Participants:
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR190009A
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00:01 Stay tuned to meet the president of...
00:03 Well, you'll have to stay tuned to find out. 00:06 My name is Jason Bradley, 00:07 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:32 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:34 My guest today is Pastor Moise Ratsara, 00:37 and he is a pastor in the Michigan Conference, 00:40 as well as the president of GYC. 00:43 Welcome to Urban Report, Pastor Moise. 00:46 Thank you so much, Jason. 00:47 It's great to have you here. 00:48 This is the first time 00:50 that you've been on Urban Report 00:51 or a Dare to Dream program. 00:54 Isn't that true? That's very true. 00:56 And it's a great privilege to be here. 00:58 And looking forward to what the Lord will do. 01:00 Amen. Amen. 01:01 Oh, it's great to have you here. 01:03 I absolutely love GYC. 01:06 And I want to get into what GYC stands for, 01:10 you know, what it is, what its mission is, 01:12 and all of those things. 01:14 But first, I want to introduce you to our viewers. 01:17 Tell us a little bit about your background? 01:18 Yes. 01:19 So, well, my background is very complicated, 01:24 complicated in the sense that I was born in Madagascar. 01:28 Okay. 01:29 My mother is from the island of Mauritius. 01:31 Okay. 01:32 My roots are actually from Indonesia and India. 01:37 And, so, I was born in Madagascar, 01:39 and my parents decided to become missionaries 01:42 throughout the continent of Africa. 01:46 So, I grew up as a missionary kid. 01:50 I've lived in about 11 countries. 01:54 And for almost 15 years of my life, 01:58 most of that has been running from war, relocating. 02:02 Wow. 02:04 Throughout my life, 02:05 we've been through three major wars, 02:07 and several other minor wars around, 02:09 but that was my background. 02:11 I went to a boarding school in Kenya called Maxwell. 02:15 And from Maxwell, I went to Southern, 02:19 in the United States, in Tennessee, 02:22 and studied theology and then went to Michigan. 02:25 So, that's a little bit of my background. 02:27 Nice, nice. Yeah. 02:28 You lived in 11 countries? 02:30 Yes, 11 countries. 02:32 What was going through your mind as a kid, 02:34 when you were dealing with those wars? 02:37 So, 02:40 you know, I remember the first war was... 02:46 The first war was quite a while back, 02:50 I think I was four years old. 02:51 Okay. 02:53 And I remember my parents saying, 02:54 "Well, you know, you're going to the mission field, 02:57 we're going to the mission field 02:58 for the Lord's work." 03:00 And, going through all those wars, actually, 03:03 for a part of that experience, I thought, 03:07 I was angry against God to be honest. 03:10 Because I was wondering, 03:12 why are we going through all this sacrifice 03:16 for to be missionaries? 03:19 But I hadn't understood the gospel, 03:21 the full gospel and how Jesus had died for me. 03:26 And that I had to do this not out of duty, 03:31 but out of love for Him. 03:33 So as a young child, I had a lot of anger, 03:37 but the more I grew up, the more I learned about 03:41 the love of God and the Bible. 03:44 I had a 360 and I, it broke me down 03:48 and I said my entire life, I want to become a missionary. 03:50 Wow. So... 03:52 So that's a little bit of the experience 03:55 that I went through, 03:56 and I dedicated myself to the Lord. 03:59 And believe it or not, I mean, 04:01 I see myself as a missionary 04:03 from, you know, to America, because, you know, 04:08 I come from the continent of Africa. 04:10 So I, and I've been here ever since. 04:12 I even married a local, an American and, you know, 04:16 I have taken this as my mission field. 04:18 Wow. 04:20 Okay, well, we definitely need missionaries here in America. 04:24 This gospel has to go out, you know. 04:26 I know, we oftentimes talk about around the world. 04:29 Yeah. 04:30 But we got to start at home too. 04:32 You know, some of our neighbors don't know about Christ. 04:34 Oh, yeah. 04:35 I mean, Jason, just, you know, 04:40 when we had GYC, Houston. 04:43 In, for example, the city of Houston, 04:46 at suppertime, every household speaks a different language. 04:50 They have thousands of groups 04:53 in Houston that you cannot reach, 04:56 so to speak, they're in areas that are either, 04:59 they have religious persecution, 05:01 or different things like that going on, 05:03 but they are there in the thousands in Houston. 05:06 And most of them 05:08 don't even know about Jesus and the gospel, 05:10 and the Advent message. 05:12 Yeah. 05:13 So we talk a lot about going overseas which, 05:16 for most of my life that's what I did, 05:18 and that's very important. 05:21 But we have a massive mission field here in America. 05:25 Yes. 05:26 And so, we need a lot of missionaries here. 05:30 Absolutely. Yeah. 05:31 Absolutely. 05:32 What is GYC stand for? 05:35 GYC stands for Generation, Youth, Christ. 05:40 And it stands for the belief 05:43 that young people can hasten the Lord's coming 05:46 through the help of the Holy Spirit. 05:49 That if we have a definite aim of winning souls for Jesus 05:53 that young people can take 05:55 sacrificial initiative for Christ 05:57 and expand His kingdom. 05:59 That's the idea behind GYC. 06:01 That's why it says Generation, Youth, Christ. 06:04 Nice. 06:05 You know, I've been to several of those conferences. 06:08 I've even been to some different chapters of GYC. 06:12 Amen. 06:13 And I got to tell you, like, I love going to GYC 06:17 because one of the things that I see 06:21 at those conventions or at those conferences 06:23 are young people on fire for Christ. 06:25 Amen. 06:26 So many times you hear people asking, 06:27 well, where are the young people? 06:29 Where are the young people in the church? 06:32 What can you say towards that? 06:34 Where are the young people? 06:36 Well, you know, they, the young people of the church, 06:40 a good group of them come to GYC. 06:44 But there's about 60 plus percent 06:47 who go to different universities 06:49 or different things that leave the church. 06:52 So they, they're two groups of young people, 06:56 those that are very committed. 06:57 And we as GYC are trying to reach 07:00 those who are not as committed. 07:02 Got you. 07:03 But they're young people who want to get involved, 07:06 who love the advent message 07:08 and who do not want to be entertained, 07:10 they want to be challenged. 07:12 Young people that come to GYC 07:14 are there because they want to be challenged. 07:16 And I believe that as a church, 07:18 if we challenge young people with service, 07:22 doing something bigger than themselves, 07:25 we'll find them all around. 07:26 Yes. 07:28 We don't want to be entertained. 07:29 Jason. We want the Word of God. 07:31 We want truth. 07:33 We want something we're ready to die for, 07:36 because we have the one who died for us. 07:38 Amen, amen. 07:39 When people ask me 07:41 where the young people are in the church, 07:42 I just tell them, they're at GYC. 07:44 Make sure you go. Amen. 07:46 And you'll see the young people there for sure. 07:49 Amen. 07:50 What made you want to become a pastor? 07:53 Yeah. 07:55 So going back to my war time, 07:57 going through war as a young boy, 07:59 when I was eight years old that the war was so bad. 08:03 And it was called Zaire, called Zaire at the time, 08:06 Central Africa. 08:08 And it was so bad, people were dying 08:10 left and right, all around me. 08:12 And it was a very selfish prayer. 08:15 But the prayer was... 08:16 I said, "Lord, I don't want to die. 08:19 But if you save my family and I, 08:22 I'm going to dedicate my entire life to you. 08:25 I don't know how, but this is my covenant 08:28 I'm making with you at the age of eight." 08:30 As I told you before, after that prayer, 08:33 I still had some anger in me. 08:36 You know, because of the war and all the suffering, 08:38 but I never forgot that prayer. 08:41 And when I went to Southern, you know, 08:44 well, my senior year of high school, 08:47 my father asked me, 08:48 "Where do you want to go to school?" 08:50 And I said, "Well, I made a covenant with the Lord 08:52 when I was eight. 08:54 So I want to go to a good school 08:56 that teaches good theology." 08:58 So I went to Southern, 09:01 and I kept my word to the Lord. 09:06 And through that commitment, 09:09 I realize why I wanted to become a pastor, 09:12 because that is where I saw the grace of God 09:15 being unfolded like nothing else. 09:19 And I felt it was my life calling, 09:21 was something that was worth dying for. 09:24 And that was to give all of my life, 09:26 my time, my energy, my youth 09:30 to the work of the Lord, full time. 09:33 Amen. Now you're a young guy. 09:36 Yes. 09:38 Do you ever find yourself in a challenging situation 09:42 where, let's say you may have a member 09:44 that's experiencing a problem, 09:45 but that member is older than you? 09:48 What happens there? 09:49 Yeah, so well, the Bible tells us, 09:51 "Don't let anybody despise your youth." 09:54 So I've used that a lot, I tell you so. 09:57 But it also says, with firm teaching. 10:02 In other words, you must know the Bible, as a young person. 10:05 I've faced a lot of complex situation 10:09 in my time pastoring, 10:12 I started in my very early 20s. 10:16 Now, I'm almost about to be my 30s. 10:19 Okay. 10:21 If you look close enough, you'll see white hair 10:23 starting to grow around my head and stuff, but you know, 10:28 I've faced a lot of different challenging situations. 10:31 And sometimes, as a young person, 10:33 you have a lot of zeal. 10:35 But listening to wisdom can be very hard at times, 10:38 because you think you could just fix it. 10:42 But I've humbled myself, and I've accepted, you know, 10:47 the instruction of the Lord and those he placed around me. 10:50 And that has helped me a lot. 10:53 And it has helped me win respect 10:55 among the older people, the more experienced people, 10:58 because they see this gentleman 11:01 really wants to do the right thing for the Lord. 11:04 Amen. Yeah. 11:05 And you're relying on the Word of God. 11:07 Yes. So that, yeah. 11:09 I mean, you can't argue with that. 11:11 I mean, you have to know the Word of God, 11:13 especially when you're young, like I am, 11:16 is you have to know the Bible, 11:20 because as a young person 11:21 you need a lot of moral guidance. 11:25 To make good choices, 11:26 you need the Bible to inspire you, 11:30 because at times, reality can be very discouraging 11:33 for a young person. 11:35 You know, most of my friends that I went to college with, 11:40 most of them are not in the church anymore. 11:44 And most of them left, 11:47 either because they were turned off about something, 11:49 or they didn't have a good community, 11:52 or they were just wandering, 11:54 and the Word of God has helped me stay focused 11:58 on what is most important and give me a moral guidance. 12:02 And that's why it's so important, Jason. 12:04 Amen. Yeah. 12:06 Yeah, I want to transition back into the GYC Conference. 12:11 Tell us what we can expect if we go to a GYC Conference? 12:16 So, the first thing you can expect 12:19 from a GYC Conference is that 12:21 by God's grace, the Bible is going to be preached. 12:25 You're not going to hear, what we might call it, 12:28 Mary had a little lamb sermon. 12:31 Not a lot of fluff. No, no, no, we... 12:33 Okay, good. 12:34 We want the Bible to answer real questions 12:37 that young people are dealing with. 12:39 So it's going to be, when you go to GYC, 12:41 expect to be challenged. 12:44 We will talk about everything that the Bible deals 12:48 with which is everything, sexuality, relationships, 12:54 finances, leadership, 12:57 music, social issues, 13:02 all of that spectrum, we try to address it 13:06 because the Bible addresses all of them. 13:08 So that's number one, you will hear by God's grace, 13:11 the Bible being preached. 13:12 Number two, the music. 13:13 Yes. 13:15 Expect to hear heavenly music. 13:17 We have a... 13:18 We have a goal as GYC is to not have performers up there, 13:22 but people who sing 13:23 out of a deep commitment to the Lord. 13:26 And so, expect good godly music 13:29 that will be uplifting and encouraging. 13:32 Number two, expect... 13:34 Well, number three, expect a good community. 13:37 You know, as a young person, 13:38 you need to have that community. 13:41 To make it through life, you need that support system, 13:44 and at GYC you can find that by God's grace. 13:47 You might be introverted, you might be very extroverted, 13:51 but make an effort to open up yourself. 13:55 And be open-minded to meeting people 13:57 who have the same core values as you. 14:00 So that's number three. 14:02 I would say number four is, 14:05 expect to go on outreach. 14:08 So expect to be challenged to go on missions. 14:12 Every GYC we aim to go to the community. 14:15 You know, we don't want to be all just for ourselves, 14:18 we want to be a blessing to other people. 14:19 Yes. 14:21 So when you come to GYC, 14:22 expect to be challenged to go and do missions. 14:27 And lastly, I would say when you go to GYC, 14:31 expect to be a blessing to somebody else. 14:34 So many people that come to GYC 14:37 actually have the best experience 14:39 when they meet one of their peers. 14:41 That is a blessing to them. 14:43 A lot of young people that come to GYC 14:45 are searching for deep friendships. 14:48 And you can play part in that 14:50 and be a blessing to somebody else. 14:52 Yes. Yes. 14:53 Now, also at GYC, 14:56 they have all these wonderful breakout sessions. 14:59 Oh, yes. Now... 15:00 Yeah, we got to get into that. 15:02 Yes, so we have wonderful breakout sessions where, 15:05 as I mentioned, we address a plethora of topics, 15:09 all sorts of topics that the Bible deals with. 15:12 You have breakout sessions, you have networking sessions 15:17 where you can think about 15:19 different ideas, ministry ideas, 15:21 and challenge other people around you to, 15:25 or inspire them with your missionary idea 15:28 that you have. 15:29 So we have networking sessions, and then something 15:32 that we're really excited especially with GYC. 15:36 That usually happens in December, 15:39 GYC, is what we call our booths. 15:44 Okay. 15:46 And where you can go and find different ministries. 15:51 3ABN is a big part of it. Yes. 15:54 And the Discovery 15:56 and everybody involved with 3ABN, 16:00 they are there. 16:01 We have booths of missionaries, 16:05 all sorts of different booths with ministries, 16:07 people that are excited about mission. 16:09 So that's something that's very important for us too. 16:12 Yeah, and that's another aspect of GYC that I love too, 16:15 because I get a chance to walk around 16:17 and see the different people that are exhibiting 16:21 the different exhibit centers that are there as well. 16:24 Great. 16:25 One thing that I find very special about GYC is that, 16:29 no matter what city you guys go to, 16:32 it's never the same after that, 16:34 because of those, the outreach that takes place. 16:37 Exactly. 16:39 I mean, that is important to us. 16:40 We believe 16:41 that God has given us not the great option, 16:45 but the Great Commission. 16:47 And it starts first with go. 16:49 Yep. You got to go. 16:51 So when people come to GYC, 16:53 we don't want to leave the city the same. 16:57 We want to find the people where they're at. 17:00 So usually more than 2,000 young people 17:03 gather for most of the afternoon, 17:06 and go through all the streets. 17:08 We also try to not only give them 17:11 literature or different things, 17:12 but resources, network them to people 17:16 that might be able to help with their needs. 17:19 So we don't want to leave the city the same. 17:21 Because we have a great commission. 17:23 Yes. 17:24 And prayer plays a big part at GYC. 17:27 Oh, Jason. You have a prayer room. 17:30 Yes, Jason. 17:31 We had more than 1,000 young people gathering 17:35 at our prayer room 17:36 early in the morning in Houston. 17:39 And we're talking like 6 AM early or 5 AM. 17:42 The room is almost full at 5:30-5:45. 17:47 Wow! 17:48 And mind you, we have exhibits that go a little bit later, 17:51 maybe nine or ten. 17:54 And these young people wake up early, 17:57 and they were praying there. 18:00 Hundreds of young people pleading for the Holy Spirit. 18:05 That is something I'm so passionate about. 18:07 That is prayer. 18:09 It says, no man is bigger than his prayer life. 18:10 Jason. 18:12 You know, as a young person, you must learn how to pray. 18:16 The disciples never asked Jesus, 18:18 teach us how to preach, 18:19 they never asked Jesus, 18:21 teach us how to give Bible studies, 18:22 though those things are very important. 18:24 But the one thing they long to learn from Jesus 18:27 was teach us how to pray. 18:28 Yes. 18:29 And at GYC, you will find praying people. 18:31 And that is really the engine room of GYC. 18:35 Yes. And Gem cast? 18:37 Is it Gem Castor? Gem Castor. 18:39 Yeah, he's a gem. Yeah. 18:40 He's a gem. 18:42 He's so passionate about prayer and the prayer room. 18:44 I mean, he makes you excited about the whole thing. 18:49 Oh, yeah. 18:50 What are some challenges that you face as the GYC President? 18:54 Oh, the biggest challenge is myself, leading myself. 18:59 And surrendering, making sure that 19:02 I am surrendered fully to the Lord. 19:08 That's the biggest challenge. Okay. 19:10 Because, you know, we are so selfish people. 19:13 And, you know, just my challenge every day 19:17 is to live out the gospel in my life, 19:20 and make sure that Jesus has my best emotions. 19:25 That's my challenge as a leader, 19:27 surrendering to Him every day. 19:30 Challenges, as GYC, we always face all sorts of challenges, 19:34 but the Lord has a 1,000 ways to solve all them. 19:36 Amen. 19:38 So we... 19:39 Whatever challenge we face, 19:40 you know, some might be logistical challenge, 19:43 dealing with a city, 19:45 dealing with all sorts of different things. 19:47 But as long as we go to the Lord, 19:49 all we need is one solution. 19:51 Yes. So we're fine. 19:52 Now there are a lot of moving parts with GYC? 19:57 Yes. 19:59 Roughly how many people are on the team? 20:02 Well, at GYC, what we might call international or national. 20:09 We have probably close to about 100 and... 20:12 100 volunteers. Wow. 20:13 100 volunteers. 20:16 That's including myself. 20:17 Okay. I'm a volunteer too. 20:20 So about 100 volunteers that give most of the year, 20:24 all to GYC. 20:26 Wow! That's amazing. 20:27 And you said, you're a volunteer too. 20:29 I am, yes. 20:30 I have to pay, Jason, for my registration. 20:33 I get a discount. 20:34 It's called early bird. 20:37 So I get an early bird discount, $20 or so. 20:43 But I pay for myself, and it's a joy. 20:45 I pay for my wife's tickets, everything, all of our family. 20:49 Just like any GYC, or that goes to GYC. 20:53 See, that's amazing, too because you're the president. 20:55 Yeah. 20:56 So, that's, yeah, that's amazing. 20:58 But my whole team does the same 20:59 and our whole board does the same, so. 21:02 And all, you know, all of us as leaders, it's a joy. 21:07 Yes. Yeah. Yeah. 21:08 So, that's what we do. 21:10 What are some of your needs as an organization? 21:14 So our biggest need, I would say is one, 21:16 we always need people to promote GYC. 21:20 'Cause GYC is a grassroots movement. 21:22 So if you're passionate about promoting GYC, 21:25 if you believe in the movement, invite a friend. 21:28 That is always the way how we grow as GYC, 21:30 is by word of mouth. 21:32 Yes. 21:34 Obviously, another need is always financial support. 21:38 But that, you know, the beauty about GYC is that 21:41 we're 90-95% funded all by young people. 21:46 Wow. That's amazing. 21:48 So we, those 5% might be donations 21:51 from people that are young at heart 21:54 that love the movement, 21:56 but almost 95% completely 21:59 from young people like you and I. 22:02 That's huge. That's huge. 22:04 And if people want to get involved 22:06 and want to donate their time or volunteer... 22:09 Oh, yes. 22:11 They just go to GYCWeb.org? 22:14 GYCWeb.org. 22:16 And volunteer, you know, 22:17 and you are GYC, I am GYC, 22:21 GYC is not just a conference. 22:23 GYC is a movement of values. 22:27 Yes. 22:28 Three of those main values are belief in the Bible, 22:32 the Spirit of Prophecy, 22:33 and belief in the Adventist Church. 22:37 So people that gather to GYC 22:39 are usually united by common set of values. 22:42 And it's a lifestyle. 22:43 So you are GYC, I'm GYC. 22:45 So GYC is us as young people, 22:48 as Seventh-day Adventist young people. 22:50 Amen. Yes. 22:51 And what are some of the themes 22:53 that since you've been president, 22:56 like to the end? 22:58 Or am I putting you on the spot? 23:00 No, that's good, that's good, you know, that's good. 23:01 You know, I've been... 23:02 I've been involved with the movement now 23:04 for the last six years in a top leadership. 23:09 So some of our themes have been at the cross, 23:13 to the end. 23:16 We have, When all has been heard, 23:21 we have all sorts of different themes. 23:24 They range from the Old to the New Testament. 23:28 One of our themes that will be coming up 23:32 is by many or by few. 23:35 Nice. 23:36 And that is the theme about Jonathan, 23:38 when he was willing with his armed bearer, 23:40 to face the enemies of Israel. 23:44 And he says, "By many or by few, 23:46 the Lord can deliver." 23:47 And that is one of our big themes 23:50 that we're working towards. 23:51 That is awesome. 23:53 How do you guys come up with these themes? 23:55 Well, we... 23:58 It's a very prayerful process. 24:01 We look, we try not to plan themes too much in advance, 24:05 we look at the current stage of young people and the world, 24:10 and what the Bible is trying to tell us. 24:12 So we gather together, we go through several themes. 24:16 And we pray through it, and we really see 24:18 what is God calling us to as young people. 24:22 And that is what we select as our theme. 24:25 And then, through that, we get it approved. 24:27 Obviously, we have a board, and executive committee. 24:31 But we want to see what the Bible says. 24:33 So all of our themes come from the Bible. 24:35 Amen. 24:37 Now, what about for your speaker selection? 24:40 How do you come to an agreement 24:42 on who you want to speak and all that stuff? 24:44 How do you select your speakers? 24:46 Well, that is, we have a whole team for that. 24:50 It's called the programming committee team. 24:52 And we usually look for speakers that, number one, 24:57 they have a deep respect for the Bible. 25:00 We're not so much interested, so to speak, in big names. 25:03 If they are a big name, praise the Lord. 25:06 Big name might be somebody that's well-known. 25:09 But we try to find those that are, 25:11 that their ministry is a testimony 25:13 to their devotion to the Lord. 25:15 So we spend a lot of time looking at different events, 25:21 of speakers and going through that process. 25:25 If I could boil it down, number one, 25:27 obviously is devotion to the Lord, 25:28 respect for the Bible. 25:30 Number two, they have to be 25:31 a very committed Seventh-day Adventist. 25:34 And number three, they must love young people. 25:36 If they can't connect with young people, 25:41 you know, the Lord has a ministry for them. 25:43 But we really like to get those that love young people. 25:46 Yeah. So we... 25:48 So those three are very important. 25:49 They must believe in that 25:51 young people can do big things for the Lord. 25:55 Respect for the Bible, 25:56 committed Seventh-day Adventist, 25:58 and love young people. 26:00 Amen, amen. 26:02 I want you to look into this camera right over here, 26:05 and just share what's on your heart. 26:07 Speak to that young person that may be wayward, 26:09 or one that's in the church 26:12 and just doesn't know what to do with their time? 26:14 Yeah. 26:15 So I would challenge you, if you're watching right now, 26:19 to number one, 26:21 fall in love with Jesus through the Word of God. 26:24 I would challenge you to read the Book of John, 26:26 start with John. 26:27 Because John wants you to know that Jesus is the Son of God, 26:31 and He can completely save you from whatever you're faced. 26:34 Maybe you've left the church, 26:36 and you've seen too many things that are discouraging to you. 26:40 But I want to challenge you to follow Jesus, 26:43 and this is God's Church. 26:45 Maybe you're in the church, 26:46 and you're a leader in the church, 26:47 as a young person. 26:49 I want to encourage you as well. 26:51 Learn to pray, learn to have faith, 26:54 and believe that 26:56 Jesus can use you to do mighty things. 26:59 Don't limit yourself, dream big for the Lord, 27:02 because God has called you for such a time as this. 27:06 And I want to encourage you, always look up. 27:08 Always look up to Jesus, 27:10 because He's the author and finisher of your faith. 27:13 As long as you look to Him, you will arrive home. 27:16 Amen. Amen. Amen. 27:18 I hope that, as a result of watching this program 27:23 that we get a whole bunch of young folks to go to GYC 27:29 even more than have already gone 27:31 because I mean, there's thousands 27:32 that show up at GYC. 27:34 Yes. 27:35 There are thousands of them. 27:36 But we're always interested in everybody that comes, 27:40 that they surrender to the Lord. 27:42 Because once you surrender to the Lord, 27:44 you'll always be a majority. 27:45 Amen. 27:47 And for more information, they can go to GYCWeb.org 27:51 to find out when the next event is. 27:52 Thank you very much, Pastor. 27:54 Thank you, Jason. 27:55 And thank you for joining us. 27:57 Well, we've reached the end of another program. 27:59 Thanks for tuning in. 28:00 And remember, 28:02 it just wouldn't be the same without you. |
Revised 2019-07-22