Participants:
Series Code: OTG
Program Code: OTG000051A
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00:01 Scattered across the globe,
00:02 Adventist World Aviation has mission outposts 00:05 strategically placed in rural locations. 00:08 Often, aviation is the only way 00:10 to reach these remote villages, tucked away within jungles, 00:14 or scattered along rural tundras. 00:17 AWA connects the inhabitants of these villages 00:20 with the care that they need by employing aircraft. 00:23 Traveling great distances, 00:25 AWA missionaries become a lifeline 00:28 to those who are in dire need. 00:31 Adventist World Aviation is dedicated to saving people 00:34 both physically and eternally. 00:37 With aviation, 00:38 AWA can reach those off the beaten track 00:42 and share the love of Jesus 00:43 to the seemingly unreachable of this world. 01:30 One of AWA's mission bases is located in the Philippines. 01:35 Centrally located on the island of Palawan 01:38 this mission base is the second one 01:40 ever established, 01:41 and its strategic location 01:43 is ideal for enabling missionaries 01:46 to reach the outlying islands by aircraft. 01:49 The Philippines is an archipelago 01:51 that is comprised of over 7,000 islands. 01:55 Some of these small islands are isolated 01:58 because boats cannot make the dangerous journey 02:01 to reach them during typhoon seasons. 02:04 Journeys that would take weeks by boat 02:07 can be traveled in just a few hours time 02:09 with AWA aircraft. 02:12 For this reason, 02:13 AWA was established here 02:15 to be able to support 02:16 the smaller outlying islands with aviation, 02:20 and help carry aid, supplies, and pastors 02:22 to this remote island. 02:24 The Philippines is an amazing mission field. 02:27 There are over 7,000 islands located here. 02:31 Palawan, the island that we're on right now 02:33 is actually strategically located 02:35 in a perfect position for what we want to do here. 02:38 There are over 1000 islands just around this island alone 02:41 that have people on them 02:42 that not all of them are inhabited, but many are. 02:45 There are Adventist believers in some of these areas, 02:47 in some areas they know nothing 02:48 about Three Angels' Messages or Adventism. 02:51 And we have a great opportunity to go out 02:53 and begin supporting these islands 02:55 and working with the local union mission 02:57 and division 02:58 to start supplying their needs 03:00 and bringing in our people 03:01 to assist in some of these areas. 03:03 The history of this project 03:05 has not always been a smooth one. 03:07 A few years ago, 03:08 this project suffered some setbacks, 03:10 and has been sitting vacant since. 03:13 The LaBore Family prayerfully made the decision 03:15 to relocate 03:17 from their mission field in Guyana 03:19 to this project in the Philippines, 03:21 in an effort to revive 03:22 this much needed aviation outfit. 03:25 Adventist World Aviation 03:27 started the project here in Palawan about 10 years ago, 03:30 and it was a good project initially 03:34 and then it had a couple of downfalls 03:36 and hasn't really been very active 03:38 for about the last three or four years. 03:40 My family received the call to come down here 03:42 and start up the project 03:43 and kind of reevaluate what we're doing here. 03:46 Well, after all the years 03:47 that I've known about this project, 03:49 and having watched it struggle, 03:52 you know, there's been various problems here 03:54 we've had to deal with. 03:57 And just the idea that, you know, 03:59 we might be able to be involved in some small way 04:02 of really bringing this thing to fruition 04:04 maybe to the plan that God originally had for it. 04:09 Yes, it is emotional and it's, 04:12 I think there's no better place to be 04:15 than in the center of God's will. 04:16 And when you know 04:17 that this is where God wants you. 04:19 There's a sense of connection you feel with the Lord 04:22 and that to me, it means a lot. 04:23 I just... 04:24 that's why I'm a missionary to be honest with you. 04:26 I just like to... 04:27 I like to see God work, 04:29 I like to be in situations where I know I can't do it, 04:31 that God's gonna have to work and do it, 04:33 and I can see Him do things that just, 04:35 you just don't get to see back home often. 04:38 When the LaBores transitioned here 04:40 from Guyana, 04:41 they left the Guyana project 04:43 with other very capable AWA missionaries. 04:46 Bill, Laura and their family are now ready to embark 04:50 on another adventure 04:51 of raising a project from the ground 04:54 and with God's blessings, 04:56 transforming it 04:57 into a very active aviation base. 05:01 Sapangan is a small town where we live. 05:04 We live in between where the main road is, 05:07 you cut off on a dirt road to go into the main town 05:11 and where our airstrip is in between there. 05:13 The people all got together and sold us 05:16 pieces of their land to make this possible, 05:18 which we're very, very grateful for. 05:20 And Sapangan is very much more of a poor community. 05:24 Almost all the homes are bamboo. 05:26 And people live at poverty level. 05:29 And they have a school there 05:31 that AWA was actually instrumental 05:33 in helping to build about 10 years ago. 05:36 The area that we're in right here 05:38 is a very, very poor remote area. 05:40 There are bamboo huts all around us, 05:42 that's how people live here 05:43 and there is a great need for aviation support 05:47 not only in the mountains 05:49 but even on the low lands on this island. 05:51 When people get into trouble, 05:53 they need to get money backed out, 05:55 there are snakes here, there's malaria here, 05:56 there's dengue fever. 05:58 There's a number of diseases 05:59 that sometimes need serious medical attention 06:01 not to mention maternity cases. 06:04 So aviation support is a way 06:06 that we can ease some of these problems 06:08 and help people get to the help that they need. 06:10 Reviving a project 06:11 does not come without its challenges. 06:13 One of the first things 06:15 the LaBores had to do 06:16 when they arrive in the Philippines 06:18 was to find a place to live. 06:20 In essence, 06:21 it's almost as if they had to start 06:23 this project again from scratch. 06:25 When they arrived, 06:27 the LaBores had no housing waiting for them. 06:30 They arrived knowing 06:31 that they would need to construct 06:33 a house on the AWA property which currently lays vacant. 06:38 Making the best of the situation, 06:40 the LaBore Family pitched two tents to live in. 06:44 One for Bill and Laura 06:46 and the other for their two children, 06:47 Danny and Micah. 06:49 These tents 06:50 would be their living accommodations 06:52 for the next six months 06:53 or so until the mission house is built. 06:56 Here in Sapangan, 06:58 we are starting out with square one. 07:00 We are building a house. 07:01 As right now we have nowhere to stay. 07:03 We're staying in a tent. 07:05 We're living out of a tent is kind of interesting. 07:06 I mean, you know, we've done it a lot 07:08 and we've been camping. 07:09 This is the first time 07:10 I've actually had to live out of a tent 07:12 where I have to work in there. 07:13 That's where I do my computer work 07:14 and my correspondence 07:16 and, you know, all that kind of thing. 07:18 It's exciting. I think it's motivating. 07:21 I don't mind having to deal with living in a tent 07:23 knowing that things are going to change 07:24 in the future 07:25 and the work we're doing now will be a long-lasting legacy 07:27 that we can leave here. 07:29 And efforts to help the LaBores transition 07:31 into more permanent living conditions, 07:34 Jud Wickwire, 07:35 Vice President of AWA for Operations 07:38 has arranged for multiple teams to travel to Palawan 07:42 to build new missionary housing 07:44 on a vacant piece of AWA property. 07:48 This land will be the new mission base 07:50 and will have on it missionary housing, 07:53 an airstrip, a hangar and farmland. 07:57 So the mission house that we're building here 07:58 is for Bill and Laura LaBore. 08:00 They are, 08:01 Bill is the project manager here 08:03 and Laura is the pilot for this project. 08:07 We know the LaBores very well, 08:08 and our family worked with them in Guyana 08:11 for five years side by side so we're, 08:13 of course, we're very good friends 08:14 and we just are so excited 08:16 to be able to help them get established here 08:20 with a home 08:21 to be able to work out of and to launch, 08:24 re-launch this work here in the Philippines. 08:26 And a huge step forward with getting the airstrip done. 08:30 A place for them to live. 08:32 A construction crew from the United States 08:34 volunteered to oversee this building project. 08:37 They were the first to arrive before the other teams 08:40 to begin laying the groundwork 08:41 for the construction of the mission home, 08:44 and they want to have the framework in place 08:46 before the others arrive. 08:48 This team of professionals 08:50 all dedicated their personal time 08:52 and finances to travel from the United States 08:54 to make sure 08:56 the LaBore Family did not have to live in tents for very long. 09:10 I'm Jud Wickwire, I'm the Vice President 09:11 of Operations of Adventist World Aviation. 09:13 Right now we're in Barangay, Sapangan, 09:15 which is the location 09:17 of the Adventist World Aviation airbase 09:18 in the Philippines. 09:20 And we just have a really exciting event 09:22 happening right now, 09:23 we're building a mission house 09:24 for the mission pilot project manager family. 09:28 And we have two groups of students here 09:32 on two back-to-back mission trips, 09:34 to construct the house 09:35 along with a number of other volunteers 09:38 to get the concrete work done and that sort of thing, 09:40 but it's just been 09:41 an amazing experience for everyone. 09:44 To encourage their mission mindset, 09:46 Jud Wickwire has arranged the two separate mission trips 09:50 of high school students 09:52 to also be involved in the construction project. 09:55 And, of course, the mission trip for youth 09:56 is far more than just coming 09:58 and building something for someone. 09:59 It's also a rich spiritual, cultural experience for them 10:05 and we want to make that 10:06 as abundant as possible for them 10:08 and a growth that they can take back home 10:10 with them for years to come. 10:13 The thing about these mission projects 10:15 is these young people are getting a chance 10:17 to do something with their hands 10:19 that is gonna impact God's kingdom 10:21 and they, I believe, 10:23 often receive the seed of missions 10:26 in their heart when they see this happen. 10:28 I would not be surprised 10:29 if many of them come back to be missionaries. 10:32 You know, maybe not here but other areas of the country 10:35 because of the experiences they have here, 10:36 so it's pretty cool. 10:38 In this episode of Off the Grid, 10:41 a second mission group from Chetwynd Academy 10:45 arrives in Palawan to continue the work 10:47 and get the new mission homes 10:49 another step closer to completion. 10:53 My name is Darren Shankel. 10:54 I am the principal of Peace Christian School 10:56 in Chetwynd, BC. 10:58 We are a K-12 school, 11:00 and the northern most K-12 school 11:02 in the NAD. 11:03 We place a high value on mission trips, 11:05 because it allows our students to see the reality 11:08 of most of the people that live on this planet. 11:11 One of the biggest things that we want our kids to see 11:13 is that service is something that is very valuable. 11:19 Anytime that we can encourage a student to see something 11:23 other than themselves 11:24 and the joy and the reward 11:26 of doing something for somebody else. 11:29 That's a big goal 11:30 that we're hoping to achieve with projects like this. 11:35 When the students arrive, they are eager to get to work. 11:38 Right away they dive straight into the hard labor. 11:42 As you can imagine, 11:43 these high school kids do not have much experience 11:46 when it comes to laying block or construction work. 11:49 Each student works alongside 11:51 one of the more experienced skilled tradesmen 11:54 and assist them in the bricklaying process. 11:57 The older, more experienced workers 11:59 mentor and teach the students the tricks of the trade. 12:03 With great teamwork playing a key role, 12:06 the construction site 12:07 is a constant buzz of activity and progress. 12:11 So God has provided just so many resources 12:13 to make this possible. 12:15 And it's come together as only God could plan. 12:19 Travis and Michelle Maloney came in advance 12:21 and began the groundwork for the construction, 12:24 got the construction far enough along 12:26 that when the students arrived, 12:27 they all had so many tasks that they could complete 12:31 and activities 12:33 that they could really sink their teeth into 12:35 and work hard mixing cement and laying block. 12:38 Just speaking from my own experience, 12:40 and I learned to lay blocks on mission trips years ago. 12:44 And it's a skill 12:46 that I don't necessarily excel at 12:48 but I can, I can do that. 12:50 And the only reason I'm able to do that 12:52 is because a leader on a mission trip 12:54 when I was younger took the time 12:56 to show me how to do that. 12:58 And so, in this case now with these young people, 13:03 the experienced construction people 13:04 are taking the time to show them 13:06 how to do some of these tasks. 13:08 We know, 13:09 they're not going to be experts at them, 13:10 but at least they can have the exposure to some skills 13:13 that maybe they didn't know that they can do 13:14 and hopefully, they can apply that 13:17 in something that they do in future. 13:19 Adventist World Aviation 13:20 strives to always bring meaningful change 13:23 to people's lives, 13:24 wherever the project might be. 13:26 Most of these students 13:28 have not traveled internationally. 13:30 So to them this mission trip 13:32 is a new and significant experience. 13:35 Once I found out 13:36 that our school was planning on a mission trip, 13:38 I thought it would be great 13:40 since it's my last year at the school 13:42 to get on board with it. 13:43 And I was super stoked when I found out 13:45 that we were coming to the Philippines 13:47 because I've never been to the Philippines before. 13:50 So we did a few fundraisers to help us get here 13:53 but here we are. 13:55 My school has been going on mission trips, 13:56 like every about two years or so. 13:59 And I heard about this one and I had the opportunity to go 14:01 and I was really excited about it. 14:03 I've haven't traveled very much. 14:06 This is the first time I've even seen the ocean. 14:08 And I'm from British Columbia. 14:10 Like it's nice to see different cultures, 14:12 I've never been anywhere like international, 14:14 so it's nice having a different experience. 14:17 I thought it would be a really good experience 14:21 just to be able to see... 14:25 I don't know, a different way of life. 14:28 I think just like seeing how lucky we are 14:31 to live in the place that we are 14:34 and just seeing the poverty here 14:36 and the attitudes, you know, people here, 14:39 they're living in such poor conditions, 14:42 but their attitude is just so upbeat 14:45 and so happy and just way out there. 14:49 They don't have the same attitude 14:52 we do in Canada. 14:54 Definitely a different appreciation 14:56 and perspective. 14:58 You realize that the people here 15:01 don't have very much, 15:02 but they're just so happy with their lives 15:05 and what they do have. 15:07 And that's just something refreshing 15:09 from the North American lifestyle. 15:12 One of the team leaders on this trip is Donovan. 15:16 He is an example 15:17 of how mission service in his teen years 15:19 helped shaped the course of his life. 15:22 In 2005, 15:23 Adventist World Aviation 15:25 organized a similar mission trip 15:27 to build a school in this village of Sapangan. 15:31 Donovan was one of the students 15:32 that came on the mission trip 15:34 and his experience on that mission trip 15:36 greatly impacted him. 15:38 I'm Donovan Diminyatz, 15:40 and I'm here 15:41 in front of the Sapangan Elementary School 15:44 in the Philippines. 15:45 Well, about 10 years ago, 15:47 myself and a big group from the BC Conference came 15:51 and we built this building here. 15:54 It looks a little different now but pretty good to see. 16:00 So the reason we came in front of the school 16:02 is because in the community of Sapangan 16:06 are right in the middle of the airfield, 16:09 where Adventist World Aviation was gonna build their strip. 16:12 There was a pig farmer 16:13 who had a little piece of property 16:15 that he didn't want to let go. 16:16 And so we came and build the school 16:18 and we did some medical clinics and VBS work. 16:22 And we did that to build goodwill in the community. 16:25 And it worked out. 16:28 The pig farmer sold his piece and Mary LaBore actually, 16:32 I believe, bought a piece of land 16:34 right beside the field as well. 16:36 She was so excited. 16:38 It's really nice this time 16:39 to be on the other side of the trip. 16:41 When I came, I was in grade 12, a high school student. 16:44 Not sure what I was gonna do with myself and in my life. 16:48 And I suppose in some ways that chip shaped me 16:52 to be who I am today 16:53 and it's great 16:54 to be able to bring kids with me this time 16:57 to see the same places 16:59 and experience some of it I assume, 17:01 incredible experiences once again. 17:03 Now it's fantastic to be back here, 17:05 I never imagined I would be able to come back. 17:09 The mission trip organized by AWA in 2005 17:13 had lasting effects on both the community 17:17 as well as the students involved. 17:19 Donovan fondly looks on the school 17:22 that he helped build 17:23 and sees the great impact 17:25 that the school has had in the community. 17:28 As he walks the campus reminiscing, 17:31 he spots a concrete slab where he engraved his name 17:34 more than 10 years ago. 17:36 This moves Donovan, 17:38 and he preferably wishes for his students 17:39 from Chetwynd 17:41 to experience the same joy 17:43 that he did when he was younger. 17:55 After a full day's of hard work in the hot sun, 17:57 one would think 17:59 the students would be worn out and exhausted 18:01 from their hard labor at the construction site. 18:04 However, after construction, 18:06 the young volunteers' day's work 18:09 are only half over. 18:11 Even after a hard day of laying blocks 18:13 and wheeling cement, and all the other hard labor, 18:17 the kids are able to clean up and go and conduct VBS 18:20 at the school for the children. 18:22 And they're just, 18:23 they come back so excited 18:26 to be singing songs and doing skits, 18:29 and just helping these children, 18:33 these happy children learn more about Jesus 18:35 to learn the stories. 18:36 And, you know, they come here, of course, 18:40 to reach out to the children 18:42 and to help them to know more about Jesus. 18:44 But I think the children, 18:45 the little children teach our youth as much 18:47 about enthusiasm and growth as they teach them 18:51 and it's just really exciting to see 18:56 the interactions that they have and they come back 18:58 and just these kids are so cute. 19:00 And when we drive to the village 19:01 and all of those children, we're waving at them. 19:04 Just so much enthusiasm 19:06 and we're just so happy to be able to connect. 19:08 Vacation Bible School time is the highlight of the day 19:11 for most of the students. 19:13 Any fatigue they might feel after a hard day's work 19:17 is quickly erased 19:18 as soon as they see the young village students 19:21 waiting for VBS to start. 19:23 The Chetwynd students gain a renewed sense of energy, 19:26 and they happily conduct 19:28 each evening's Vacation Bible School. 19:31 The evening VBS program is held at the same school 19:34 that their leader Donovan 19:35 helped to build 10 years before. 19:38 Night after night, 19:39 they teach young children songs about Jesus. 19:42 They play games with the kids and most importantly, 19:45 they share with the kids just how much Jesus loves them. 19:49 The Vacation Bible School program 19:51 not only leaves a meaningful impact 19:53 on the young village children, 19:54 but 19:55 also on the Chetwynd students themselves. 20:00 Back at the new mission home construction sites, 20:03 the last of the bricks have been laid. 20:05 Jud and a few of the crew members 20:07 begin the next step of the construction, 20:10 building forms on top of the wall structures. 20:13 Okay, so we've placed all the block walls down below 20:17 and the cement columns. 20:18 And now this is called the bond beam. 20:21 So this is the cement beam 20:24 that goes around the top of the walls 20:25 and then once this is placed, 20:27 and then we'll pour the cement floor 20:29 across the top of this opening with all the gray stuff, 20:32 with plywood 20:33 and with a whole bunch of braces underneath 20:35 to keep it from sagging, 20:37 we apply where the cement sets still. 20:41 These forms 20:42 are temporarily screwed together as a mold 20:45 that will run along top each of the walls. 20:48 Rebar will be placed in each form 20:50 and then filled with cement. 20:52 The rebar will reinforce the form 20:55 making it more durable and strong. 20:57 Once the cement is cured and dried, 21:00 the wooden mold will be removed. 21:02 These forms are needed to help support 21:05 the concrete floors 21:06 of the second floor from caving in. 21:09 Each step of the process 21:11 must be meticulously and precisely measured 21:14 to make sure the structure can support 21:16 the weight of the second floor. 21:19 The rebar for the forms must be cut to exact lengths 21:22 in order for them 21:23 to be properly fit into the mold. 21:26 This is done with an electric handsaw 21:28 just beside the house construction site. 21:31 The whirling saw blade sends sparks all around 21:34 as the blade slices through the metal. 21:37 As one of these rebar pieces 21:39 is being cut to size catastrophe happens. 21:42 It is currently the dry season here 21:44 on the island of Palawan. 21:46 It has not rained here in months, 21:49 so all the fields and rice paddies 21:51 are nothing but dry straw. 21:53 One of the sparks from the saw 21:55 catches a piece of dry grass on fire. 21:58 Within seconds the flames engulf the area 22:01 and rages through the field. 22:04 By the time he calls for help, 22:06 the fire has overtaken the area. 22:08 The flames are growing with an intensity 22:12 and within one minute the small spark has grown 22:15 into an uncontrollable wildfire. 22:17 All the crew members grab shovels 22:19 and anything they can find 22:21 to try to extinguish the flames. 22:24 There is no water in the area 22:25 that can be used to fight the fire. 22:28 The only hope they have 22:29 is to smother the fire with dirt. 22:32 In mere moments, 22:33 the whole airstrip is covered in flames. 22:35 The dangerous fire 22:37 rushes across the dry field 22:38 engulfing everything in its path. 22:41 The fire climbs high into the trees 22:44 and crosses over the street. 22:46 This situation has now become very dangerous. 22:49 Now that the fire has jumped the road, 22:51 there's no barrier to stop it. 22:53 This fire could now burn without restraint. 22:56 When it was contained by the roads on the airbase, 22:59 it was manageable. 23:00 But now that it has spread, 23:02 there is nothing in its path to stop it. 23:05 Even worse, 23:07 the village of Sapangan 23:08 is just a few hundred yards away. 23:11 The bamboo homes and huts in this village 23:14 do not stand a chance 23:15 of surviving this ravenous, uncontrolled fire. 23:19 All the team prays for a miracle 23:21 to stop this fire 23:23 as they battle the flames with their shovels. 23:25 All it would take 23:27 would be one strong gust of wind 23:29 and the entire village and all the homes in it 23:32 would be engulfed in flames. 23:34 AWA missionary, Edgar 23:36 brings all the drinking water 23:38 that they have in barrels to help fight the fire. 23:41 It's not much 23:42 but they have to try everything they can 23:44 to keep the fire from reaching the villages. 23:46 In a hurry, 23:48 he begins to unload the barrels from his truck. 23:50 One of the barrels 23:51 which weighs well over several hundred pounds, 23:54 slips and lands on his foot. 23:57 Immediately blood begins gushing from foot, 24:00 and he for an instant worries 24:02 that his toes might have been severed 24:04 from the impact of the barrel. 24:07 He's immediately taken back to the compound 24:09 away from the firefight 24:11 for nurse Laura to look after his injury. 24:14 The rest of the crew 24:16 continues to fight the fire for hours. 24:18 Miraculously, 24:20 they're able to keep it at bay and away from the village. 24:24 Without a doubt, 24:25 God's mighty hand protected the village that day. 24:28 Finally, 24:30 after hours of fighting the flames 24:32 and everyone is exhausted, help arrives. 24:36 A fire truck from a few villages away 24:39 has come to help. 24:40 Governmental infrastructure 24:42 is not fully developed in this area. 24:44 So often emergency response is very slow 24:47 and often nonexistent. 24:49 Thankfully today, 24:51 the fire truck did arrive 24:52 and was able to extinguish the damaging flames. 24:55 The truck sprays all the water it can spear 24:58 during this drought 25:00 unto the fields 25:01 and is able to put out most of the flames. 25:03 There still remain 25:04 a few patches of smoldering trees and grasses. 25:07 So all the mission team stays 25:10 to continue to extinguish the smoldering patches 25:13 with their shovels and dirt. 25:15 A fire that started before noon 25:17 runs late into the evening 25:19 before all the team members come back to the mission house. 25:22 It was a very dramatic 25:24 and devastating day for everyone. 25:26 Thankfully, 25:27 God's protective hand that was over everyone, 25:30 and no one was seriously hurt. 25:32 Even Edgar manages to escape the day 25:34 with just a few broken toes. 25:37 God protected this mission base today, 25:39 as well as the entire village of Sapangan. 25:43 Even with the devastating events 25:45 of the day, 25:46 everyone could still see God's merciful intervention. 25:52 As this week comes to an end, 25:55 the mission trip comes to completion. 25:57 The students were able to make a big impact 26:00 on the progress of the mission house. 26:02 The next step in the process is installing the roof. 26:06 It's been fun seeing the house built. 26:09 Just to start off with a piece of grassy dirty land 26:13 and just to see it come up in 3D form is been fun, 26:18 fun to see that, 26:20 "Oh, this is where the kitchen is gonna be 26:21 and the bathroom, " 26:23 and sometimes, you know, we'll say our house, 26:24 was not really our house, 26:26 this house is going to be here 26:27 for many, many, many years to come 26:29 and will house many missionaries 26:30 we're praying. 26:32 But it's been a lot of fun just to see being built up 26:34 block by block, 26:35 and we're looking forward 26:37 to seeing the finishing touches go on too. 26:39 The students were able to make a lasting impact 26:42 on this new mission house. 26:44 But more importantly, 26:45 the students left Palawan feeling fulfilled, 26:48 and spiritually revived. 26:50 Adventist World Aviation's work 26:53 is not only using aircraft 26:54 to accomplish the gospel, 26:56 many times, ministry is done 26:59 simply by using the talents and strengths 27:02 that God gives each person. 27:05 Well, if you summarize it, you know, a project like this, 27:07 you know, what is the ultimate goal? 27:09 I mean, it's really very simple. 27:11 I mean, the whole idea behind all this, 27:13 it's not about airplanes, it's not about medical work. 27:16 It's not about even outreach, 27:17 all these things we have to do, it's important. 27:20 But the idea is to show people 27:24 that there is a God that loves them, 27:26 and through our actions, 27:30 not just by thumping a Bible over their head, 27:32 but by actually demonstrating that we care about them, 27:36 and we're here to help them, we're here to serve them. 27:40 That is 27:41 what's going to break down barriers. 27:42 The goal is to take as many people with us 27:45 as we can to God's kingdom. 27:47 I mean, there's no other reason for us being here. 27:49 If we're not doing that, we're just wasting time. 27:52 It boils down to the fact 27:53 that we want to share God's love. 27:56 And we have to do mission aviation, 27:58 medical work and outreach to do that, 27:59 well, then that's what we're going to do. 28:01 And I believe that is the ultimate vehicle 28:02 that we will use. 28:04 But I know for a fact that there are people 28:06 all over these islands 28:08 where the Holy Spirit has been working with them. 28:11 Ultimately, that's what we want. 28:12 We want to bring peace to people's lives. 28:14 We want to help them understand 28:15 that there's a God that loves them 28:16 and in fact God Jesus is coming back again. 28:19 And He's going to take all of us home to His kingdom 28:22 rich and poor, Filipino, American, 28:23 doesn't matter who you are, 28:25 or what's walk of life you come from, 28:27 He loves us all. |
Revised 2020-08-14