there to do crafts. It is kind 08:42 of intimidating, because we are not Bible workers from home. 08:45 So they come here and go out, it is just nice to go out 08:47 and spend the day with the people there. Just help people. 08:52 when you think they have been baptized, than just king of left 08:54 on their own to keep going. It is really cool that we can be 08:59 there and help facilitate getting people there to preach 09:02 to them and teach them things. 09:03 And getting the pastor out there too. 09:06 The people in this community, when ever there is a church 09:10 come out in numbers, there is no doubt about it. 09:13 Rain or shine, they come. They just come. 09:17 Brother Jud comes, they come, even if I come alone, 09:20 ones, twice I was up here, right and the people just come out 09:25 They are anxious to learn about Jesus and His love. 09:31 Once they arrive, they have a unique way to "ring the church 09:35 Bells" to let everyone know church is about to begin. 09:39 The church bells, that we have is an air horn on the boat. 09:43 So the boys fight over, who is going to blast it off 09:46 when we get there. And then the people start showing up 09:49 for church. 09:51 As soon as the air horn rings across the jungle, 09:53 people immediately start showing up in their boats. 09:56 Small canoes, larger boats, all full of people 10:01 ready for today's church service. 10:03 Whole families come together to church. The ages range from 10:08 grandparents all the way to new born babies. They all pile out 10:12 of their boats to worship together today, 10:15 here in Blackwater in their meager, current church building. 10:20 It's not anything fancy, but the disrepair doesn't stop the 10:24 people from assembling together to worship God. 10:27 Their church is literally comprised of a roof, 10:30 4 walls, a table and 16 wooden benches. 10:35 However, they are grateful and joyously file in. 10:42 We are here today at the Blackwater Seventh-day Adventist 10:44 church. It is about maybe and hour and a half up the river 10:48 from our compound, and the Wickwire family as well as 10:52 others have helped to build this congregation up. 10:55 They are meeting in this sanctuary here. 10:59 As you can see this is... it is like an old shack, but yet it is 11:04 a church that they are renting, and it is very run down. 11:07 Maybe you can take a look at some of the hazards that... 11:10 as the children walk up, you can see some of the hazards. 11:13 The boards are very rotten and it is very hazardous walking 11:18 the planks from the boat dock to get to the church. 11:23 to get to the bathrooms is even more hazardous. The bathrooms 11:27 are over here, but they have been worshipping here 11:29 for quite some time in this churchless corner. 11:32 let's quickly take a look around. 11:34 As you can see in the sanctuary here they've made some benches 11:39 It is kind of fun to watch as you'll see, they say when people 11:44 were sitting in them... But they are very blessed to be 11:47 in this church, and we are proud of Adventist World Aviation 11:49 for the helping and supporting them here. 11:51 While it's just a humble shanty, this church building fills up 11:55 rather quickly with Guyanese natives. 11:57 Within just 15 minutes from blowing the air horn, 12:01 the church is almost at full capacity. 12:08 Karen begins by welcoming everyone 12:11 followed by Zack reading the scripture verse. 12:14 The younger mission team members then treat the 12:16 Blackwater congregation with a special song 12:19 they have been practicing in music class. 12:30 To begin Sabbath school, the church divides into two. 12:34 The adults move to the forward right, while the children move 12:38 towards the back left and both Sabbath schools are conducted 12:41 in the same small space. 12:43 When we go to Blackwater, we help with the crafts and stuff. 12:48 Anika reads a story from a Bible story book to the attentive 12:51 children. They sit still and quietly listen to the story. 12:57 The adults also are captivate with the message 13:00 that Bill Labore is presenting. 13:02 There are no restless kids here. Each of them is glued 13:05 to the story that is unfolding before them. 13:08 Many of them have never heard these stories before 13:10 and are mesmerized. 13:12 The entire church soaks in the gospel message. 13:26 We are always holding VBS and children's Sabbath Schools 13:29 and children's programs and most children here don't even own 13:34 crayons. In fact when we first started to go to Blackwater 13:37 we had to teach them how to color. They didn't even know 13:40 how to color. And so it's been a fun thing, 13:45 to be able to have crafts and show kids how to do that. 13:48 and see them grow as we do crafts every week. 13:50 And they learn how to do things. Simple things like coloring. 13:54 We're not just there for short term, we live there, 13:56 we been there for 5 years now and we've gotten to know 13:58 a lot of people, we've built a lot of relationships... 14:02 There are many people there, that have been impacted very 14:05 positively, both for medical reasons, as well as just purely 14:09 from a relationship standpoint. In knowing this as a Seventh-day 14:14 Adventist. As I mentioned earlier, that Adventism had 14:16 kind of a negative name when we first came to Guyana and 14:20 I think we really been able to remove a lot of that stigma. 14:23 A lot of people come to church, who would never have come 14:25 to church before. 14:26 And I think seeing us involved in the community, going to 14:31 some of the events and participating even on boards. 14:35 I was involved in the board of directors situation 14:38 for one of the schools here. 14:39 Built a lot of relationships that way. It just really has 14:43 broken down lot of barriers that existed before and we believe 14:46 that will leave the seeds for God's Kingdom. 14:49 It takes forming a relationship, with people, that is genuine. 14:52 Not just a handout Gospel, here we give you this, 14:55 you come to church, then we baptize you and we get to talk 14:58 about numbers back home. 15:01 It is about really loving the people and living with them. 15:05 Treating them equally as Christian brothers and sisters. 15:12 After Sabbath school is over, Pastor Andre begins 15:16 the anxiously awaited communion service. 15:19 None of these people have even experienced or seen 15:21 anything like this, so he gives a slight precursor. 15:25 He then invites Pastor Rick to give a brief message 15:29 and to help him lead in the sacred service. 15:32 Pastor Rick tries to break it down in a very simple way 15:35 so everyone can understand the significance 15:37 of this foreign activity. 15:39 ... Sometimes we just enter into sins of things that we shouldn't 15:42 be thinking about. 15:44 Man, I struggle with sin every day, I don't know about you. 15:47 There're times, when I feel like I need to wash my feet often. 15:51 And that is when we get on our hands and knees and say 15:53 Lord Jesus cleanse me! But from time to time 15:55 we physically do the representation of what 15:58 Jesus Christ did. 16:00 Right there with His disciples we wash our feet. 16:02 But here for the first time I am honored to participate 16:05 in the Communion service. 16:06 And before we commune with one another, we want to be 16:08 washed clean! Can you say Amen to that? 16:10 So let's wash ourselves clean this morning... 16:13 After he explains why they need to wash each other's feet, 16:16 Zack Wickwire springs into action to prepare the water. 16:21 He has fetched rain water from the collection tank and now 16:24 begins to fill each bowl. 16:26 Even though he is of a young age Zack proves that anyone anywhere 16:31 can be a missionary, regardless of how young they are. 16:34 He faithfully fulfills a need and serves where he can. 16:38 As the service proceeds, the mission team members humbly wash 16:43 each of the church member's feet. 16:46 Many of them are unsure about this strange custom, but they 16:49 But they allow their feet to be washed. 16:51 One by one each foot is washed as race, 16:55 and language barriers disappear. 16:58 Here, they are all God's children coming together 17:02 to serve one another. 17:09 Well, that was a really kind of a unique experience. 17:12 Because Communion, I mean there aren't really any other 17:19 parallels. In other cultures you have to explain about Jesus 17:23 being a servant. And it just kind of backwards sort of thing, 17:27 that the last will be first. 17:30 And so, we got to go and do that with them and I don't... 17:35 I tried to explain as I was doing it and show them that 17:38 I was willing to care and to wash their feet. 17:44 I don't know what they thought of it. 17:46 If they just thought it was weird, that we did that? 17:49 Or if they got a picture of Jesus? 17:52 I hope they did! 17:54 Putting other people first... 17:56 We put other people first, we gain the blessing. 17:59 It is an absolute joy. 18:01 I pray for everyone out there, to have that kind of experience. 18:04 Serving other people is what God is all about, to begin with! 18:10 Everything He does, has to do with service. 18:12 and encouraging and helping people. 18:19 I think being a servant means, that you'll be able to put aside 18:23 what you want, and do what God wants you to do, 18:25 to help other people. 18:28 To me the word servant hood means 18:32 remembering that life isn't all about me. 18:36 Being a missionary, you can't be a Christian 18:39 without being a missionary. 18:40 After the foot washings, the service continues 18:43 with the story of the last supper. 18:45 So they set up this table and Jesus explained the bread. 18:49 He explained the wine. It was described in the Old Testament 18:53 The bread and the wine 18:56 And Jesus said, when you eat this, you are remembering 18:59 that I had to die for you. 19:01 So Jesus' body had to die that we might what? 19:05 We might live. 19:06 We are not eating living flesh. We are not eating dead flesh 19:09 for that matter. It doesn't become Jesus. 19:11 It is a symbol of Jesus Christ. 19:16 ... take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you. 19:21 this do in remembrance of me. 19:29 With grateful hearts we have come to Thee 19:32 at Your table to sup with You. 19:35 After prayer, Bill serves the bread to the congregation 19:39 As he passes the plate of the unleavened bread, 19:43 the church members eagerly accept and take a piece. 19:47 They now have a better understanding of the 19:49 significance of the service. 19:51 and are happy to be participating 19:53 in this reverent act of faith. 20:00 They read a scripture and pray over the wine 20:03 before it is passed out to the people. 20:12 Again Bill takes the tray of grape juice 20:14 from person to person and offers it to them. 20:18 Some are still not sure of the proper protocol and they look to 20:22 each other to try to decipher what they need to do next. 20:40 Many of the folks here for the very first time, 20:43 for the very first time, washing feet and eating the bread 20:49 drinking the wine. It was a sight to see them look to see 20:54 ohh, I put the bread first in the mouth and I am waiting 20:57 for instruction to eat the bread and drink the wine. 21:00 It was a blessing and honor the total was good today 21:03 We had over 40 something persons drinking, Communion 21:06 for the first time after 6 years. And that is a blessing 21:12 More than that, we had over 5 to 6 persons, 21:15 who came from overseas to fellowship with us here today. 21:19 I want to take this opportunity to thank them for coming. 21:21 May God continue to bless them! And grant them safe journey back 21:25 to the United States. 21:26 After church, the people are again fed. 21:29 The missionaries prepare a meal to bring for fellowship potluck. 21:33 They prepared all this food earlier and brought it with them 21:37 up the river. 21:38 Once again, the missionaries serve the local church members. 21:41 They pass out the food and do the dishes with a cheerful heart 21:46 After a long day at church, 21:48 the team packs up and heads back down river. 21:51 Despite the immense amount of work, all can agree, that today 21:55 was an incredibly special day as they shared the first communion 22:00 service with those at the Blackwater church. 22:06 Well, I love Jesus' council in the Bible, when He talks about 22:11 how the last shall be first and the first shall be last. 22:13 I understood it in concept, but I never really understood 22:17 what it meant in reality until I came down to Guyana. 22:21 One of the amazing things is let's say that you add a... 22:26 We have church potluck in our church here in Mabaruma. 22:29 And right away, because I am a missionary and I am from the 22:32 United States, 22:33 they think for some reason I got to be first in line. 22:35 I always tell them, I don't want to be first, I want everybody 22:37 to go through first and I'll take the last plate. 22:40 And it is no big deal, but it is just amazing, 22:42 the look on their faces, because they just can't understand 22:44 why you wouldn't want to be first. 22:45 But it is just an example, but it shows that if 22:49 we put other people first, we find that we are truly blessed. 22:53 We gain a blessing when we see other people served before us. 22:56 You know, we are fighting the fights against Satan, basically. 23:01 And what we need most is prayers from people. 23:05 We see attacks all the time, and here even he attacks in a more 23:11 real way, than in the States. In the States it is more subtle. 23:15 But here we see... you know there are children getting 23:18 possessed at school a lot. And we just see him fight 23:21 even with us too. 23:23 And so what we need the most, are prayers! Just people, 23:27 who are prayer warriors to be on their knees praying for us. 23:30 Praying for protection, praying that we will continue to do 23:34 God's will and fight the good fight! 23:37 One of the most important thing to understand is 23:39 that even though Adventist World Aviation is about aviation, 23:42 Aviation is only a background item, honestly. 23:45 The whole idea is leading souls to Jesus Christ. 23:49 There have been people, who have come and begged us to build 23:51 churches in their communities. And we can't, because you are 23:55 not going to build a church and not have anybody there 23:57 to support it and to shepherd the people. 23:58 So that is the greatest need. And it is frustrating, 24:02 so frustrating, because there is such need for Bible studies. 24:06 People are just coming all the time and there is not enough of 24:10 us to meet all the needs, we can't be everywhere all at once. 24:12 We really, really need people to come! 24:14 One of the challenges we face, in the mission field in Guyana 24:17 is that we live here, we see all the work that needs to be done. 24:22 So many places that, literal if I had a 100 people, who wanted 24:25 to come down and work full time, we could probably find a 24:27 position for them and send them to work.? 24:29 But it is a challenge finding people, who catch the vision 24:33 of the last days. Jesus is coming again soon 24:35 and to put all, everything on the table for the Lord. 24:39 The harvest is very ripe for the gospel work here. 24:42 The reception of the people in the community 24:44 in the homes sharing tracts and the Bible is wonderful. 24:49 Jesus said in the great Gospel Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 24:52 that we are to go into all the world! 24:55 Well, Adventist World Aviation is dedicated to doing just that! 24:58 There are between six and a half and seven billion people 25:02 now living on planet earth. And two billion of them have 25:05 never heard of Jesus. 25:07 Of the two billion, eight hundred million of them 25:10 can only be reached like means like aircraft. 25:13 or through aviation support. 25:15 We go into the un-reached areas of the world. 25:18 What we find when we go in there 25:20 we find death and disease and despair. 25:24 What we bring them is hope, health and life. 25:28 And a great Gospel message that Jesus loves them. 25:30 That there is somebody out there, who does care. 25:33 They often ask, why do you do this? 25:36 We say, because Jesus loves you! 25:39 And so the message that we bring them is absolute hope. 25:43 Since it's inception, 1995, AWA, or Adventist World Aviation 25:47 has been able to relieve over thirty five epidemics. 25:50 We've literally flown millions of missionary miles. 25:54 We are relieving the pain and suffering of those who live 25:56 in these remote parts of the world. Helping them. 25:59 Will you pray for us! We need prayer more than anything else! 26:02 If you like more information please contact this station 26:06 3 Angels Broadcasting Network, or call the number on the screen 26:10 Thanks for watching! |
Revised 2014-12-17