WEBVTT - On The Ground with Samaritan's Purse - Keeping Faith through Difficulty 0:00:02.680 --> 0:00:03.520 Life Audio. 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:12.760 Good morning, friends and faithful listeners, Thank you so much 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:16.480 for tuning into the Bible Explained on this lovely Saturday 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:20.280 morning for this special podcast episode where you guys might 0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:25.120 remember about a month back that I shared an episode 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:29.720 of on the Ground with Samaritan's Purse on this podcast 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:34.960 and with Christy Graham, and I got the opportunity today 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:39.680 actually to interview Miss Christie myself, and so I'm excited 0:00:40.040 --> 0:00:42.199 to have her on the podcast this morning for all 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:44.919 of you faithful listeners, and so she is here with us. 0:00:44.960 --> 0:00:47.160 So if you could say a few words, Miss Christy 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:48.720 to the audience. 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:51.440 Hello, the Bible explained. I am so excited to be 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:54.160 on here, and again I'm honored. I know they're typically 0:00:54.160 --> 0:00:56.920 tuning in to hear you explain the Bible to really 0:00:56.960 --> 0:00:58.960 go into it, which we will talk about because that 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:01.520 is a part of everything that we do at Smaritan's Purse. 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:03.440 So I am excited to be a part of this 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:04.720 conversation today. 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:07.080 And I'm excited to have you as part of this conversation. 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:11.000 So the first question I want to ask, just to 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:14.959 really get to know you and also for my audience 0:01:15.000 --> 0:01:17.800 to get to know you, is what is your relationship 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:20.800 with Samaritan's Purse and with the Graham family. 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:21.560 So who are you? 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:23.959 So I don't know For people who don't know about 0:01:24.000 --> 0:01:29.280 Samaritan's Purse, it is a christian An evangelical humanitarian organization 0:01:29.520 --> 0:01:33.160 that was founded in nineteen seventy by Bob Pierce. But 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:36.280 my father in law, Franklin Graham, he took over as 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:38.920 president and CEO a couple years later when he Bob 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:42.319 Pierce had cancer. And so my father in law, Franklin 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:46.320 is has been leading this organization for many years, over 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:50.600 fifty years. And my husband, Edward, is his son. So 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:54.720 when I got married, you know, I knew about Samaritan's Purse. 0:01:54.880 --> 0:01:57.320 My husband at the time was in the military. We 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:01.040 were in the army for sixteen years and or he was, 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:03.520 but I was a part of that, and so we 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:05.880 saw and got to visit and see, you know, the 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:09.880 ministry throughout the years. But then about eight years ago, 0:02:09.960 --> 0:02:13.320 the Lord called my husband Edward to come work full 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:16.480 time with Samaritan's Purse. So we left the military to 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:21.280 come serve here and he is the chief operating officer 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:24.680 with Smaritan's Purse and I get to work in communications 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:28.040 on the podcast called on the Ground, and so again 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:30.400 we've been a part of the ministry from Afar for 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:34.079 many years, but now we work here full time and 0:02:34.200 --> 0:02:35.960 I love getting to be a part of this ministry 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:36.800 Smaritan's Purse. 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:42.079 That's wonderful. So how has working with Samaritan's Purse shaped 0:02:42.200 --> 0:02:43.320 your family's life. 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:47.120 It's shaped it in many ways. You know. 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:49.000 When we moved here again, I said, we were in 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:51.720 the military, and so i'd you know, Lord, how can 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:53.200 I be a part of this ministry? How can I 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:55.320 support my husband? You know, and he travels a lot, 0:02:55.360 --> 0:02:59.360 and so the podcast is such a wonderful way for 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:02.679 me to get to see what God's doing around the 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:04.800 world and kind of get to be a bridge between 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:08.360 our prayer warriors and our donors and then the people 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:11.720 that are in the field carrying out the work. But 0:03:11.760 --> 0:03:14.400 it's I didn't expect it to change me personally so much. 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:18.160 I'm a mom of four, and I think it's even 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:22.320 changed my parenting. It's changed everything because when you watch 0:03:22.400 --> 0:03:25.560 people surrender and say yes to the Lord. You know, 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:28.600 we serve in some very difficult and dangerous places, and 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.640 when you watch people say yes to serving the Lord, 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:34.320 it changes my daily life. And I'm sure you see 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:37.000 this too. The Bible changes our daily life, you know, 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:41.520 when we read what God wrote, you know, thousands of 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:44.280 years ago, it is alive and active in living, and 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:48.040 so I get to see, you know, God moving and 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:51.360 shaping and working. So it changed me in more ways 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:53.400 than I ever thought I would. But the bottom line 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:55.000 is I get I get a front row seat of 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:56.800 what God's doing around the world, and I get to 0:03:56.840 --> 0:03:58.680 share it with people. 0:03:58.760 --> 0:04:01.080 So it's it's a joy and a privilege. 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:04.000 Oh yeah, and I fully relate with everything that you're 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:07.440 saying there about the Gospel changing you. You know, when 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:11.080 I started the podcast almost seven years ago, at this point, 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:14.120 I really did not think I believe that I understood 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:18.159 the Bible fully, and man, how arrogant I was. But 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:22.560 speaking of you, you know, sharing all of this with 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:25.040 with just your listeners, tell us a little bit about 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:28.800 your podcast On the Ground with Samaritan's Purse. I know 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:31.400 you use the podcast to share the stories from the 0:04:31.400 --> 0:04:34.400 front lines of your work to encourage people in their 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:37.039 own faith with God. So how is hosting this show 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:37.680 changed you? 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:41.640 Well, yeah, the podcast On the Ground with Samarines Purse, 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:44.520 it literally takes you on the ground. And so because 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:47.440 the work of Smirns Purse is so varied, you know, 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:49.240 our goal and everything that we do is to share 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:53.000 the gospel, to help people that are hurting and introduce 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:56.120 them to Jesus. But we do that through many different ways. 0:04:56.240 --> 0:04:59.680 And so the podcast is exciting because I'm sure you 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:01.880 know this how it is for you too. With scripture, 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:06.320 it is it's everything's different. So one day we'll be 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:10.279 talking about Children's Heart Project, an amazing project where kids 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:14.120 get life saving heart surgery, and then one day we'll 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:16.400 be talking about our disaster relief, you know, and so 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:21.560 every episode is different, but there's a commonality because we 0:05:21.600 --> 0:05:25.160 share scripture and we share the gospel in every episode 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:27.520 because that is what our work does. 0:05:27.360 --> 0:05:27.799 In the field. 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:33.920 So it's it's an exciting, ever changing podcast. But the 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:37.680 goal was to I think many people get involved with 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:41.200 the ministry, maybe through one of the vehicles like Operation 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:43.760 Christmas Child. You know, say, for instance, many people that 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:46.600 are listening might have heard about that ministry, which you know, 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:49.480 we send shoe boxes to kids all around the world, 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:52.320 and so maybe you only know about that part of 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:55.120 the ministry, but the podcast, you know, we hope to 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:58.400 introduce you to even more and so, and like you said, 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:00.680 it's it's like scripture. I mean, you think you know 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:03.240 about the ministry, and I think I know about scripture, 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:05.760 but the more you dive into it, you realize you 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:08.440 don't know. Because God is so big and he does 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:11.520 exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or imagine. And so 0:06:12.200 --> 0:06:14.440 even there's days where I think I know about one 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:16.640 of our projects and I realize I don't, you know, 0:06:16.760 --> 0:06:20.040 when I talk to somebody in Kenya carrying it out 0:06:20.040 --> 0:06:21.600 in the field, I realize. 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:22.200 That I don't know anything. 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.880 And you know, he shares things about what's happening, and 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:27.120 so I learned something. 0:06:27.160 --> 0:06:27.640 Every day. 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:31.159 I'm humbled and overwhelmed, and I just realize I'm just 0:06:31.160 --> 0:06:34.920 such a small part. You know, that God is the 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:39.120 one moving and acting, and so it's just exciting to 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:40.800 be a part of it. But I think I'm just 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:44.360 learning that I'm a constant learner, you know. And same 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:48.160 with scripture. We try to put scripture into every episode 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:51.720 as well, because that is, you know, the grass withers 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:53.360 and the flowers fade, but the word of the Lord 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:55.720 stands forever. And that's why all the projects that we do, 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:59.000 we hand out Bibles, we introduce people to the local church. 0:06:59.040 --> 0:07:02.240 We want them to be discipled and to grow, and 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:05.240 so we strug study God's word as well, which again 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:11.120 is constantly changing, piercing my heart, convicting me, which I love. 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:14.880 So I feel like every episode I am overwhelmed by 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:18.400 God's love and I'm you know, changed in the process. 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:21.360 So it's not about me trying to change or do anything. 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:24.240 It's it's God is constantly changing and teaching me. 0:07:24.800 --> 0:07:28.920 I actually I have a friend who personally was very 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:34.280 helped by Samaritan's Purse, really with the veterans program that 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:36.480 you guys do, and so you do have like a 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:41.480 bunch of yeah, and their marriage was like really helped 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:44.960 through the veterans program. And so it's amazing how many 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:48.240 different things that Samaritans Purse does that I think people 0:07:48.320 --> 0:07:51.680 don't really know about. So share with us, like some 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:53.880 of the things that you would say on like do 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:56.760 you do encouragement or would you do more of like 0:07:56.920 --> 0:08:01.360 a you know, sharing a inspirational story of somebody that 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:04.360 might have been helped by Samaritan's Purse. 0:08:04.680 --> 0:08:06.120 We do a little bit of everything. 0:08:06.680 --> 0:08:09.160 You know, our team, our communications team, we come in 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:11.400 and we try to plan out what the next episode 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:13.640 is going to be. But obviously when we either talk 0:08:13.720 --> 0:08:17.680 to the people or we God rewrites the story. But yes, 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:19.880 we try to introduce a project and actually, what you 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:22.920 just shared Operation Healer Patriots, that's one of my favorite projects. 0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:26.120 It is a ministry to our two wounded veterans. You know, 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:30.480 it is for a couple, so we we reach out 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:32.480 to whether it's the wife or the husband that served 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:34.720 in the military. We the couple gets to go to 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:39.360 Alaska for a week. It's a marriage retreat. And so 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:43.200 say say the episodes on Operation Healer Patriots, I get 0:08:43.200 --> 0:08:45.959 to talk to our couples or I get to go 0:08:46.040 --> 0:08:48.280 to Alaska, and you know, take people in a life 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:51.360 of you know, so it changes the way we do it. 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:54.640 But sometimes we'll take people in a day in a 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:58.440 life of the ministry and I'll literally walk throughout the 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:01.640 ministry introduce them to people. Sometimes it's a deep dive 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:05.040 with one person, you know, hearing their story or their 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:08.080 heart or what they're seeing. Sometimes there's multiple voices. So 0:09:09.080 --> 0:09:12.680 again the episode and the approach is different in everyone. 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:16.800 But each episode our goal is to one share the 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:20.320 gospel of Jesus Christ and study scripture, but then also 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:24.960 to help people learn about different projects and vehicles that 0:09:25.000 --> 0:09:30.280 Samaritan's Purse has. So they're very different. And I think 0:09:30.280 --> 0:09:36.160 it's neat the Lord. He sometimes writes and carries an 0:09:36.160 --> 0:09:40.440 episode we had no intention of covering, but it's yeah, 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:42.840 typically trying to take people to the front lines and 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:44.760 introduce them to the work of Smaritan's Purse. 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:46.240 Yeah, that's wonderful. 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:49.480 So I know that you talk a lot about prayer 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:52.040 on your podcast, and in fact, I think it was 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:55.679 the episode that I shared of your Guys' podcast that 0:09:56.120 --> 0:10:00.000 did talk a bit about prayer. So how is prayer 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:02.439 are foundational to the ministry? 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:07.680 Yeah, so Samaritans Perse our international headquarters is here in Boone, 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:10.600 North Carolina, but we have offices all throughout the country. 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:15.880 But then we also have country offices all around the world. 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.360 Sometimes when we respond to a disaster, we find that 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:21.440 there is long term work needing to be done, so 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:25.120 we'll set up a country office and so all of 0:10:25.160 --> 0:10:28.080 our offices, with our staff, they all start their day 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:33.760 in scripture and in prayer. And here here in Boone, 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:35.640 you know, we start our day. We have somebody that 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:39.280 shares a devotion and then leads in prayer corporately. But 0:10:39.320 --> 0:10:42.080 then we break up into small groups at our table, 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.400 and we literally have prayer cards on our you know, 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:47.240 everybody grabs one in the morning and it. 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:47.760 Has our. 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:51.800 Field, our staff that are serving all over the world. 0:10:51.960 --> 0:10:55.800 So we pray for them by name because we know 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:58.920 it is so important. We do not do this work alone. 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:02.559 It's like Ephesian six. You know, we know that we 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:04.800 have an enemy and we have to put on the 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:07.679 full armor of God, and so we pray over our 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:10.959 staff by name, our country offices, whatever card you have. 0:11:11.160 --> 0:11:15.559 And I love that because every single person at s 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:18.760 Maarsbors wherever you will serve, whatever you do, we start 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:21.400 at the same and it's that dependence on the Lord. 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:21.680 You know. 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:25.440 It is not about us. And actually just shared a 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:27.960 scripture the other day, and I've seen this in my 0:11:28.080 --> 0:11:31.520 recent interviews. It is every leader here at sparsbverse or 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:34.840 person carrying it out, our confidence is in the Lord. 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:38.600 I just want to read tewod Corinthians three four through six. 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:41.120 It says, such is the confidence we have through Christ 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.760 before God. It is not that we are It's not 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:47.839 that we are Christ. Okay, sorry, I'm let me pull 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:51.240 us closer. Such as the confidence we have through Christ 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:53.160 before God. It is not that we are competent in 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:56.120 ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:58.760 adequacy is from God. He has made us competent to 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:01.679 be ministers of the New Cup, and I think we 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:06.160 take that very seriously. We realize that we are not competent, 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:10.160 we are not in charge. We are every single person 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:12.199 here is so relying on the Lord, and so prayer 0:12:12.320 --> 0:12:17.120 is foundational. And even Bob Pierce, who founded this, you know, 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:21.120 he wanted to say yes to things that he couldn't 0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:23.120 do in his own strength. And that's what we call 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:25.480 the God Room principle. You know, we say yes to 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:30.480 projects and responses and tragedies that we as an organization 0:12:30.559 --> 0:12:33.480 could not carry out without the Lord. And so it's 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:36.120 it's incredible we find time and time again where we 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.560 say we can't respond to that, we can't do this, 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:41.920 it's not possible, and then the Lord makes away. And 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:44.400 it is because we're so relying on prayer, and so 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:47.480 we've seen time and time again we're the Lord answer prayers. 0:12:47.480 --> 0:12:49.600 So I asked that often on my you know, when 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:50.959 I have people on you know, how have' you seen 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:53.440 the Lord answer prayer lately? And it's just incredible. You know, 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:57.200 sometimes it's so small. It's something like a doctor serving 0:12:57.280 --> 0:13:00.760 at a hospital in remote you know, remote place that 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:04.360 needs a sharpie marker and somebody happens to visit and say, 0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:06.559 here's a marker. You know, something so small, but then 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.960 there's also something so big that again God goes before 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:13.480 and he answers prayers that I love it that we 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:17.400 have an intercessor working on our behalf. So that was 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:20.240 a ramblely long answer, but I think we just learned 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:23.280 time and time again the dependence and the need to 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:24.760 stay relyant on the Lord. 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:29.440 Yeah, and I think that that's absolutely great. And so 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:32.400 speaking of some of the things that you've seen at 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:36.120 Samaritan's Purse, I know that you've been in the field 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:40.440 with some families who lost everything after Hurricane Helene, and 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:45.480 you are also in Venezuela right after two earthquakes completely 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:49.120 devastated that region. So what was it like being on 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:52.560 the ground there after the disaster or can you share 0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:55.200 any stories of those times? 0:13:55.679 --> 0:13:58.079 Yeah, it's it's really hard, and like I said, we 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:00.280 have so many different vehicles, so many different ways that 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:04.960 we serve. Sometimes it's like you said, through our US 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:09.400 disaster relief, we helped with Hurricane Helene. We're helping currently 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:11.640 in many different parts throughout the country. I got to 0:14:11.679 --> 0:14:15.040 see a community that had been rocked by a tornado, 0:14:16.800 --> 0:14:18.280 and then, as you said, I got to go to 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:22.680 Venezuela and see a earthquake that just devastated And so 0:14:23.320 --> 0:14:30.880 the disaster is different, but the I think it's the 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:33.480 reality that we live in a fall and broken world, right, 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:35.920 and so we meet people in the ditches of life 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:38.400 and again the ditch and the disaster, it's different, but 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:43.560 there's heartbreak and devastation and hopelessness. And I love that 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:46.520 we Samarn's purs We always work with the local church, 0:14:46.720 --> 0:14:49.440 whether it's domestic or international, we work with the local church, 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:52.920 and so Venezuela, for instance, we have so many church 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:55.720 partners that we've been working with for years. We have 0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:57.960 a country office in Columbia, but we have been working 0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:01.440 in Venezuela doing feeding programs, different things for many years. 0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:02.920 And so when. 0:15:02.800 --> 0:15:06.600 The earthquake hit, we called our trick partners right away 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:08.480 and they were able to help us and figure out 0:15:08.520 --> 0:15:11.320 exactly where the needs were the biggest, and so our 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:13.960 team got in. We had an emergency field hospital set 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:17.480 up within forty eight hours and we were able to 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:21.480 start serving patients. And then we had water points and 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:23.960 so many different things that we were doing through the 0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:28.600 local church. And I'll share one story because I think 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:33.480 it highlights the need for everybody. Again, whatever they're coming for, 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:36.600 we all have a need, right, we all have a 0:15:36.640 --> 0:15:37.360 spiritual need. 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:39.080 We are separated from God. 0:15:40.240 --> 0:15:42.280 And I was at a water point and this one 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:46.960 lady came to get water, and she actually had been 0:15:46.960 --> 0:15:50.920 there before. So when she greeted one of our staff members, 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:54.040 it looked like they were old family friends. But they 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:56.320 had prayed together a couple days before, and she said, 0:15:56.360 --> 0:15:59.560 I came first for the water, but I keep coming 0:15:59.600 --> 0:16:03.600 back for the prayer and encouragement. And her husband had 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:07.360 died in the earthquake and she'd lost everything, you know, 0:16:07.440 --> 0:16:11.240 her home, everything. And so when you're at that point 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:14.560 of hopelessness here, you know, when here on Earth your circumstances, 0:16:14.600 --> 0:16:21.080 you don't have any hope, and you're introduced to Jesus, 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:25.120 your hope becomes an anchor, firm and secure, and it's 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:28.040 just incredible to see people that have literally lost everything 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:33.560 find hope in Jesus, some for the first time, or 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:36.520 some maybe they've known about him, but this tragedy brought 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:39.120 them back. And so I just love again getting to 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:44.720 watch people in some of their hardest days. It's it's 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:47.480 humbling and overwhelming that they let you in and they 0:16:47.560 --> 0:16:51.680 let you, you know, carry that burden. And then again 0:16:51.720 --> 0:16:54.520 I love watching our local church because they will be 0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:56.640 their long term and so we get to introduce them 0:16:56.680 --> 0:16:59.360 to our church partners and some many start coming to 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:02.480 church and they start, you know, their lives are really 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:06.040 changed by a bad, you know, a hard, bad situation. 0:17:06.640 --> 0:17:09.920 But God uses it for good and for his purposes 0:17:09.960 --> 0:17:12.720 and his glory. And so that's just one story. But yeah, 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:15.560 I am humbled and overwhelmed every time I get to 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:18.639 go into the field and meet people and our paths 0:17:18.680 --> 0:17:22.600 may have never crossed, you know, and until this disaster hit, 0:17:22.920 --> 0:17:25.840 and then we become brothers and sisters in Christ and 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:29.960 have a bond far greater than this earth could could give. 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:34.760 So I'm curious a little bit about the Ebola epidemic. 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:38.800 You recently covered a training where some doctors and nurses 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:42.960 were preparing to deploy to Africa to fight Ebola. I 0:17:42.960 --> 0:17:46.240 can only imagine the prayer and faith that it takes 0:17:46.280 --> 0:17:50.040 to deploy to in a Bola outbreak, right when everybody else, 0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:52.040 I'm sure is trying to get away from it. So 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:54.000 what stood out to you the most about this? 0:17:54.960 --> 0:18:00.440 Yeah, our teams. We have two ABLA hospitals up in 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:03.560 the Democratic Republic of Congo where a huge outbreak is 0:18:03.600 --> 0:18:06.680 going on, and and Ebola is a horrific, horrible disease, 0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:11.320 but it is it is preventable, you know, with the 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:15.199 proper teaching and sour Our hospitals do two things. You know, 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:19.399 they educate and train people how to prevent diseases like this, 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:22.359 but then they're also fighting and training it. And I 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:25.600 am always overwhelmed by our teams that go into I mean, no, 0:18:25.840 --> 0:18:29.920 no disaster that we respond to is is easy, but 0:18:30.480 --> 0:18:32.200 Ebola is definitely. 0:18:33.680 --> 0:18:34.320 Very scary. 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:37.239 And I got to go a couple We do this 0:18:37.320 --> 0:18:40.840 all throughout the year. We prepare in advance, but knowing 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:42.480 that this was coming and we were going to send 0:18:42.520 --> 0:18:45.080 a team, we had another training event and I got 0:18:45.080 --> 0:18:47.200 to go to it. I got to put on the PPE, 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:51.320 which is the protective you know, equipment, and they run 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:56.399 you through scenarios to prepare you. And I'll be honest, 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:59.320 I'm very clastrophobic. So even putting on that suit, I 0:18:59.440 --> 0:19:03.560 was I could not think clearly. I couldn't even run 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:07.480 through the practice. So I just kept thinking, how do 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:10.040 these doctors and how do these we have water sanitation 0:19:10.080 --> 0:19:13.719 and hygiene teams that help clean and prepare the rooms 0:19:13.760 --> 0:19:16.800 for the patients. How do you do an act? How 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:20.359 do you work, you know, under these difficult situations? And 0:19:20.400 --> 0:19:23.560 that's again why we train and prepare so that when 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:26.919 you're faced with the difficult, you know, situation. But I 0:19:26.960 --> 0:19:28.920 talked with many of our team members who are preparing 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.360 to go, and you know, many of them are dads, moms, 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:35.360 you know, sisters, daughters. I mean, they have family, they 0:19:35.359 --> 0:19:37.800 have people to take care of, they have a job, 0:19:37.920 --> 0:19:41.040 they have people that rely on them, and yet they're saying, yes, 0:19:41.160 --> 0:19:44.600 Lord send me. And one doctor in particular, she's been 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:49.280 on many of our responses and she just said she 0:19:49.520 --> 0:19:51.720 has gifts. The Lord has given her gifts and abilities, 0:19:52.000 --> 0:19:53.919 you know, why would she not use them? And I 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:56.679 thought of that parable of the man with the you 0:19:56.680 --> 0:19:59.120 know that was given the talents, you know, and there 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:01.679 was the one that buried it, you know, buried the talent, 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:04.280 and you know, and at the end, you know, he said, 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:09.320 you've what you wicked and you know, Servant, you you 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:11.720 wasted what I gave you. And she just said, why 0:20:11.760 --> 0:20:14.840 would I not give what the Lord gave to me? 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:17.879 And so again used to ask about power of prayer. 0:20:18.119 --> 0:20:21.320 Prayer becomes so important, just like in that situation. I mean, 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:23.240 all of our doctors that are treating around the world, 0:20:23.320 --> 0:20:27.359 I mean, you're always coming across sickness and things, but 0:20:27.520 --> 0:20:30.359 for some reason, you know, ebola, something like that, you 0:20:30.400 --> 0:20:32.560 take it more serious, right, and so you put on 0:20:32.600 --> 0:20:34.840 your protective equipment. I mean, you have a partner that 0:20:34.920 --> 0:20:38.520 checks you to make sure you've sealed everything up properly 0:20:38.640 --> 0:20:42.959 and you're you're adequately prepared to face such a deadly disease. 0:20:43.920 --> 0:20:45.639 And it made me think of Ephesian six, and it 0:20:45.640 --> 0:20:48.159 made me think of the enemy that we have. And 0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:51.040 I talked about that earlier. But we sometimes as Christians, 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:54.439 we don't take it serious, right, We don't take the 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:58.040 reality seriously until we're faced with something really hard. And 0:20:58.200 --> 0:21:03.080 our doctors, you know, they just said, prayer it becomes 0:21:03.119 --> 0:21:06.159 a lifeline, you know, when you're in these situations. And 0:21:06.200 --> 0:21:08.600 so the one doctor said, you know, Psalm twenty three 0:21:08.960 --> 0:21:13.400 becomes you know, something that they read and recite often. 0:21:13.560 --> 0:21:15.400 You know, the Lord is my shepherd. Though I walk 0:21:15.440 --> 0:21:16.960 through the valley in the shadow of death, I will 0:21:16.960 --> 0:21:20.040 fear no evil. You're rod in your staff. They comfort me. 0:21:20.119 --> 0:21:25.040 And so God's equipment, his you know, his power becomes 0:21:25.119 --> 0:21:27.520 so important in our life. And then she also said 0:21:27.520 --> 0:21:29.960