Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY190030A
|
00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:10 Hello, friends. Welcome to 3ABN Today. 01:12 My name is John Lomacang, 01:14 and I have my navigator with me today. 01:17 We're so happy to be here. 01:18 My name is Angela Lomacang, 01:20 and I welcome you also to this program. 01:21 That's right. 01:23 And we have an exciting program, honey. 01:24 Yes, I am so excited, and it's someone I have known, 01:27 actually we have known. 01:29 Okay. 01:30 We fellowshipped with them. 01:32 So we'll tell you a little bit more about them 01:34 in a few minutes. 01:35 And our program today is about... 01:37 It's about missions, 01:38 Uchee Pines Mission in Panama City, Florida. 01:42 That's right, and we're gonna also talk about Uchee Pines. 01:45 So if you've not heard about them before, 01:48 you need to find out what they have to offer 01:50 and why we are excited about the program. 01:53 But thank you for your prayers 01:54 and all your support whether it's by prayer or financial. 01:57 Yes. 01:58 Or whether you come here to volunteer, 02:00 we do appreciate all that you do for this network 02:03 on behalf of our president, Danny Shelton, 02:05 and his vision has continued to go for many years, 02:08 and Lord is blessing tremendously. 02:10 So we thank you for all that you do for the cause of Christ. 02:13 Now, honey, before we go into the program, 02:16 we have some music. 02:17 Tell us about who we have today. 02:19 Yes, we have a song by Martha Jhoana De Luna 02:24 and it's entitled "This is My Father's World." 05:00 Thank you so much for that wonderful song, 05:02 "This is My Father's World." 05:04 Oh, let's talk about harps, how they're so large. 05:05 Beautiful. 05:07 You have to have at least a van to carry one. 05:08 Yeah, keep your hands moving. 05:09 And it's a great ministry. 05:11 That's right. Yes. 05:13 And the wonderful thing, it's associated with heaven. 05:14 Oh, yeah. 05:16 Revelation talks about harps. 05:17 And David played a harp. 05:18 David played a harp. 05:20 And I think the song though, 05:21 "This is My Father's World," is a wonderful segue 05:24 to what our guest was involved in. 05:28 They're from Uchee Pines, 05:30 but they also had opportunity to be involved in mission 05:33 during a disastrous time in our "Father's world." 05:37 So let's go ahead and welcome our guests 05:39 and find out who they are today. 05:40 To my immediate right is Amy, Amy Pershin. 05:43 Good to have you here today. 05:44 Thank you. It's good to be here. 05:46 Yeah, it's good to have you back. 05:47 Yes. 05:48 And you have been here before my wife knows you. 05:51 I think you've... 05:52 Yeah, when we went to a matter of fact,... 05:55 she did a Crossroads program with me on radio. 05:56 That's what I was thinking of. 05:58 Gave her testimony, it was beautiful, 05:59 how she became an Adventist, a Christian. 06:02 And when we visited Uchee Pines, 06:05 we went to their home for dinner, for lunch, 06:09 and they have a beautiful daughter, 06:10 and we had a wonderful time. 06:12 Yes, it was a blessing. 06:13 So now that we know she's married, 06:15 I have to introduce her husband. 06:16 So, Andre, good to have you here. 06:17 Thank you. 06:19 It's my pleasure to be here, 06:21 first time in 3ABN. 06:22 And just enjoying this lovely atmosphere here, 06:27 and just look forward 06:29 to get to know more firsthand experience, yeah. 06:34 Now what do you do at Uchee Pines? 06:36 Well, I was involved in several ministries 06:39 or several departments there. 06:41 I worked for some time 06:42 at Country Life Store as a counselor, 06:44 and worked also as a personal assistant 06:48 of Dr. Agatha Thrash, in fact, for a year 06:51 before she stepped down. 06:52 It was a wonderful year of learning. 06:54 And also I went to couple of trainings, 06:57 and this was in Uchee Pines, 07:01 and also in Wildwood learning about natural health. 07:04 At the moment, I also work in a media department, 07:08 So I'm kind of combining some teaching of health classes 07:12 with work in the media department. 07:15 We had some training with OCI. 07:17 Okay. 07:18 The people, crew, came to us, they gave us some training. 07:21 And I am enjoying both. 07:23 It's sort of kind of versatility. 07:25 Yeah, Wildwood, Uchee Pines, 07:27 and Outpost Centers International also. 07:29 And where's your accent from? 07:31 Well, it's Russian and I tried to work on my accent reduction, 07:35 but I'm still... 07:36 No, no, it's beautiful. 07:38 You see, these muscles, once they're fixed, 07:39 it's up to 70, 07:42 It's really hard though... 07:44 Well, that's okay. 07:45 It's your identity. Exactly. 07:46 Praise the Lord for that. Amen. 07:48 My wife was English, is English. 07:50 You were born in England, but came to New York early. 07:54 I used to have a British accent long time ago. 07:57 But she used to be called belated... 07:59 now she's American, but good to have you here. 08:01 And to your right is Bo Burwell. 08:04 Elder Bo. 08:05 Elder Bo Burwell, good to have you here. 08:08 Thank you, sir. 08:09 Glad to be here. 08:10 And tell us, in a nutshell, what do you do 08:12 and your association with Uchee Pines? 08:14 Well, I'm the first elder of the church 08:16 at Panama City 08:18 where we recently had the... 08:21 I guess you could say the unfortunate 08:26 visit by Michael the hurricane. 08:29 And as we've talked before, 08:32 God does send His angels out everywhere 08:35 to help those in need. 08:36 And He sent these angels to Panama City to help us. 08:40 That's right. 08:41 And that's gonna be of the focal point 08:42 of our program today. 08:44 But for somebody who's watching 08:45 or listening to the program 08:47 'cause they're maybe in their car 08:48 driving and listening or at work somehow, 08:51 but tell us what is Uchee Pines. 08:53 Which one of you would like to start into that? 08:57 Uchee Pines is a health educator center 09:01 and also a health restorer 09:03 with God's divine intervention 09:07 lifestyle center. 09:09 So they take the guest every two and a half weeks 09:14 and treat them with the natural remedies, 09:17 heart disease, cancer, diabetes. 09:19 And then there's the medical missionary program 09:22 where the students come and learn 09:24 this modality of health and healing. 09:29 It's a wonderful place, 09:30 many miracles happened there. 09:33 We're also building a church. 09:35 Praise the Lord. 09:36 Maranatha came, 09:37 and so we are eager to see that completed. 09:41 And we were down at Uchee Pines, 09:43 we did some walking when we went there. 09:44 Yeah, we did. It was beautiful. 09:45 And we also have a radio affiliate there, 3ABN. 09:48 Yes, that's right. 09:50 Yeah, out there at Uchee Pines. 09:52 Yes, making a very wonderful impact. 09:54 Yes. 09:55 Praise the Lord. 09:57 And the former Dr. Agatha Thrash, 09:59 who was here and very much involved in 3ABN, 10:04 she was a staple at that ministry for many years. 10:06 Yes. 10:08 And she's now resting in Jesus. 10:09 Yes, yes. 10:10 Wow! 10:12 And so now this is an interesting program 10:14 because we know that we live in the... 10:18 Uchee Pines is located in the part of the nation 10:21 where any given time of the year, 10:25 some strange weather anomalies could occur. 10:27 Yes. 10:28 Let's talk about that. 10:30 One of those events 10:32 catapulted you all into a different mode 10:36 rather than having people come to you, 10:38 you went out to the community. 10:41 Let's talk about that because you have some pictures 10:43 and a wonderful video to show. 10:45 That kind of highlights 10:46 what the Lord allowed you to do. 10:48 Just dive into that story, and what happened? 10:50 Yes, so Hurricane Michael hit Panama City, 10:55 Florida on October 10, I believe. 10:58 And when we see this kind of thing happening, 11:03 there's the burden to go. 11:05 There's the burden to see the people, 11:07 to meet them, 11:09 to sympathize with them, to cry with them, 11:11 to pray with them, and so we organized a trip. 11:16 And we went there, about 10 of us. 11:18 In Uchee Pines, the people are very busy. 11:20 And so it's not easy for them to take the time off, 11:23 but they do. 11:24 And the leadership at Uchee Pines 11:26 is very generous to allow them to do that, 11:28 so we can go on a mission trip. 11:29 And there were about 10 of us, including some students. 11:31 So it was during the Christmas break, 11:33 so the students can go. 11:35 And we went, and we camped in someone's yard 11:37 because there's really nowhere to stay. 11:39 So many homes were damaged. 11:41 And even if there is a home 11:43 that didn't sustain as much damage, 11:46 it's filled with family members whose homes are ruined. 11:50 So we went there with chainsaws, 11:53 and our hands, ready to help, and some tools, 11:56 and we were able to help the people. 11:58 Pastor Jay Rosario, 11:59 which I know you're familiar with. 12:01 Yes. 12:02 We worked with him and his church down there. 12:03 And so he gave us a list of people 12:05 that we could call 12:06 and say, "We're here to help." 12:08 And that's what we did. 12:09 And we have a video to show that as well. 12:11 And it was a blessing. 12:13 Wow. 12:14 So that video as they're getting it ready, 12:17 when you think about the time of year that it occurred, 12:21 lot of people wouldn't think 12:23 that a hurricane would occur that late in the year. 12:26 But how far are you from the Gulf Coast? 12:29 How far is Uchee Pines from the Gulf Coast? 12:32 That area, we're about three and a half hours, 12:35 I would say about four hours 'cause you go 12:37 30 minutes further to Mexico Beach 12:40 where the eye of the storm hit, 12:41 which we also were able to tour and see the damage, 12:44 and it's just incredible. 12:47 You realize the times that we're in. 12:50 We really are close to the end 12:52 for that much destruction to happen. 12:53 Yeah. 12:55 And we were talking earlier about disaster 12:58 as we get closer to the end of time, 12:59 more and more disasters are happening today. 13:02 Yes. 13:03 Brother Bo, we were talking about that also, 13:06 and he's the first elder there. 13:08 It's apparent to me that, 13:13 as I was saying, God is in control. 13:15 Yes. That's right. 13:16 There was a reason why that storm came in 13:18 where it came in. 13:20 There's a reason why He sent certain angels to our area, 13:24 to help those folks. 13:27 Anyone who was in that storm was affected, 13:30 whether their house was destroyed or not, 13:33 they were affected mentally. 13:34 They needed counseling. 13:37 God takes us all down to the same level. 13:41 As I told the story earlier, 13:43 I saw people coming by our church, which... 13:47 There was a huge FEMA operation was set up there. 13:50 Several Adventist groups were in there. 13:53 We had people sleeping in the library, 13:56 all over the church. 13:57 We had the National Guard folks sleeping there. 14:01 Our church was turned into a center, 14:05 which it should be. 14:06 Yes. It should be. 14:08 Amen. Absolutely. 14:09 People should be coming to that church. 14:10 That's right. 14:12 And I was watching one day, 14:15 and I just saw a BMW drive through the line 14:19 to pick up food, water supplies. 14:23 And the BMW which is one of the better driving vehicles 14:28 on the road today, 14:30 and usually the people driving them 14:32 are very proud people. 14:35 It was followed by a bicycle. 14:38 But both of these people were at the same level. 14:41 They both needed bread and water. 14:42 That's right. 14:43 Wow. 14:45 People, all of us need bread and water 14:46 that comes from that church, 14:48 that bread of life and that water. 14:50 That's interesting. 14:52 That's a very good comparison. Yeah. 14:53 Because disaster doesn't really care 14:55 about your station in life, 14:56 it doesn't care how much you have, 14:57 what you don't have. 14:59 And so the person with a bicycle 15:00 or the person with a BMW, 15:02 that's a quite an amazing picture 15:06 because normally in normal circumstances, 15:09 those are the things that are often provided, 15:12 easily accessible. 15:13 But now when disaster comes, 15:15 the needs are the same 15:17 regardless of who the individual is. 15:19 About how many people did you guys have access 15:21 to when you were involved in the relief effort? 15:26 Yeah. 15:27 So what comes to the Panama City 15:30 when we arrived, we got at least, 15:33 from the pastoral people that potentially need help. 15:36 And so when I started calling them, 15:38 one of the first responders was a lady 15:40 that you will see on the video. 15:43 Elderly woman that was baptized about six months before, 15:48 was akin, and she said that, "My ramp is damaged," 15:52 she can't go through stairs. 15:55 So she gets these ramps. 15:57 And a lot of trees on her property 15:59 and a lot of debris. 16:01 So we set it as a priority and we worked almost all day 16:06 cleaning just her territory. 16:08 And then there was another man, and there was another man, 16:12 and they all have a lot in common. 16:14 They were helpless pretty much 16:17 in facing the amount of damage 16:20 and just distraction that was. 16:23 And what's interesting, 16:24 actually, the city is offering help 16:25 but it's at a cost. 16:27 Like one of them said, 16:29 they were going to charge around $8,000 16:31 for cleaning the territory. 16:33 I mean, once the debris are taken 16:36 and lined up along the road, 16:38 then the city comes and takes it, 16:40 but it takes a lot of effort 16:42 to move those debris 16:44 from your yard to the roadside. 16:48 And that was our work along with the repairs. 16:52 So we came, you know, we fixed that ramp, 16:55 and we took the debris out. 17:00 I was fixing the roof of another gentleman, 17:03 preparing for covering with the metal sheeting, 17:06 and I'll have to put the plywood boards. 17:09 Yeah. 17:10 So I had to remove the old plywood boards 17:12 and put the new plywood boards 17:14 to be covered later 17:15 with a more sturdy covering, 17:18 which is not shingles, but... 17:20 The metal sheets 17:23 and it's amazing to see the transformation. 17:26 It seems like there will be very little shingles 17:28 left in that area 17:30 because people switch to maybe less appealing 17:34 but way more secure and safe, the metal roofs. 17:39 So yeah. 17:41 And what areas? 17:42 I noticed in Alabama, what areas were you in? 17:47 Yes, in Alabama, on March 8, 17:50 we had the deadliest tornado to come through Beauregard, 17:55 and President Trump came. 17:57 Twenty-three people were killed, 17:59 and I believe it was about six to eight people in one family. 18:02 And it happened also in Smiths Station, 18:05 and Opelika, 18:07 and that's only about 45 minutes away from us. 18:10 And so when we heard about that, 18:13 we said we have to go, 18:15 we have to somehow be able to help. 18:18 We want people to know that 18:20 we are willing to help them in this kind of way too. 18:24 A lot of the community, they don't really, 18:27 maybe not know what Uchee Pines is, 18:29 so this is a wonderful way to go and help them 18:31 and to let them know who we are. 18:33 So when we went 18:34 to the government-setup disaster relief site 18:36 at the Baptist Church in auditorium, 18:40 many different people came from all over to volunteer. 18:44 It was a large community, 18:46 people were taking the time off of their work 18:49 so they can come together. 18:50 And it was wonderful to be a part of that. 18:52 I had never experienced it. 18:54 You know, people of all walks of faith, 18:56 just willing to come together. 18:57 One woman who was volunteering said, 18:59 "It made me It restored my faith and humanity again." 19:01 Wow. 19:03 Because people are coming from Virginia, Colorado, 19:06 just dropping everything to come and help. 19:09 And so it's a wonderful way to mingle 19:11 'cause that's the method, Christ method alone. 19:13 We need to mingle with the people, 19:15 show them our love, our compassion. 19:16 That's right. 19:18 And so that's what we were able to do. 19:19 Wow. 19:20 Were you able to give out literature? 19:22 Yes, that's the beautiful thing. 19:24 We had a large donation of Great Controversy's, 19:27 and Desire of Ages, and Bibles. 19:29 And the man that donated said, 19:30 "I want you to give these out in sets. 19:33 Don't separate them." 19:34 And so the opportunity came 19:37 with the tornadoes that hit. 19:39 And so we brought these with us. 19:42 And that's what's so beautiful is 19:44 when something like this happens, 19:46 that people are so willing to receive the literature. 19:49 So we were able to give out 19:51 hundreds of copies, sets 19:54 to other volunteers, 19:56 to the victims, and to the police officers. 20:00 There's a picture that you'll see of me 20:02 with the police officers. 20:04 And one said, "Thank you for this. 20:07 This is exactly what we need at this time right now." 20:10 Yeah. Is that it? 20:12 Yes. Yes. 20:13 That's there in Smiths Station when we went to help. 20:16 Is that Alabama or... 20:17 Yes, that's Alabama. 20:18 Yes. 20:20 And... Beautiful. 20:21 And it's amazing. 20:23 You're giving it to a police officer. 20:24 Yes, I know. 20:25 I just... 20:27 There's a lot of times they'll say, 20:28 "Oh, we don't want that." 20:29 But, you know, when disaster comes, 20:31 it changes a lot of people's perspective 20:32 because it shows us... 20:34 I think Bo was alluding to that. 20:36 It shows us how frail we are, you know? 20:39 We have had people come to our church 20:42 just for literature. 20:45 They probably had needs of other things. 20:47 The community services continue to function 20:50 since the larger operations have moved out. 20:54 But we have had people 20:56 who have just come asking for literature, 20:58 for a Bible, 21:00 which is a heartwarming situation to have. 21:05 Yeah, and we currently are able 21:09 to rent our facility to a Presbyterian Church, 21:14 first Presbyterian at Panama City, 21:16 they meet down Sunday mornings. 21:19 And we have something going on in our church 21:21 seven days a week. 21:23 You don't invite people 21:25 to know more about God by locking the doors. 21:28 Yeah. 21:29 That's a very good thing. You keep them open. 21:30 But you also said in that church 21:32 what you told us before we went on the set, 21:35 you have Great Controversy's and... 21:38 Tell us about that. 21:39 We have a lot of reading material out there 21:41 that is available, 21:44 that are being taken and I'm sure read 21:47 because it's just a wonderful opportunity 21:52 to share with other folks who... 21:54 And I don't know much about 22:00 their particular theology, 22:04 but I'm sure that some of our literature 22:07 can certainly help them. 22:09 That's wonderful. 22:10 When you're in the building, 22:12 you can't help but have access to what's in the building. 22:13 Oh, yes, yes. 22:14 That's the reality of it. 22:16 And we had wonderful people, wonderful... 22:19 We've built a great relationship with them, 22:22 and it's just nice 22:25 because we can be a lighthouse in the eye of the storm, 22:29 so to speak. 22:31 We can offer... 22:32 Now you alluded to, a moment ago, a video. 22:33 I want to just go to that video right now 22:35 and look at some of the video. 22:37 Very interesting. 22:39 Listen to it and afterwards, 22:41 we'll comment a little bit more 22:42 about what you see on the video. 22:43 This is in Panama City, this video. 22:45 Panama City. 23:20 I would just like to thank Uchee Pines for... 23:23 I saw some television, 23:25 shows about the things that were done on 3ABN. 23:28 And that name just stuck, 23:29 and then when you guys showed up here, 23:31 and constantly continuously started working, 23:34 barely stop for lunch, don't ask for anything at all, 23:38 bring, you know, tools, and water, and everything. 23:41 It's shocking and then the progress 23:43 that you've made, 23:44 not just picking and cutting trees, 23:46 but actually raking leaves to picking everything up. 23:49 I'm just very thankful. 23:50 You could never hope 23:53 to have people come in and help you like this. 23:55 Everybody is working so hard. 23:57 And all have a smile on their face, 24:00 and that's a blessing in itself. 24:04 A lot of hard workers and skilled workers. 24:06 And I got to meet a lot of new people and it's a blessing. 24:11 And it's been a pleasure. 24:13 It's been a true pleasure. 24:24 Thank you so much. Yeah. 24:25 Wasn't that wonderful? Yes. 24:26 And look at the message in the background. 24:28 I'll be back. 24:29 And you know what? We're coming back. 24:30 We're going again, May 6th to the 12th, 24:32 another mission trip to Panama City. 24:34 What? Oh, you're going back. 24:35 Amen. That's wonderful. 24:38 It's amazing how walls come down. 24:40 We saw a lot of damaged homes, damaged businesses, 24:44 and as you pointed out, it doesn't really matter 24:45 who the person is 24:47 and what their station in life is, 24:48 hurricane just comes through indiscriminately 24:51 and leaves devastation in its path. 24:53 Noticed those homes along the coast? 24:55 That's where everyone wants to live, on the beach. 24:58 Beachfront property. 25:00 Yes. 25:01 And I remember, 25:03 there was a heading of one of the leading news websites 25:08 saying that Panama City is not damaged, 25:14 it's not just there anymore. 25:16 And really when we were driving along the road 25:18 that goes along the coast, the houses just... 25:23 Only see, just maybe poles and some foundation. 25:26 There's no houses there. 25:28 And it just gives an idea 25:30 of what a terrific push of the water 25:33 and wind was there. 25:36 And I mean it's even kind of scary to imagine, 25:41 and to go through something like that was very impressive. 25:45 Now, Brother Bo, where were you at the time 25:48 during this disaster? 25:50 I was at my home with my wife. 25:52 And we rode the storm at home. 25:54 And I'd like to comment on that along the beach part, 25:59 that's Mexico Beach, 26:01 which was just about destroyed. 26:03 If you saw, there were a few homes left standing. 26:05 Oh, yeah. 26:07 Ironically, 26:09 one of the members of our church 26:10 who was instrumental, 26:11 we were trying to plant a church 26:13 just east of that area. 26:17 And the storm has kind of put a damper on that temporarily, 26:23 not forever, but one of our members 26:26 lives in a place called Port St. Joe. 26:29 And some others live there in Mexico Beach. 26:32 And they were trying to establish a church. 26:35 We already had a building and a library, 26:38 and everything had been donated for it. 26:41 And that got put on hold 26:43 because the property got destroyed, 26:45 but there's a wall of water some 20 feet high 26:48 hit that area, and it destroyed. 26:51 He says, the... 26:55 The concrete slabs are left there. 26:59 I know what Andre was saying here a moment ago 27:03 that I couldn't help but grab that. 27:06 Somebody says, "Panama beach wasn't damaged, 27:09 it's just not here anymore." 27:11 And that's just... 27:12 I don't know. 27:14 You know, we live in a world 27:15 where disaster is just a part of the landscape. 27:17 Yeah, even here. 27:18 Here we are in the Midwest and, you know, sometimes, 27:21 people listen on the news. 27:22 They say it right now, you know, 27:23 "Tornado is going through the Midwest." 27:25 And that happens on a cycle. 27:26 Winter, spring, well, less in the winter. 27:29 Yeah, less in the winter. 27:30 But more like, whenever we hear a spring is coming, 27:32 we think, "Oh, hold our breath," right? 27:34 But what happens? 27:36 But, you know, here at 3ABN, I got to give the Lord, 27:39 and as Danny would say, that's a two-hander. 27:41 We've had camp meeting 27:43 with tornadoes on its way to Thompsonville, 27:45 and they would split, go around, 27:48 or they would go up and die out, 27:50 or they would die out before they got here. 27:52 Pastor Mark Finley, I heard number of years ago, 27:54 was preaching during camp meeting, 27:56 and he was on air, 27:59 right after his sermon was done, 28:00 they said, 28:01 "A tornado was on its way to Thompsonville, 28:04 and it split." 28:06 And they showed the satellite imagery of it. 28:09 It split, went around, 28:11 and reconnected, and kept going. 28:14 And so we have...35 years the ministry has been here. 28:17 And praise God, 28:19 He has protected it continuously. 28:20 God has protected it. 28:22 We've had 120-mile an hour winds go through here, 28:25 straight-line winds, 28:26 not a single satellite dish moved. 28:28 Amazing. 28:30 We've had people 28:31 whose homes were on a single wide, 28:33 they were on a single foundation. 28:35 I remember one of our producers, 28:38 years ago, he said, 28:39 he put his hand outside the window 28:40 and felt no wind at all. 28:43 So God really does have a purpose 28:46 when He has the angels of the Lord 28:48 encamped around about those that fear Him. 28:50 And I think you've made that suggestion. 28:52 Oh, yes. 28:53 I think it all happens for a reason. 28:55 And we should always look back that He is in control. 28:58 That's right. 28:59 Yes. 29:01 I can tell you that after that storm, 29:02 which was a violent, violent storm, that, 29:06 I mean, we watched trees in my yard, 29:09 they were close to 100 feet tall 29:11 just broke like matchsticks. 29:15 We watched huge oak trees uprooted 29:17 and moved out of their place. 29:21 And that evening, that afternoon, 29:23 after the storm had passed by, 29:25 the most beautiful sunshine came out. 29:28 And that night, 29:32 although I can sit in my living room 29:34 and look at the stars, 29:36 the most beautiful sky 29:37 because all the artificial lighting, 29:40 all the street lights, 29:41 everything that was taken away, 29:43 and it was pitch black dark, 29:45 and every star in the sky will show. 29:48 Just as after the flood, He put a rainbow in the sky, 29:54 He put stars in our sky that night. 29:56 He's always letting us know that He's there. 29:58 Yes. 30:00 Now am I hearing you correctly, did your roof get taken away? 30:03 I had a 20/20 section of my roof, 30:07 my back porch, 30:09 and living room, 30:12 and my chimney was ripped off. 30:14 That's not my home. 30:15 That's... 30:17 Just an example of what happened there. 30:18 That's an example of the tragedy, 30:21 but I mean, it was all over. 30:22 It was widespread. 30:24 It was everywhere. 30:25 There was not a house, I think, that was unscathed. 30:28 You see those blue tarps everywhere you go, 30:31 waiting to be fixed. 30:33 You're still seeing them 30:34 when we were just there recently, 30:36 you still see the blue tarps. 30:38 And this happened back in October. 30:39 It shows you how long it takes 30:41 because it's such a wide destruction, 30:43 wide amount. 30:45 And so these catastrophes are happening 30:48 so frequently now. 30:49 And so then the big ministries, the government comes in, 30:52 and they can help, 30:54 but then another catastrophe happens right after it, 30:57 and so they have to leave prematurely, 30:59 leaving that city. 31:00 "We still need help." 31:02 "Well, we can't, we have to go to this other catastrophe 31:03 that just happened." 31:05 So there's still so much work to be done in Panama City. 31:08 And it's going to be the same way 31:10 in with the areas close to us. 31:12 So much work. 31:13 So there's opportunity for mission 31:15 to continuously go there. 31:17 And the people are so happy. 31:18 They're so thankful. 31:20 Imagine if it happened to us. 31:21 Exactly. 31:22 You know, how thankful we would be 31:24 if someone came to help us. 31:25 A lady mentioned in the video, 31:27 she said, "I saw, I heard a little bit 31:28 about Uchee Pines on 3ABN." 31:30 That was good. 31:33 Praise good Lord. Yeah. 31:34 But now I see you here working tirelessly, 31:38 hardly taking a break for lunch, 31:40 not asking for anything, 31:42 and now I not only know about what I saw on 3ABN, 31:46 but I could see the blessing of people who are at... 31:50 The phrase that I've heard before 31:51 is disinterested benevolence. 31:53 Not looking for anything in return. 31:55 Yes, exactly. 31:56 That's so much of what ministry is all about. 31:58 We have a few more pictures, 31:59 I'd like to walk through some of those 32:00 and tell us what we're looking at here. 32:02 Yes, these are going to be mainly of our team 32:04 that went to the tornadoes that hit near Uchee Pines. 32:07 So we were able to join up with a group. 32:09 These are retired veterans that have joined a ministry 32:13 that does... 32:15 I don't know if you've heard of the term Christian Help Work 32:17 that Sister White talks about and that Kellogg did? 32:20 Well, it's a wonderful work. 32:23 And we want to copy this at Uchee Pines, 32:25 this modality. 32:27 And so these retired veterans do that. 32:29 So I know them, well, know the leader. 32:32 So we were able to join them. 32:33 That's at the gymnasium, at the Baptist Church. 32:35 And so we're about ready to head out and to help. 32:39 They gave us the job of surveying the damage. 32:42 And there's a... 32:44 Is there a picture of you? 32:45 I don't think there was, but we were able to walk around 32:49 and survey the damage, 32:50 and then meet the other volunteers 32:52 that were out there, and give the literature, 32:55 and also hear stories of survival. 32:59 We were able to knock on the... 33:00 Perfect access to the doors, right? 33:02 You know, with our literature, 33:04 and they were so willing to receive it, 33:07 so willing to receive our prayers. 33:08 They were shedding their tears as they were recalling 33:11 the horrific time 33:13 that they went through it with it. 33:15 They said we've never been through anything like this. 33:17 We don't want to go through it again. 33:20 Yeah. 33:21 You know, the unfortunate thing, honey, 33:22 we know this is that... 33:24 We live in a world where disasters of every kind, 33:28 earthquakes, floods, fires. 33:30 Here in the Midwest, sometimes, we get inundated with rain. 33:34 And it's getting worse, 33:35 it's getting more and more critical. 33:37 And you made a point a moment ago 33:39 that what happens 33:41 when these disasters are happening 33:42 on such a broad basis 33:44 that while I'm dealing with mine here, 33:46 and you're dealing with yours there, 33:47 and we really can't stop 33:49 because we're trying to help ourselves, 33:50 and you need help. 33:51 And we're living in that kind of climate. 33:53 And to have people that have the willingness 33:57 and the spirit to go out. 33:59 I want to ask Andre a question. 34:01 "Did you use the chainsaw when you went? 34:03 Or was that something 34:05 you've left it to the other guys?" 34:07 I'm gonna use it this time. 34:10 But I worked with chainsaw in Uchee Pines. 34:12 Okay. 34:14 So I have experience with it. 34:15 Even around my house... 34:16 Oh, okay. 34:18 Yeah, you have to. 34:19 Where we stay there, right, 34:20 we have trees falling periodically, 34:22 so I need to clear the trail or something like that. 34:26 So I look forward to that. 34:28 And as Amy mentioned, 34:31 you know, it takes, sometimes, 34:34 even no experience. 34:36 You don't have to have a lot of experience 34:37 to come and help people. 34:39 For example, when we came to help those tornado victims, 34:43 you know, I never did surveying 34:46 and estimation of the damage with pinpointing, 34:51 with latitude and longitude, and filling out the chart. 34:55 I know, if you have eyes, you know, you have hands, 34:59 and, you know, you can 35:00 just assess generally the situation, 35:03 there were with our work. 35:04 We've even had children that were useful that, 35:09 you know, we found for them something to do as well. 35:12 So even though... 35:15 Of course, if somebody has knowledge about, 35:17 you know, construction work, building work, 35:20 maybe even some special counseling work, 35:23 that's wonderful. 35:24 But even if you don't know anything 35:26 and you have just a willing heart, 35:28 it's all that is needed. 35:29 I like that. 35:31 And there is plenty of work for people who can just rake. 35:33 Yes. 35:35 And I noticed, even your daughter 35:36 was involved. 35:38 Yes, yes. 35:39 It was beautiful. 35:40 She's my sidekick wherever we go. 35:42 I won't do a mission unless she can go with me. 35:44 Wow, training her up. 35:46 Yes, it's a blessing. 35:48 So she was with us there 35:50 helping with the tornado victims and... 35:52 So you're carrying a branch. 35:53 Yes, yes. 35:55 And she enjoys it. 35:56 I wanted to mention 35:57 that I think it's 1 Corinthians 12:28, 35:59 where Apostle Paul has mentioned 36:01 some that sit in the churches, apostles, 36:03 there's teachers, and prophets, anyone. 36:06 Not everybody is apostle, not everybody is a teacher, 36:09 not everybody is a prophet. 36:11 You know, in a sense, 36:12 we're saying that we are prophets 36:14 because we are messengers of God, 36:15 but... 36:16 And then he mentions just a four-letter word... 36:21 Five-letter word, "Helps." 36:23 That's a gift with everybody's fitted. 36:25 We can all be a helping hand. 36:27 Right, if we have hands and feet, you know, 36:29 we're in a decent health, we can go 36:31 and exercise these gifts. 36:33 Yes. 36:34 So I believe that's where we all fit 36:35 in this ministry of helps. 36:37 Wouldn't it be nice if more people prayed 36:38 for the gift of help? 36:40 Yes. 36:41 You know, people are praying for the gift of tongues, 36:43 which is, you know, an immeasurable thing, 36:46 but pray for the gift help. 36:47 Help. Yes. 36:49 Everybody needs help. Yeah. 36:50 Just to be willing to go. 36:51 I'll tell you, John, we've seen such an outpouring 36:53 of that spirit 36:54 come into Panama City. 36:58 I couldn't tell you the number of academies 37:01 and other organizations from the Adventist Church 37:05 that have poured into our area. 37:07 People come in, they're sleeping on the ground, 37:09 in tents or whatever to help others. 37:12 And giving up themselves is just such a blessing. 37:15 But I think something else that we hit on a while ago 37:20 is the frequency 37:22 that these things are happening. 37:24 And this was alluded to in Matthew 24. 37:27 That's right. 37:29 You know, we know 37:30 that these things are going to happen. 37:31 So this right here can strengthen our faith 37:35 in the prophetic words of Matthew 37:39 and know that these things are happening 37:41 and know that they're going to be more frequent. 37:44 And that can tell us 37:46 also that our Lord is soon to come. 37:47 That's right. Amen. 37:51 Thank you for that really good insight. 37:52 Yes, it's true. 37:54 Because it's true, I mean, these are hard... 37:55 More intense, 37:57 the storms are more intense than ever before. 37:58 Well, they are. 38:00 It's like those birth pains it's mentioned in... 38:03 And we see those things happening more and more. 38:06 As was mentioned here a while ago, 38:07 you've mentioned a flood in one place, 38:09 well, you had a tornado somewhere. 38:12 Now we're going back into hurricane season again. 38:14 There's always a disaster somewhere, a fire. 38:18 And all these things are just happening. 38:20 I think we're seeing, God is pulling 38:22 those protecting hands away 38:25 because of sins of this earth are just, 38:27 they're just too great. 38:28 That's true. 38:30 We have a number of pictures, 38:31 we're gonna walk through some of those. 38:33 Yes. 38:34 Nine pictures or so remaining. 38:35 Tell us what this is here. 38:37 So there we are at the City Hall 38:38 in Smiths Station near Uchee Pines. 38:39 And that is the path of the tornado. 38:41 Two tornadoes went on the same path. 38:44 So these people experienced one tornado after the other, 38:48 not just one, but two. 38:50 Following the same trajectory. 38:51 Yes, exactly. 38:52 So you can imagine. 38:54 And there's Andre, 38:55 those are the books that we had. 38:56 And he was able to give them out 38:58 to the volunteers. 39:00 And this one is a very special story to my heart 39:03 because this was the last house 39:05 on one of the days that we went out. 39:06 And we had the children with us. 39:09 And this man was really concerned about the children. 39:11 And he got somewhat upset and gave a lecture 39:15 about having the children in such a dangerous area. 39:18 And so I had stayed back to talk to Red Cross workers 39:21 because, you know, 39:23 you're just mingling with the people, 39:24 and you're telling them about Uchee Pines. 39:25 So there was many good opportunities. 39:27 So when the children came running back, 39:29 "Oh, go talk to him, Mommy, he's upset." 39:31 I said, "Well, I have to give him books." 39:33 So I went up to the man, very haltingly, you know, 39:37 "Oh, Lord, please help him not to be upset at me." 39:39 And he had his sunglasses on. 39:41 And he's looking at me. 39:42 And I smiled and I said, "Hi. 39:44 You know, I didn't want to leave 39:46 without giving you a gift." 39:47 He said, "Do you remember me?" 39:50 I said, "No." 39:51 And he pulled up his glasses. 39:53 And he said, "Now do you remember me?" 39:55 I still couldn't place him. 39:57 And he said, "Last year, 39:59 when my mother's house was on fire, 40:01 you stopped to offer your help. 40:03 And Samantha was with me." 40:05 I said, "Yes!" 40:06 He says, "I was there." 40:07 I said, "I remember you now." 40:10 That was the day we were going to town, 40:12 and it had just went up in flames. 40:14 The fire engine was not even there yet. 40:16 We passed it. 40:17 I said, "Samantha, should we stop?" 40:19 "Mommy, Mommy, I don't think we should." 40:20 I said, "I feel like we should stop. 40:22 I feel we need to offer something." 40:25 So we did, and the mother was out of town, 40:27 but that man was there, her son, and I said, 40:30 "You know, I told him where we're from. 40:32 I always carry Uchee Pines brochures with me, 40:34 there's always the opportunity. 40:35 And I like to staple GLOW tracts to the back. 40:38 So you don't have to worry about dropping them, 40:40 you just hand a brochure, and the GLOW tract is there. 40:43 And I said, 40:44 "If there's something you think we can help you with, 40:47 please call us." 40:48 And so the mother did call us, and we were able to help her, 40:51 the church, Uchee Pines Church with a donation. 40:54 And she was very thankful. 40:56 And I was thinking 40:57 more would come out of it because like I said, 40:58 we're trying to copy the Christian Help Work, 41:01 which is meeting the people's needs 41:02 wherever they are. 41:04 So I thought maybe 41:05 we would be involved helping to clean up, 41:07 and... 41:08 But nothing ever really came out of it. 41:09 And I even questioned, Lord, 41:11 "I wonder, what was the purpose of that?" 41:14 I feel like really nothing came out of it 41:15 until that day. 41:17 And I met that men 41:18 and I said, "This is amazing." 41:20 Because I hadn't... 41:21 Oh, he called? Yes. 41:22 You have been there at different time of the... 41:24 Yeah. And now I see him again. 41:25 And I had not been able to give him any books, 41:27 just the GLOW tract. 41:29 Now we had the opportunity. 41:30 I prayed with him. 41:31 We had a great conversation, and I gave him the books. 41:33 And I see those books in his hand. 41:35 Yes, exactly. 41:36 And this was wonderful 41:38 because this is at the Baptist Church again. 41:40 And so you see our box of books there, 41:43 the cardboard, we set it down, 41:45 the woman on my left in the gray shirt, 41:49 they're from the church in Opelika, 41:50 the Adventist Church. 41:52 The woman on the right, she's a volunteer. 41:54 And when she saw the book, she picked it up. 41:57 She didn't know that I had brought it 41:58 and she said, "Who brought these books?" 41:59 And I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure. 42:02 And they all pointed at me. 42:03 She said, "We thought of water, we thought of food, 42:06 but nobody thought of this. 42:08 Do you have more?" 42:09 I said, "Yes." 42:10 And it was so wonderful. 42:12 As I'm seeing the volunteers were picking up the books, 42:15 holding them to their chest, walking to their car, 42:17 looking at me with a smile. 42:19 I was like, "Oh, praise the Lord." 42:20 I thank you for this. Yes. 42:21 Because when the food is gone... 42:23 Yeah, then the books are still there. 42:24 So it was wonderful. 42:26 Yes. 42:27 And this is a group of us on Sabbath 42:29 from the Uchee Pines Church, we were able to go... 42:33 This is at the City Hall in Smiths Station. 42:35 And, you know, we can't do the work 42:38 of clearing on Sabbath, 42:39 but they had a special assignment 42:41 we could do. 42:42 They gave us flyers 42:44 to go to the people 42:45 on the tornado path, door to door, 42:47 telling them about an upcoming FEMA meeting 42:50 where they could have their questions answered. 42:52 So again, access to the people. 42:53 This is when we got to hear miraculous stories of survival. 42:57 We got to hear them. 42:59 And we got to pray with them, and cry with them, 43:01 and give them the literature. 43:02 Do you remember any of those stories? 43:04 Yes, one, she's there. 43:06 I was praying with her. 43:07 That's a selfie of me and my partner. 43:10 That's one... 43:11 Actually, across the street from her, 43:13 the house had to be completely taken away. 43:15 It was 90... 43:18 No, a woman in her 100s 43:20 was in the house across the street 43:22 from her and survived. 43:23 Wow. 43:25 Yes, it's incredible, amazing. 43:27 But there's another woman. 43:29 It's the one right before the cross, 43:31 the wooden cross. 43:34 She was in a brick house, 43:36 and she said that the tornado went right over her, 43:39 and it felt like an agitator going like this. 43:41 And so there's... 43:47 The uncle lives on the property in a mobile home. 43:50 And that mobile home was completely demolished, 43:52 but he happened not to be there that day. 43:55 And so if he had been there, 43:57 I don't think he would have survived. 43:58 And so that was the first tornado 44:00 that went over her. 44:01 And when that did, 44:03 they ran to check on her mother 44:04 that lived in another mobile home. 44:06 And the tornado was so strong, 44:08 it completely licked up all the water out of her pool. 44:10 So we got to see... 44:11 it was completely empty. 44:13 And so they went running to the mother, 44:15 the mother was fine, 44:16 but then they got the notification 44:18 that another tornado was coming. 44:20 But the husband didn't know, he had already gone outside, 44:23 ran back to the house. 44:24 But right as he ran back into the house, 44:26 closed the door, that's when the second tornado came. 44:28 Yeah. So... 44:29 Is he okay? 44:31 Yes, that's what... 44:32 Everybody was fine. 44:33 She was crying as she's telling this. 44:35 The man next door to her, there's another picture of us 44:38 with a man in a mobile home. 44:41 This man right here. 44:42 Right next door to him, there was a mobile home 44:44 that was completely demolished and nobody was living there. 44:47 But he was hovering 44:49 over his mother in her 90s 44:51 to protect her thinking... 44:52 And they couldn't go to the closet 44:54 because the mother is handicapped. 44:56 And so he just was there, helpless, hovering over. 44:59 He's telling me and he has tears. 45:01 When we prayed with him, 45:03 I heard and saw the tears dripping from his eyes 45:06 onto his new porch. 45:07 It's the only thing he needed was a new porch. 45:09 Otherwise, he was protected. 45:10 And those two tornadoes went over his mobile home. 45:13 Wow. 45:14 Yeah. 45:16 Lord preserves. 45:17 Yes. 45:18 And was this the couple? 45:20 His mother was in 90s, 45:21 and there was another lady in her 100s. 45:22 In her 100s. 45:24 Wow, wow. Yes. 45:25 The house needs to be completely demolished, 45:27 but somehow the Lord was able to preserve her 45:30 in whatever was left in that house. 45:32 Have any of the people further asked, 45:35 "Well, what else can Uchee Pines do for me?" 45:39 And has it opened doors for some of these people 45:41 to even look into Uchee Pines? 45:43 It does because they're very happy 45:45 to learn what it's about. 45:47 They're very interested. 45:48 And many of them know about Country Life. 45:50 Oh, we've eaten there, we've gone there to shop, 45:52 we didn't know that it had a lifestyle center. 45:55 They're very interested to learn more 45:58 and to go on the website. 45:59 And we have a seminar once a year 46:01 so that they can come. 46:02 Oh, God. Yes. 46:04 I wanted to mention that when we were working in, 46:07 you know, assessing the damage 46:08 and working with other volunteers, 46:11 providentially, 46:12 I just ran into a man from that group, 46:15 who just the day before, 46:17 was at Country Life 46:19 Vegetarian Store and the Restaurant 46:22 that we operate in Columbus, Georgia, 46:25 which actually is part of Uchee Pines' operation, 46:28 who received health counseling there. 46:31 We have lifestyle counselors there 46:32 that give very nice, very good, 46:35 in fact, it's like a miniature hospital 46:37 where people have like a family practice, 46:40 you may say, because people come 46:41 with all kinds of diseases. 46:43 I worked there for six years and that's how I felt. 46:46 You know, you feel like a family doctor 46:47 because this is like our big family, 46:50 you know, extended family. 46:51 And he was there and he received his counseling. 46:55 And now we're working side by side, 46:57 and he is realizing 46:58 that we are from the same organization. 47:01 And so we had a wonderful talk with him. 47:03 I was able to reinforce certain things 47:05 that he had just heard. 47:07 And so amazing how God works. 47:09 Providentially, we come to help, like that man, 47:11 he came to help, but he got the help. 47:14 Wow. We were put on the same thing. 47:15 Coming to the witness of the man that 47:18 Amy spoke of earlier 47:21 that she had shown up at his house 47:23 the second time in a year, 47:25 the first time met in a fire to mother's house. 47:28 You think of the impression and I bet Uchee Pines, 47:32 that word will never leave... 47:35 The organization will never go out of his mind again. 47:36 That's right. 47:37 That's true. 47:39 And how many people has he told that story to? 47:41 Oh, and the Bible, when I gave him the Bible, 47:44 he said, "I just gave my Bible away yesterday 47:47 to a nine-year-old girl, she didn't have one." 47:49 And I said, "Well, I'll just give it to you." 47:50 "And now I'm getting it back. 47:52 This is amazing." 47:53 Look at that. Yeah. 47:54 That's a great opportunity to reach people 47:56 because they are more receptive during that time. 47:57 Exactly. 47:59 They need something and that comfort of mind, 48:01 I think, of just there's no televisions and stuff, 48:05 when the electric power's out and so forth, 48:08 to read the Bible, to read any literature 48:11 that we give out, 48:13 I think it has a more beneficial 48:15 than what we realize. 48:17 How many more people now 48:18 you know as a result of disaster 48:21 that you did not know before? 48:23 And I mean you don't count it, but we're just saying, 48:26 the Lord allows these moments 48:28 to rekindle a fire in other people 48:30 that otherwise would not have been. 48:31 Yes. 48:32 And the books in the homes, 48:34 you'll never know the impact of those seeds, 48:36 all those Bibles. 48:37 Even the mayor of Smith's Station received 48:39 the books when we went there. 48:40 Even the mayor? 48:41 So puts us in great contact with the city leaders. 48:44 So if you were ever able to go to those cities 48:47 that you went to help and said, 48:50 "Uchee Pines wants to do an outreach this weekend." 48:53 They would be more willing. 48:54 Can you imagine what kind of impact that would be? 48:56 And that's our goal. 48:58 That's what we're trying to do. 48:59 We're trying to do more of the Christian Help Work 49:02 because then it will cause them to want to come 49:05 if we are having a program, especially at our church. 49:07 Our church is not only going to be a church 49:09 but a community center. 49:10 Wow. 49:11 We have a large fellowship hall that we want to do programs, 49:15 but we have to lay the groundwork. 49:16 We have to show the people 49:18 we love them, we care about them, 49:19 and that we want to help them in whatever way they need it. 49:24 That will cause them to want to come. 49:26 Yeah. 49:27 And you've already started laying the groundwork. 49:29 Yeah, 3ABN Radio's there. 49:30 Yes. 49:32 Pastor Rosario has reached out 49:36 to all the small towns 49:39 that go around our church there. 49:42 He has invited the mayors, the police chief, 49:48 all the people who work 49:49 in emergency services staff to our church. 49:51 And we've had a recognition day for two of the cities now. 49:56 And he's building quite a friendship 50:00 in the neighborhood if you would. 50:02 And so I'm sure that through them, 50:05 they also know exactly where we are. 50:09 These people have all said they've never been treated 50:13 the way that we've treated them when they came to our church. 50:16 And we've got some good cooks there too as you can see. 50:21 One of the benefits. 50:23 I think there's... 50:25 We need to take every opportunity 50:29 that's available to us 50:32 to tell others about 50:34 what service do we have in our church, 50:36 to try to reach out to others. 50:39 As we spoke of earlier in Matthew, 50:43 he didn't tell us... 50:44 The first thing we were to do is to go. 50:46 Right. 50:48 We are to take that message 50:49 out there to the world whoever... 50:51 It starts right there at home too. 50:53 Amen. 50:55 And that's why, you know, those who are watching 50:56 and listening to the program, 50:58 they need to find out more about Uchee Pines 50:59 and how to get in touch with you 51:01 because this not only is Uchee Pines 51:04 taking on that ministry, 51:06 that new ministry of going out, 51:08 but also they had a lot to offer. 51:09 And our guests here today would like to let you know. 51:14 So here is the information that you need to get in touch 51:17 with Uchee Pines 51:19 and find out more about their missions, 51:20 their health programs, their lifestyle center, 51:23 and what their ministry can do, 51:25 and how it could impact your life. 51:30 If you would like to help the Uchee Pines 51:32 Seventh-day Adventist Church in their outreach to families 51:35 who have suffered through a disaster, 51:37 they'd love to hear from you. 51:39 Find out how you can take part in their efforts 51:41 by calling 877-824-3374. 51:45 You may also donate online through their website 51:48 UcheePinesAL. AdventistChurch.org. 51:53 If you would like to write to them, 51:54 their address is Uchee Pines, Seventh-day Adventist Church, 51:57 30 Uchee Pines Road, Lot 30, Seale, Alabama, 36875. |
Revised 2019-06-20