3ABN On the Road

Members In Action

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: OTR

Program Code: OTR000924


01:01 Welcome to ASI in Tampa, Florida.
01:04 We're so happy you're here with us this evening.
01:06 I had opportunity to meet several of you
01:09 who are here for the first time.
01:11 And I know that God is going to pour out
01:13 a very special blessing
01:14 for each one of us this evening.
01:17 I'm gonna invite you to stand
01:18 as we have our opening prayer this evening.
01:24 Father in heaven, we are so thankful to You
01:27 for this opportunity to come together into fellowship.
01:31 Lord, we want to know you better.
01:33 Our theme for this weekend 'By knowing Him...'
01:36 Lord, tonight we pray
01:38 for the presence of the Holy Spirit.
01:40 We ask for the power of the Holy Spirit
01:42 to be poured out upon each one who will bring us a message.
01:45 And each song we sing and each prayer that we offer,
01:48 may it be acceptable in Your sight.
01:50 And this evening, we pause here
01:53 and thank You for bringing us
01:54 together safely and we ask for traveling mercies
01:58 for those who are still on their way.
02:00 And we thank You this evening
02:02 for hearing and answering our prayers.
02:04 In Jesus name we pray, amen.
02:08 You may be seated.
02:19 Good evening and welcome to our wonderful time
02:23 of fellowship with Jesus.
02:26 I hope and it is my prayer that we will know Him better
02:31 by being here for these few days.
02:34 It's so good to see all of you.
02:35 We're excited about what God has in store for us here.
02:40 So thank you for coming to warm sunny Florida.
02:46 Donna, can you believe that ASI Convention is already here?
02:49 No, I can not. What a year it has been.
02:52 We've traveled around the world and we got exciting things
02:55 that we're gonna be sharing with you.
02:56 There's so many things to share this week
02:59 that we don't know
03:00 how we're gonna get everything in,
03:02 but we know that we are because God has promised
03:05 that He will give us the blessing
03:06 just that we have come for this week, won't He, Donna?
03:09 He absolutely will.
03:11 And we're just happy that you are here with us.
03:14 And, Ron, are you excited that we're here in Florida?
03:18 Exactly. I think Florida is a great place to live.
03:21 The Lord is good.
03:22 You know, when the world is falling apart,
03:24 we can yet see the blessings, really pouring out in a manner
03:29 that is seemingly more than ever before.
03:32 You know, Lord, I think, is blessing His people
03:34 because we have a work to do,
03:36 a job to share what he's all about.
03:39 That's right. We all have a work to do.
03:41 We've all been called to do something.
03:44 And we hope that you will find that calling
03:47 and that God will speak to you during our time here.
03:50 I know that we've got just a little bit of announcements
03:53 that we want to tell you about and that's why
03:55 Dwight is pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket.
03:58 So tell us, Dwight, what's on that list.
04:00 Well, I don't want to miss anything.
04:01 And you know I have a good memory,
04:03 but it's just short.
04:05 And so tonight, I want to review with you
04:08 just a little bit about our convention
04:11 and this beautiful convention center.
04:13 Don't you love it? Amen.
04:15 It's really a beautiful place, isn't it?
04:17 And it's so convenient for us.
04:18 And so I'm gonna tell you just a little bit about it
04:21 so that you will be apprised of what,
04:25 where you're going and what you're doing.
04:27 First of all, remember that
04:29 we have wonderful children's programs.
04:32 And those children's programs are all the way down
04:35 on the first level.
04:37 If you go out of here and down the steps
04:39 and down the escalators,
04:41 you will find the children's programs.
04:43 Our seminars, which will be tomorrow afternoon
04:47 or tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon
04:49 and then Friday morning and Friday afternoon
04:51 are also down on that first level.
04:54 And so remember those appointments,
04:57 look at your program,
04:58 and be able to be apprised of what those seminars are.
05:03 And then, of course,
05:05 one of the most important things is our meals.
05:08 How many of you want to go meals tomorrow?
05:11 I know all of us want to go to those meals.
05:15 When you go down to the first level,
05:18 I would advice you to go down the escalators
05:21 that are on this side of the center of the building,
05:25 right outside these doors
05:27 because you will need to start in the line
05:30 down at ballroom D, and you will see
05:34 ropes and stanchions along the way,
05:37 and you need to be against the wall
05:40 inside those ropes going down to ballroom A.
05:43 Where we're gonna be able to serve our wonderful meals.
05:46 So just be sure that you can find that way
05:50 and follow those directions in that.
05:53 Our general sessions, of course, are here.
05:56 Our exhibits are just down the hallway in west hall.
06:01 And I want to say that, tonight,
06:03 right after the program the exhibits will be opening.
06:07 They will be open till 10.30 tonight.
06:09 And we encourage you to go and see those exhibits.
06:12 Tomorrow from 11 to 5,
06:16 they will be open and then tomorrow night, 9 to 10.30,
06:19 and the same thing on Friday.
06:21 And then Sabbath afternoon, we'll have a couple of hours,
06:24 and then Saturday night after the program.
06:27 Please go and see those wonderful exhibits
06:30 because there are so many ministries
06:32 and so many neat things to do there.
06:34 Now when we're not having meals
06:38 there are some concessions out there
06:40 and they're going to have some good food for us.
06:43 But one of the things that we ask
06:44 is that you not bring any food into this auditorium
06:49 because it could get
06:51 a little bit messy, couldn't it?
06:53 So please don't bring the food and any kind of sticky drinks.
06:56 If you have a bottle of water, hey, that's okay.
07:01 The next thing that I'd like to see is,
07:05 those who are here for the very first time,
07:09 do we have any first timers?
07:11 I'm gonna ask you to stand.
07:12 We want to see who these first timers are.
07:15 Hey, look at this.
07:18 Give them a hand. Yes.
07:21 Yes. First timers.
07:23 We are so excited for you first timers.
07:26 So make this your last. Stay standing.
07:28 Yes, please stand.
07:30 We want to...
07:32 First of all I want to, I want to give you an invitation.
07:36 When you registered, you should have received
07:38 a printed invitation to a reception tomorrow, did you?
07:41 Good.
07:43 Reminder, that, that's 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon
07:47 down in ballroom A.
07:49 We encourage every first timer to be there.
07:53 Now those of us who are around them,
07:56 we want our ASI members to stand
07:59 and to greet these folks
08:00 just briefly here for our first timers.
08:03 Can we do that?
08:05 Everyone, give them just a brief greeting.
08:10 We want you to have a good warm Florida welcome.
08:13 You know this is thrilling because what ASI is all about.
08:17 That's right. Is seeing each other.
08:18 That's right.
08:20 And I've seen so many, just faces light up
08:22 like they've won a big prize,
08:24 as they've seen friends and acquaintances
08:27 and got an acquainted with new people.
08:28 That's wonderful. We're a family.
08:30 Thank you for joining our family
08:32 and we're happy to have you.
08:34 If we can do anything to make it even better for you,
08:37 let us know.
08:39 I see that I'm standing in between
08:41 two distinguished gentlemen,
08:44 and I enjoy being with these men very much.
08:48 They are a wonderful asset to ASI.
08:51 And I know some people have had some questions about
08:54 what's going on with ASI.
08:56 And I can truly tell you that God is in control of ASI.
09:00 Amen.
09:02 And I thank Him everyday for that.
09:04 This last year, Ron decided that he thought it was time.
09:09 And you know when you get that phone call and he says,
09:12 "Donna, I think it's time."
09:13 I went, "Oh, I don't want to hear this."
09:16 Anyway he said no goodbyes.
09:19 So, Dwight, first off, tell me what you're doing with ASI?
09:24 Well, you know, it was six years ago
09:25 just this week that I retired from ASI
09:29 and last month, they asked me
09:31 if I would serve as the interim secretary treasurer
09:34 for ASI, until we have
09:36 a permanent replacement for Ron.
09:38 And so it's my pleasure to serve you during this time.
09:43 And, Ron,... Yes.
09:46 Thank you, Dwight.
09:49 And Ron has been a big part of ASI for quite some time.
09:53 And so Debbie and my husband
09:55 who are two past presidents of ASI
09:58 are here celebrate Ron's ASI term.
10:02 And so I'm gonna turn it over to Debbie.
10:05 Ron, we just have something special
10:07 that we want to give to you.
10:09 And I would like to read the inscription on this world,
10:13 this beautiful globe because your touch has been felt
10:16 not just with ASI, but around the world.
10:19 And you'll recognize the text
10:23 because it's your favorite text.
10:26 "For God has not given us the spirit of fear,
10:29 but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
10:32 2 Timothy 1:7.
10:34 Thank you for your years of service to our ASI family.
10:39 God bless you and your family.
10:42 Well, thank you so much. You know it's easy to cry.
10:45 At my age, I cry very easily.
10:47 Thank you so much.
10:50 Thank you, Ron.
13:25 Amen. Wasn't that a beautiful song?
13:28 I don't know about you, but whenever I hear
13:30 a group of trumpets,
13:31 I used to play the trumpet, it makes me...
13:33 it stirs me to action.
13:35 And I really enjoyed that song.
13:38 We're at the time in our program
13:40 where we're going to be doing
13:41 our members in action interviews.
13:43 And this is one of the favorite parts
13:45 of the program for me personally
13:47 because we have the chance to hear what you, as members,
13:51 are actually doing in your businesses
13:53 to share Christ in your market place.
13:55 So I want to get right to it.
13:56 I want to invite Manuel and Esther Alva to come on out.
14:05 Good evening. Hi. Good evening.
14:06 Now Manuel and Esther, you are both physicians.
14:10 Esther, I believe that you are,
14:12 have a specialty of infectious disease.
14:14 Manuel, you are a gastroenterologist, correct?
14:17 Now you have a practice in Illinois,
14:21 I believe it's in Berwyn.
14:22 And just recently you decided that you wanted
14:25 to get more involved and use your,
14:27 your practice to share Christ in your market place.
14:30 Tell us a little bit about that.
14:31 Well, there's a group out of ASI called AMEN,
14:36 Adventist Medical Evangelism Network.
14:39 We became members of that because we were invited
14:42 and we saw our friends and colleagues
14:45 giving testimonies of how God was using them
14:47 to start churches.
14:49 There's a dentists, there's Dr. Wiley
14:50 who has had a church of his own for 10, 15 years.
14:54 So this inspired you? Right.
14:55 We didn't know where to start.
14:57 We say, well, I, I just have a scope, I scope people.
15:01 What a way to give the gospel, I guess...
15:02 That's a little tough, huh? It's a way.
15:05 You don't tend to make a lot of friends, but I ask God,
15:08 'God help me, please. I want to do your will.
15:11 I want to really be a in the market place.
15:14 And God really showed through because out of nothing,
15:20 out of the patients that we made friends with
15:22 and had trouble with
15:23 and we tried to give Bible studies.
15:26 A pastor, a fellow that has pastoral training,
15:30 but he's actually a substance, a drug abuse counselor
15:33 offered to come and help
15:34 with some of the alcoholics that are in the practice.
15:37 So the Lord brought some one into your life
15:39 that could help be a catalyst,
15:41 to help you use your business as a mission outpost.
15:45 There's several doctors,
15:46 I have partnership with pastors at AMEN
15:49 and they were taking about that last year.
15:51 So I said, "Where do I get a pastor?
15:54 God, send the pastor."
15:55 Well, this fellow showed in and I thought,
15:58 "I'm gonna give him a tough case."
16:00 This is a man that's now my personal friend, a patient,
16:02 a personal friend that has not been able
16:05 to stop using alcohol and drugs for years.
16:08 He had a good career and now he's not doing too well.
16:11 I said, "Why don't you get a hold of him?"
16:13 Actually we tried to give this fellow
16:15 Bible studies a while ago.
16:16 Okay.
16:17 But he thought that was too funny.
16:19 He has a great...
16:20 He has a great sense of humor according to him.
16:22 He always cut Bible studies short,
16:24 we couldn't finish one.
16:25 Sure.
16:27 So I told Roberto, the pastor, "Take care of him."
16:30 And we started praying,
16:31 and Roberto started praying and visited him at home.
16:34 Accompany, make him accompany to all churches
16:37 to see what happened in the churches.
16:40 At the first instance that he had and ask him,
16:43 "Do you really, do you really want to stop drinking?"
16:46 And my friend said, "Yes."
16:47 I said, "Well, we're gonna ask God, and you're gonna go
16:49 to every church that we visited and you're gonna say,
16:52 'God is helping me.
16:53 This week God has helped me to stop drinking.'
16:55 "So after they visited three or four churches,
16:58 he accepted Bible studies.
17:00 He was silent enough to go through all the Bible studies.
17:03 Wow.
17:04 He has made a commitment to baptism now.
17:06 Just this week. Yeah.
17:08 Just this week he's made a decision for baptism.
17:10 That is a tremendous blessing.
17:12 Now I believe and Esther, I want to come to you
17:14 and ask you this question.
17:16 Your office is now open on Saturdays.
17:19 Tell me a little bit about that.
17:20 Yes.
17:22 God has blessed us in that, we got permission,
17:25 actually my husband got permission
17:27 from the administration and they said yes.
17:29 Since the office is not being used on Saturdays,
17:32 you have the entire waiting room
17:34 which holds about 40 to 60 chairs,
17:37 people can sit there
17:39 and listen to the word of the God
17:42 and also seminars on health.
17:44 So we have now a mini church.
17:48 So you are actually...
17:49 You founded a church that you're running out of
17:51 your waiting room, is that right?
17:54 In your business? Can you say amen to that?
17:56 Amen. What a blessing. What a blessing.
17:59 Let me ask you one last question.
18:01 There maybe other business professionals
18:02 that are out in our audience
18:04 that are thinking or considering using their,
18:07 their business as a mission platform.
18:09 What would you say to them?
18:11 I would say something very simple.
18:13 Get hold of Chuck Cleveland.
18:15 And what is his ministry, health of?
18:17 Her, H-E-R.
18:19 Yeah. It's...
18:21 Chuck Cleveland is probably here or he will be here
18:22 or he's in the exhibits.
18:24 He has wonderful posters,
18:25 the posters for the health expos
18:28 that are all over Europe.
18:29 You can buy those and you can put them in your waiting room.
18:32 Those are a mean...
18:34 Those are means, powerful means to give the message.
18:36 They have wonderful pictures, versus from the Bible,
18:39 quotes from the Script of Prophecy,
18:41 the eight natural remedies are there.
18:42 So we...
18:43 The first thing we did before all this started,
18:45 we put all these posters on the waiting room
18:48 that belongs to the hospital
18:49 and then in our own waiting room.
18:51 And we put up large screen,
18:53 we got these videos from Edgemon video,
18:56 who's also in the exhibits,
18:58 wonderful music and beautiful nature,
19:01 and everyone that sat there
19:04 had a probable effect in their hearts.
19:07 These people walk in the office and says,
19:09 "This is wonderful. I already feel well."
19:12 I say, "Well, you got a colonoscopy anyway,
19:14 but it's okay."
19:16 Well, that's cool.
19:18 It sounds like you both have really been blessed
19:20 by being able to use your practice
19:22 as a way to witness in your marketplace.
19:25 Thank you so very, very much. Thank you.
19:27 We'd like to go ahead and ask the Carneys to come out
19:30 if they would, Sean and Linda Carney.
19:34 The Carneys have a medical practice,
19:36 I believe in Buda, Texas, is that right?
19:39 Buda. Okay, Buda.
19:41 We're gonna get the name right here.
19:43 You just recently had something happen,
19:45 and I want to come to you, Sean, with the first question.
19:47 You recently had something happen
19:48 that made you decide that maybe you should consider
19:50 going on a medical mission trip.
19:52 Tell us about that.
19:54 Well, my wife, actually, made me decide
19:56 that I might want to go on a medical mission trip.
19:59 Okay.
20:02 We went to the AMEN Conference
20:05 which is Adventist Medical Evangelism Network.
20:08 And my wife has a very interesting story
20:10 how God made it very clear
20:12 that He had a plan for us to go on a medical mission trip.
20:16 What happened, Linda?
20:17 I was talking to a colleague who was encouraging me to go.
20:21 I had never been on a first mission trip before.
20:24 And I had all excuses why I couldn't go.
20:27 And he said, "Here's a $1,000,
20:30 this will help you with your expenses."
20:31 And I was just very touched by that.
20:34 And I was, later in the day,
20:35 telling another colleague about that
20:37 and he says, "Oh, $1,000.
20:39 Here's another $1,000."
20:40 Now you have the money
20:42 that you need to go on the mission trip.
20:44 So maybe the Lord was trying to prod you a little bit
20:46 and tell you, hey, you need to, you need to do this.
20:48 Very much so.
20:49 Now you've had some specific, kind of,
20:52 criteria for you to do this.
20:53 Tell us about that.
20:55 I wanted to have some construction as part of it.
20:59 I wanted to have evangelistic outreach as part of it.
21:03 I wanted to be able to serve indigent people who are needy.
21:07 I wanted to be able to practice my Spanish
21:09 and get better at that.
21:10 Cool.
21:12 Now was it just the two of you that went, Sean?
21:14 We actually took our three medical assistants
21:17 from our office who are not Seventh-day Adventists
21:20 and who had a wonderful experience.
21:23 Okay. So it wasn't just the two of you.
21:25 You decided to really commit
21:26 to this as part of your practice.
21:28 And you decided to take your employees along with you, okay.
21:30 Now what was it...
21:32 Once you got down, you had your employees as well.
21:33 How did you set up your clinic
21:35 and how did you handle treatments?
21:37 How did you help the people? What is it that you did?
21:39 We were very privileged to work with Peru Projects
21:42 which has recently come into the leadership
21:44 of Outpost Centers International.
21:46 And our staff...
21:50 There were makeshift, little clinics, dirt floors
21:53 and some with no walls
21:55 and our staff just swung into action
21:58 and they took vital signs and gathered chief complaints,
22:02 and then they went to me and then they went to Sean,
22:08 he was the last bit in our clinic.
22:10 We saw 50 to 80 patients a day.
22:12 Our staff loved it.
22:14 We were thrilled to be able to serve people so needy.
22:16 How many days were you down there?
22:18 Twelve.
22:19 Twelve days and you were seeing around 80 patients a day.
22:21 Fifty to eighty. Fifty to eighty patients. Wow.
22:24 Now you've had some special diet related advice
22:27 that you would give the people.
22:28 Tell us about that.
22:30 Well, we were seeing people Pucallpa, Peru,
22:33 in the Amazon jungles.
22:34 We were traveling on a mission boat
22:36 called the Launch,
22:38 up and down a tributary of the Amazon River.
22:40 And people there eat monkey, and have Elaenia,
22:44 and Egret, and other things.
22:46 And so I was able to tell the people
22:49 that there were better things
22:51 that they could eat from the diet
22:53 that they had available to them.
22:54 So you found some strange things
22:56 that they were eating and you were trying to,
22:57 to help them maybe chose a bit of a better diet.
23:00 Now, Sean, you had a special job
23:03 as part of what you did.
23:04 Tell us, tell us what your job was?
23:06 I was pharmacist.
23:08 And you've had a lot of training for this,
23:09 of course, right?
23:11 I've learned my ABC's and I could alphabetize
23:14 and read what was on the paper and hand it out.
23:17 So...
23:19 and there was something else that you gave them as well,
23:21 besides just the prescription that Linda would give you.
23:24 What else did you give them?
23:25 Well, as they were coming to my wife
23:28 and she was doing all of her work in Spanish
23:31 and she would ask them if they like to read and if they did,
23:34 she would ask them if they wanted a book about Christ
23:36 and they would take steps to Christ.
23:38 And so then I would, in Spanish,
23:40 know what had happened and so I would tell them
23:43 that this pill is once in the morning
23:45 and once at night
23:46 and this book is once in the morning
23:48 and once at night.
23:50 A great prescription, right? Amen.
23:53 Can you say amen?
23:55 Now let me ask you this, Linda.
23:57 How did the medical clinic
23:59 that you were doing compliment the evangelism
24:02 that was going on on the trip?
24:04 This was my favorite thing to see.
24:06 There was a pastor who is part of the mission launch,
24:09 and when I would draw the crowd,
24:11 they would come to see the North American doctor,
24:13 the pastor with his picture roll
24:15 was out there working the crowd
24:16 and, you know, it takes a long time
24:18 to get through 80 patients a day.
24:19 And so...
24:20 and the staff would talk with the children,
24:22 play with the children
24:24 and so we were making friends during the day.
24:25 In the evening, we had meetings in different villages
24:28 and I would give a little health talk
24:30 and we would be there among them.
24:32 And the rest of our team, there were 18 people total,
24:35 and the rest of them were building a church
24:37 in Nueva Era and that is completed
24:42 basically in about 12 days, they built a church.
24:46 Wow.
24:47 So as you look back on this experience that you've had.
24:51 What has the trip done for you spiritually?
24:54 And what would you say to others
24:55 that are considering a mission trip?
24:57 It was the trip of a lifetime.
24:59 My staff got to eat with new friends
25:03 who were Adventists.
25:05 They got to worship with them,
25:06 travel with them, bond with them
25:09 that in itself was a wonderful thing for my staff.
25:12 They described the trip as awesome.
25:14 And for me it was a faith building venture.
25:17 I had a criteria when I talked to Steven Grabner
25:22 who helped me to commit to this trip.
25:25 I said, "Okay, I don't want to be the only doctor."
25:27 Well, that didn't happen.
25:28 And then "I don't want to lead and organize.
25:30 This is my first mission trip."
25:31 Well, that didn't happen, but the Lord comes through.
25:33 You step out in faith and the Lord...
25:35 We can never out give Him.
25:37 This brought us so much joy.
25:39 We've got to go back next June.
25:40 And the patients, my patients want to come with me and I say,
25:45 "You want to eat vegetarian food?
25:46 You want to preach Christ in a place
25:50 where you're gonna be sweating 24/7,
25:52 you want to do that with me?"
25:53 And they say, "Doctor, please take us with you."
25:55 And so I'm thinking about it, and I'm also thinking about
25:59 a new scholarship fund,
26:01 I haven't talked to the leadership at AMEN,
26:03 so I need their permission, but I would like to put that
26:06 $2,000 into a scholarship fund
26:09 to lend out to other dentists and physicians
26:11 who are thinking about going on mission trips.
26:13 So we can have a revolving fund and I'd like to call it
26:16 the Becker Cat Memorial Scholarship Fund.
26:18 Wow.
26:20 Well, it sounds like you recommend it quite highly.
26:22 All right, thank you so very much.
26:24 I appreciate that.
26:25 I would like to call Denny and Mary Jo James out.
26:32 Now it's not very often
26:34 that you get to interview your cousins.
26:37 But these, these young people happened to be my cousins.
26:41 And I'm very happy that I'm able to do that today.
26:45 Denny, let me ask you the first question.
26:48 You're from Cleveland, Texas. You're in high school.
26:51 This is, I believe,
26:52 your third Youth for Jesus meeting, right?
26:55 Yes.
26:56 And why do you keep coming back?
26:59 Well, Youth for Jesus is just an awesome experience for me.
27:04 I just love how, in the program,
27:06 they teach us all these witnessing tools,
27:08 you know, they really equip us.
27:11 And then, not only that, they take us out
27:14 and give us an opportunity
27:15 to use all of these things that they've given us.
27:18 And every year I've just come into a closer relationship
27:22 with Jesus through witnessing.
27:24 So... Amen.
27:25 Tell me, Denny, what does a typical day
27:28 consist of in the Youth for Jesus program?
27:31 Well, about every day, we get up at 7 o'clock
27:35 and we have our devotions, we get our shower,
27:39 you know, all of our hygiene done.
27:43 At 8, we have breakfast, and then from 9 to 10,
27:48 we have a special worship service.
27:51 We've had a lot of big people come in.
27:54 We've had Shawn Boonstra.
27:56 Several years we had Mark and Teenie Finley come in.
28:00 And after the worship service, then we have classes
28:04 that train us on how to do evangelism.
28:09 One day, we had Shawn Boonstra teach a class on door knocking,
28:12 that was really awesome.
28:15 And after our classes,
28:17 we do some work around our school
28:20 that we're staying at.
28:22 And after that, we have our lunch
28:24 and then we separate
28:26 and go to our different churches to do outreach.
28:28 Now you had told me a specific story about
28:30 the church you were...
28:31 I believe it was Carrollton, right?
28:33 Is that the church you're gonna...
28:34 Carolwood. Carolwood, I'm sorry.
28:35 Carolwood.
28:37 And there was,
28:38 there was someone that had a dream there.
28:39 Tell me that story quickly.
28:41 All right, well, we have these two contacts,
28:44 their name is John and Sherry.
28:46 And Sherry actually had a dream given to her by God
28:49 to help her understand some things from the Bible.
28:52 And my good friend Byron
28:55 is one of the speakers at our site
28:57 and he has this book 101 Questions Answered.
29:01 It's put out by associated press.
29:04 And, you know, he used that to help answer
29:06 some of the questions
29:08 from the audience for the sermons.
29:10 And she was, she had a dream
29:12 where she saw this book, is that right?
29:15 Yeah. One night she had a dream.
29:18 She had never seen this book before,
29:20 but in this dream she saw some plants
29:23 and after these plants,
29:24 she saw Byron reading this book,
29:27 101 Questions Answered put out by associated press.
29:31 And somehow in this dream she had this feeling
29:34 that this book would help her understand
29:37 some of the questions that she had.
29:40 So what did she do when she saw Byron?
29:42 She saw Byron and she said,
29:43 "Wow, I had this dream about you. It was weird."
29:47 And Byron said, "Oh, really?
29:49 You know, what happened in your dream?"
29:52 And she explained what had happened
29:54 and he said, "No way, I have that book.
29:57 So he went and showed it to her,
29:59 he says, "Is this the book?"
30:01 She said, "That is the exact book
30:03 I saw in my dream."
30:05 And he said, "Well, here, let me give it to you."
30:08 And she said, "Well, in my dream
30:10 I saw you writing in the book."
30:12 He said, "Well, here, just a second,
30:13 let me write in it for you."
30:16 So he wrote her a little message in there
30:19 and then gave her the book and she was just so happy.
30:22 So it's amazing to see how the Lord would give her
30:24 a dream and a direction for this book that he had,
30:27 that he was able to give her
30:28 that might help answer some of the questions.
30:29 Isn't that an amazing story?
30:31 Mary Jo, let me come to you.
30:32 I think, your role was a little bit different
30:34 than Denny's in Youth for Jesus.
30:37 Tell me what you would do in a typical day quickly.
30:40 Okay.
30:41 My role in Youth for Jesus was a little bit different.
30:44 I was a Bible worker at one of the sites.
30:48 I arrived at the beginning of June
30:50 and we would go and we would make contacts
30:53 with the people and give Bible studies
30:55 and kind of, prepare the area
30:57 for the Youth for Jesus program.
30:59 And once the youth actually got here,
31:01 we would take them door to door,
31:02 and we would take them and teach them
31:04 how to give Bible studies and how to knock on doors,
31:07 basically how to do evangelism.
31:08 And our day would consist of, we would do
31:10 what we needed to do in the morning.
31:12 We would go and visit contacts and then in the afternoon
31:15 we would take the youth out and we would do it with them.
31:18 Now I attended the Youth for Jesus baptism last night
31:21 and I watched as the entire Youth for Jesus group
31:25 kind of clustered close to the baptismal tank
31:28 and watched as each one of the people
31:29 was lowered in the water and committed their lives
31:32 publicly to Christ.
31:33 As you were watching that, how did it make you feel?
31:35 There is nothing like it. It is absolutely amazing.
31:38 Especially for people that you've been working with
31:41 and for, for all these months, all these weeks
31:45 to see the final result of that,
31:47 there is nothing like that feeling.
31:48 Just to see them make that full commitment to Jesus.
31:51 There's nothing like it.
31:52 It's so amazing. Amen.
31:54 How has Youth for Jesus
31:55 changed the direction of your life, Mary Jo?
31:58 Wow.
31:59 I went to Youth for Jesus, my first time in Dallas, Texas,
32:03 and since then just God has opened
32:05 so many doors in my life.
32:06 It's just completely altered where it was going,
32:10 and where I even wanted it to go.
32:13 I had no interest in God whatsoever
32:16 before I went my first year.
32:19 And it just really turned things around for me
32:21 and now, like,
32:23 I have a relationship with Jesus, it's amazing.
32:25 Can you say amen to that? Amen.
32:27 Thank you so much, guys.
32:29 We've got a crew coming up for our next group.
32:32 It's the, the L.I.F.E group with Ken Norton.
32:34 So I would like to invite them to come on up.
32:41 Ken, welcome. Thank you.
32:44 We'll get the whole crew on here.
32:46 While we're all waiting for them to come on, let me...
32:48 Ken, you just returned recently
32:49 from the mission field, isn't that right?
32:51 That's correct.
32:52 And you have decided to throw your time
32:56 and energy into L.I.F.E.
32:57 Tell me, if you can in, kind of, one sentence,
33:00 what it is that L.I.F.E does?
33:02 I was just thinking that L.I.F.E is one year old
33:05 this week because it was launched last ASI.
33:07 And it's an ASI operated lay training school
33:10 that has started in Orlando, Florida.
33:13 And L.I.F.E. stands for the Lay Institute for Evangelism.
33:16 For evangelism.
33:17 Now you have a curriculum called Operation Mission LIFE.
33:20 Tell me a little bit about that.
33:23 We've tried to put together a program
33:25 that allows lay members
33:27 to spend four months in the states
33:29 learning how to reach secular, western culture,
33:34 and then if they want to, there's an option
33:36 that they can go overseas for five months
33:39 and learn how to disciple someone cross culturally,
33:41 actually do church planting.
33:42 So that program starts August 25,
33:45 and we've got 35 church members
33:47 from all of the United States, some from South America
33:50 that are coming and are ready to go,
33:52 tear up the world for Jesus.
33:54 Yeah. Amen. Amen.
33:55 Now I understand that you are supporting
33:57 a major evangelistic initiative here in Florida.
34:00 Tell us a little about that and how you're helping
34:02 plough some ground in advance.
34:04 Well, this group you see here has actually been part of that.
34:07 Mark Finley is having his discoveries away.
34:10 His evangelistic series in Orlando,
34:12 beginning October 24.
34:14 And this group is actually our first onsite program
34:18 that we've had since we began.
34:21 And it's a group of young people, ages 15 to 22.
34:24 And they have come in,
34:26 they have been with us for five weeks
34:28 and we chose a large geographic area
34:30 right around our headquarters at L.I.F.E there.
34:33 And they've been door knocking, getting Bible studies,
34:35 having incredible experiences,
34:37 and all to do with Mark Finley series.
34:39 Amen. Can you say amen?
34:41 I want to come to you, Resline, is that right?
34:44 Racelyn. I got to get this right.
34:46 Racelyn, in talking with you before, before we came up,
34:49 you were sharing with me that you were having
34:50 a bit of a rough time in life.
34:52 There were some things that were not going quite right.
34:55 And that you were really seeking God's guidance.
34:58 And you saw an ad on the back of the Southern Tidings.
35:00 What was it and what happened?
35:02 Well, I had just gotten over losing a wife, and a house,
35:08 and a car, and a job, and everything else,
35:11 except for my clothes.
35:12 But, yeah, she let me keep those.
35:15 But...
35:17 That's a good thing. Yeah.
35:20 But...
35:22 You saw an ad.
35:23 Yeah I saw an ad and it was actually my pastor
35:26 and he had shown the ad on a Southern Tidings magazine
35:30 for the Lay Institute for Evangelism.
35:32 And I prayed that if that was the place
35:36 that the Lord wanted me to go for answers,
35:38 that He would make a way.
35:40 And they had a maximum capacity of 15 students.
35:44 And so...
35:46 then this was June and it started on July 7th.
35:49 And so I was like there's no way, they already got there.
35:51 They are full. They are full.
35:52 And so I just, kind of, like, let it go for a little bit
35:56 and it was actually a few days later
35:58 that I was just like, you know, I'm gonna go ahead and call.
36:00 And I called and they said that they were full,
36:04 but if I still wanted to come they would accept me.
36:07 And so I was, I guess, the blessed number 16.
36:11 So you were the blessed number 16.
36:12 Now as soon as you got to...
36:15 As soon as you got to life
36:16 you were impressed by something,
36:18 what was that?
36:19 I was...
36:20 I got there and there were 16 people
36:23 from different backgrounds.
36:24 I mean you know younger people and everybody just, kind of,
36:28 you could feel the Holy Spirit just click with the group.
36:32 And through out the whole experience, really,
36:35 it was amazing to see 16 people from different backgrounds.
36:39 I mean, some raised in the church,
36:42 some, like, so far from the church, it's pathetic,
36:44 you know and we didn't fight, not one argument, you know.
36:48 And we just became family instantly.
36:51 So you felt that the Holy Spirit
36:53 was really leading in that entire process
36:55 and it gave you a sense of belonging.
36:58 How did that affect your future plans as you're moving forward?
37:02 What, you know, how are you
37:04 gonna be ordering your life now?
37:06 Well, I mean, before that I had never felt anything like that.
37:09 I never had, really, a feeling of family like that.
37:13 And it really just showed me what Christianity is all about.
37:18 Amen.
37:19 And just showed me to be accepting of others
37:23 and to reach out to others is what it's all about.
37:28 And so with...
37:29 now the only thing I can possible imagine
37:31 myself doing is, you know, evangelism.
37:35 And so I'm actually gonna be going through
37:37 the nine month course Mission Life
37:39 and then after that hopefully off to Southern
37:42 and into the ministry.
37:43 Amen. Amen.
37:47 I want to come to you, Sabiana.
37:50 Now, I want to make sure I understand this correctly.
37:53 Now you are actually not an official member
37:55 of the Seventh-day Adventist church, is that right?
37:57 No, that's correct.
37:58 But yet, you are here and you are training in LIFE.
38:01 What led you to come to LIFE?
38:05 It was actually very interesting.
38:07 I live in Jacksonville and my youth pastor there
38:10 heard about the program from Camp Kulaqua.
38:13 And then he's like, "Oh, you know,
38:14 God is telling me that you need to go."
38:16 And I'm like, "God needs to tell me
38:18 that I need to go 'cause I'm not getting anything."
38:21 And so weeks went by and I prayed about it
38:24 and then I asked God, you know,
38:25 if you want me to go to this program
38:28 then I want You to lead someone to call me
38:30 so that I can pray with them.
38:32 And after I said amen, Pastor Ken called me.
38:35 I don't know how he got my phone number or anything,
38:37 but he called.
38:38 And so he didn't ask me to pray with him or anything,
38:41 he just gave me more information about
38:42 the program and kind of encouraged me to come.
38:44 And I took that as, well, he didn't ask me to pray,
38:47 so I guess You don't want me to come.
38:48 But, come on, two seconds after you prayed for a sign
38:53 and he calls, so...
38:54 It was a divine appointment?
38:55 It was. Okay.
38:57 Now you had told me something specific about a video
38:59 that you watched as part of the course.
39:00 Tell me what happened with that?
39:02 Oh, each week we have different speakers.
39:05 The first week we had Ron Halverson
39:08 and then we had a young lady Chelsea
39:10 with the prayer walking,
39:12 and then we had Derek Morris on preaching
39:16 and then, the third week
39:18 we have our own local pastor Milton, right there.
39:22 And he spoke to us about small groups
39:25 and then that, kind of, led off into,
39:27 you know, purity videos and things like that.
39:30 So we watched a video on Purity by Joshua Harris.
39:33 And then after the video Mr. Milton gave us an exercise,
39:38 as to write down everything that we wanted to confess,
39:42 things that we didn't feel that we're forgiven for
39:44 and things like that.
39:45 And then we put them in a pan, in a baking pan,
39:48 then we went to the backyard of LIFE
39:50 and we burned them
39:51 and then we buried them and then...
39:53 What did that do for you? How did that make you feel?
39:55 That to me was a big, you know, release off my shoulders.
39:59 I, I, kind of, felt like, you know, it's finally done
40:02 'cause, you know, sometimes I would hear,
40:04 "Oh, you can't possibly be a Christian
40:07 because you know did this,
40:08 and maybe you're not really forgiven for that."
40:11 And that, kind of, always, you know...
40:14 But after that, that was like
40:15 my faith put in action, that burial kind of
40:19 helped me realize that I am forgiven and I don't...
40:22 Don't have to worry about God to bringing those back up.
40:25 Now you, I think from I sensed there is a lot of action,
40:29 there is a lot of activity that happens in life.
40:31 Let me ask you this.
40:32 Once you're done with this program,
40:34 how is it gonna affect
40:35 how you live when you go back to Jacksonville?
40:37 Well, at LIFE I mean, one of the main things
40:41 that we did was reach people, like not even you know,
40:45 hey, you know, you should be a Christian
40:47 and this and that, but we, kind of,
40:48 just build relationships with people and then,
40:52 you know, be of service with them.
40:53 And then win their confidence
40:54 and then offer them Bible study and things like that.
40:57 So going back home, I'm gonna,
40:59 you know, look for opportunities.
41:00 You know someone needs you in lawn mowed, you know,
41:02 help them out and then see where that leads.
41:04 Use that as a witnessing contact point perhaps.
41:07 Yes. Amen.
41:09 Ken, I want to come to you with the last question.
41:11 Let's say that I live somewhere in North Dakota
41:14 and I don't live in the Orlando area.
41:15 And I might not be able to come to LIFE in person.
41:19 Can I still be involved? Yes, you can.
41:23 Part of our passion that we've...
41:26 As we've gotten into the program,
41:27 as we try to start advertising for onsite program.
41:30 We had so many people that called and said,
41:32 "I can't come and spend four months,
41:34 I can't even come for a week, I'm so busy."
41:36 So from last August up until this first group,
41:40 we've been working on putting online training videos
41:44 so that anybody around the world can access for free.
41:48 We've got Mark Finley up there
41:49 for reclaiming former Adventist.
41:50 Milton put together an incredible...
41:53 How to start your own small groups,
41:55 it's called growth groups.
41:56 Six hours with the manual.
41:58 I mean you can get trained online on how to do
42:01 all these things in your own community.
42:03 We've had people write us from around the world,
42:05 India, England, New Zealand,
42:06 "Thank you so much for these videos.
42:08 They have helped me get involved in my community."
42:10 So we invite anybody to access our website.
42:13 And they don't cost a dime? Doesn't cost a dime.
42:15 Now where can we find that? It is at thelayinstitute.com.
42:19 Give to us one more time. thelayinstitute.com.
42:23 Will you check that website out?
42:25 Amen. Thank you so very much.
42:26 Thank you. God bless.
42:28 Our last set of interviews...
42:31 Please, give them a hand.
42:35 Our last members in action are actually from
42:39 Adventist Frontier Missions.
42:40 How many of you familiar with Adventist Frontier Missions?
42:43 Okay, a lot of you are.
42:44 That makes Dale here quite happy.
42:47 Now Dale you're just... You're a new president, AFM.
42:50 My understanding of AFM is that it's a ministry
42:52 that supports missionaries around the world,
42:55 who actually integrate into the culture
42:57 of a local country to minister
42:58 and witness to people, is that right?
43:00 We have about 66 different missionaries around the world,
43:04 and these missionaries going to creative access areas.
43:09 What is a creative access area? That's a good question.
43:14 It's an area where we have to find some reason
43:18 to have the person there,
43:19 other than just to do evangelism.
43:22 It was William Carey who said,
43:24 "I cobble shoes to pay expenses,
43:28 but evangelism is my mission."
43:31 That's what AFM is all about.
43:34 We want to take and go into areas where
43:37 traditional evangelism is not allowed
43:40 and often forbidden by the government.
43:43 And we find other means, whether it's a school,
43:46 whether it's a clinic, whether or not
43:50 it's a publishing house or travel agency,
43:54 we find some reason to have these missionaries
43:57 find employment in these countries.
43:59 So you work the tougher ground,
44:01 maybe where you can't have public evangelism.
44:04 That's correct. Okay.
44:05 Paul, I want to come to you.
44:07 We have a missionary family with us here.
44:10 Tell us a little bit about the history of our work
44:12 in Albania and introduce us to this family.
44:15 Thank you, Danny.
44:17 Yes, the corporate church sent the first missionary
44:19 to Albania near the end of the great depression
44:23 and the beginning of the World War II.
44:25 Daniel Lewis was that missionary
44:28 and he taught a nucleus of people
44:32 some essential lessons, but, of course,
44:34 the iron curtain fell on Albania is one of those
44:37 eastern block countries and it fell pretty heavily
44:42 because the emperor tried to, to get rid of all religion.
44:45 It was the only declared atheistic state on earth.
44:49 One of the lessons that is often lost
44:53 on the North American Church is that great faith
44:56 comes out of great tribulation.
44:59 And 50 years after communism
45:02 took over Albania, it collapsed.
45:04 And the Trans-European Division sent representatives
45:07 to see what had happened to Daniel Lewis's efforts.
45:11 He died in a prison camp.
45:14 Meropi Gjika is the great story of the Book of Acts
45:18 in the modern church.
45:20 She was the woman who was not baptized,
45:22 Danny, into church.
45:23 She waited for baptism all through those years.
45:26 For how many years? Fifty years.
45:28 So she's waiting, she's waiting for someone to comeback.
45:31 To comeback to Albania.
45:33 But she read three chapters of her Bible everyday
45:36 and five chapters on Sabbath.
45:39 And when the Trans-European Division representative
45:42 arrived at Meropi's home, she had three wishes.
45:46 She wanted to be baptized.
45:48 She wanted a church build in Tirana, the capital.
45:51 And then she drew out of hiding,
45:53 a little chest in which she had placed her tithe for 50 years.
46:00 Can you say amen to that? That's faithfulness, isn't it?
46:03 She went to Utrecht as a representative
46:06 to that general conference session from her country.
46:09 Now she also gave something else, did she not?
46:11 Was there not a translation of something?
46:14 Wasn't there a Bible translation
46:16 from Greek into Albanian?
46:17 Yes. She had translated the scriptures during that time.
46:20 Okay. Yes.
46:22 Now, now you folks are actually working
46:23 in Albania, is that right?
46:24 Can you introduce us, Paul? Yes.
46:26 We're happy to have a couple of families in Albania.
46:29 And one is on furlough.
46:30 This is Sean and Brenda Mays and their daughters.
46:33 Okay. Now, Sean, let me ask you a question.
46:36 Now I understand that you're living in Albania,
46:39 you're trying to learn the language,
46:40 you're translating some Bible lessons into Albanian
46:43 and you're trying to make contacts,
46:45 make friends with people first.
46:46 You met somebody,
46:48 I believe you said his name Kazu.
46:50 Zaku. Zaku.
46:51 I keep getting these names mixed up.
46:52 Tell me about Zaku?
46:54 Well, Zaku is a friend of mine that I met probably
46:57 about 18 months ago.
46:59 And I spend six days a week with this man.
47:02 I helped him set up his shop in the morning
47:04 and after we get done with his shop
47:07 we go and we have a cup of camel milk tea together,
47:09 a lot of time that we spend together
47:12 between our families and myself.
47:14 Now this has led to Zaku requesting that
47:17 we begin to read the Bible together, to study.
47:20 Now Zaku comes from a Muslim background.
47:22 His father was a Imam and for him to come and ask me,
47:26 can we study the Bible together,
47:28 and can we pray together is just,
47:32 God has really opened the doors for us to be there.
47:35 We prayed that we would meet people with open hearts,
47:40 people that were influential in the community.
47:43 And that is what God has done with Zaku.
47:47 He is just a very well respected man in the city.
47:50 We have many other friends that we're working with.
47:54 We've been spending the last 28 months to 3 years
47:57 learning the culture of Albania,
47:59 learning the language of Albania.
48:02 And now we're in a process of having our Bible studies
48:06 translated and we hope to begin
48:08 with those soon after we get back.
48:11 It's tough work, but it's rewarding
48:13 when you have something like that happened, isn't it?
48:14 Yes, it is.
48:15 We've been back on furlough since the 5th of May
48:17 and after the third day we were here in States,
48:19 I told my wife, I said, "We don't belong here.
48:22 We need to get back to Albania. We have a work to do."
48:24 Amen. I want to talk to the girls for just a minute.
48:27 Megan and Mariah, now when I was talking to you
48:30 a little bit earlier, you were telling me that
48:31 you weren't so sold on going to Albania at first.
48:34 But the Lord laid something on your heart
48:36 that you have your own unique ministry
48:38 that you do in Albania.
48:39 Tell us a little bit about that.
48:40 Well, when we first came to Albania,
48:43 I felt like God had called me personally to come,
48:46 not just to be in their missionary kit,
48:47 use my parents,
48:49 but that He has something for me to do in particular.
48:52 And, but I didn't know what that was.
48:54 But shortly after we got in Albania,
48:56 I met the Roma Gypsy people and fell in love with them
48:59 right away and realized that
49:00 this was the mission that God had for me to do.
49:02 Now the Roma Gypsy people,
49:04 tell me how they kind of fit in the society?
49:07 Not very well. Not very well. Okay.
49:08 There's been prejudice against the Romas
49:10 in most of the world, but especially in Europe.
49:12 So what did you decide to do for these people that you saw?
49:15 Well, I started talking to the families
49:18 and talking to mothers and asking what they thought
49:19 their biggest needs were.
49:21 And the thing that kept coming up is that
49:23 they wanted a school for their girls.
49:25 And because the Romas aren't allowed into public schools.
49:28 And so, I mean, I wanted to do it,
49:30 but I said, you know, I don't speak your language.
49:32 I was 15, I didn't have any money.
49:33 I said, "I'd like to do it,
49:35 but I don't think that's possible."
49:36 But I just told a couple of friends,
49:38 like 12, 13 year old kids in the States,
49:40 about this idea and they went out and started raising money.
49:43 And how much money have you raised?
49:45 They raised, before I came back, like $12,000.
49:48 Twelve thousand dollars. Amen.
49:51 Can you say amen to that?
49:52 So let me just make sure I get this straight.
49:54 So you have started your own school for the native Gypsy.
49:58 Now, what...
49:59 Let me ask you, Maria,
50:00 what happens in a typical day at your school?
50:06 Go ahead. Well...
50:09 Because you, kind of, go to school with them, don't you?
50:11 Didn't you tell me that? Yeah.
50:12 Okay. So what happens? What do you teach them?
50:16 Well, we teach them reading, and writing,
50:20 and basic math, and they like to read
50:23 the little Bible story books, and hygiene.
50:29 This is a good thing.
50:31 Learning how to brush their teeth for the first time.
50:33 Well, I'm sorry. What did you say?
50:34 They are learning how to brush their teeth
50:36 for the first time, never done that before.
50:37 Brushing your teeth is important,
50:39 won't you say, the dentists out there?
50:41 Amen. Now one other question for you, Maria.
50:44 I believe that you have a Bible study contact, don't you?
50:47 Tell me a little bit about that.
50:49 Yeah. His name is Toddy.
50:51 And he has been in American for a while.
50:56 So... He's Albanian?
50:58 Yeah. He's Albanian. Okay.
51:00 And, but he speaks English really good
51:01 because he's been in America,
51:03 like, his whole life and he's 11.
51:06 And one day we're just sitting outside
51:08 and he was talking to me about stuff from the Bible.
51:14 And he's talking about his views on evolution and creation
51:19 and I talked to him a little bit and he asked
51:22 if you could Bible studies with me.
51:23 So you're going to be following up
51:25 and sharing with him from the Bible,
51:27 what the record of the Bible says.
51:28 Can you say amen to that?
51:30 How many of you will pray for them
51:31 as they go back to Albania?
51:33 Would you raise your hand? Amen.


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