Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY190092A
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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 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:09 - Hello, friends, and welcome to 3ABN Today. 01:11 My name is John Lomacang. But if you are a part of 01:14 our family, you already know that. But if you are 01:16 tuning in for the first time, thank you for taking 01:18 the time to tune into a network that we believe 01:20 has been ordained and inspired and strengthened 01:24 by the Lord, and also moving daily, working 01:28 for the Lord, getting people ready for the 01:30 coming of the Lord. Today, we have an 01:32 exciting program about missions. Now, when we 01:36 talk about missions, oftentimes people think 01:38 of foreign countries and people that have 01:41 been growing up in the bush and people that 01:44 don't speak our language, and all kinds of visions 01:49 and things come to their minds, into their psyche- 01:52 but today, we're going to talk about missions 01:53 and how young people can get involved in 01:56 missions. So, you want to stay tuned for the 01:59 program and watch it and invite someone to 02:01 join the program with you, because it's going 02:03 to be inspiring and informative at the 02:06 very same time. Want to also thank you for 02:08 your prayers and your financial support of this 02:10 network as we continue going and growing, 02:13 getting ready for the coming of the Lord. 02:15 Before we meet our guests, however, we're going to 02:18 have some music. This young man is a part of 02:21 our 3ABN family, and he is going to prepare 02:24 the way by playing and singing a song, "How Deep 02:28 the Father's Love"- Scott Michael Bennett. 02:44 How deep the Father's love for us 02:51 How vast beyond all measure 02:58 That He should give His only Son 03:04 To make a wretch His treasure 03:09 How great the pain of searing loss 03:16 The Father turns His face away 03:22 As wounds which mar the Chosen One 03:28 Bring many sons to glory 03:37 Behold the Lamb upon that cross 03:43 My sin upon His shoulders 03:49 Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice 03:55 Call out among the scoffers 04:01 It was my sin that held Him there 04:06 Until it was accomplished 04:12 His dying breath has brought me life 04:18 I know that it is finished 04:27 I will not boast in anything 04:33 No gifts, no power, no wisdom 04:39 But I will boast in Jesus Christ 04:45 His death and resurrection 04:51 Why should I gain from His reward? 04:56 I cannot give an answer 05:02 But this I know with all my heart 05:09 His wounds have paid my ransom 05:15 Why should I gain from His reward? 05:21 I cannot give an answer 05:27 But this I know with all my heart 05:33 His wounds have paid my ransom 05:39 But this I know with all my heart 05:46 His wounds have paid my ransom 06:11 - Thank you, Scott, for that wonderful song, 06:13 "How Deep the Father's Love for Us", which is a good 06:17 segue to the kind of program we have today 06:19 and the type of program. I want to begin by welcoming 06:22 our guests. First, I'll start to my right: 06:24 the president of the Laurelbrook Academy, Warren McDaniels. 06:28 Since you're so close, I'll just shake your 06:29 hand to welcome you. Good to have you here! 06:31 - Nice to be here. - Give us a brief overview of 06:34 who you are-just a snippet about your background and 06:37 what you're doing right now. - Great! Well, 06:39 currently, I'm the president of Laurelbrook Academy. 06:42 For the past 20 years, my family and I were 06:45 missionaries in South America. We spent 11 06:48 years in Guyana and four years in Bolivia, and then 06:51 the last two or three or so in Argentina. 06:54 So, I've been at Laurelbrook now for four months, 06:56 but I have a long history with Laurelbrook. We've 07:00 worked with them in the past. My background is 07:02 electrical engineering. And about 20 years ago, 07:05 the Lord said, "It's time to leave corporate 07:09 America and go into the bush of Guyana, and the 07:13 Lord blessed. - Now, you've been in a lot 07:15 of Spanish countries. Do you speak Spanish? 07:17 - Yes! I speak a little bit. I can converse; 07:20 but when things are pretty serious, I'll 07:22 have a translator with me. - You can definitely 07:24 say 'good morning'. - [laughs] Yeah, absolutely. 07:26 - Well, good to have you here. - Thank you. - To 07:28 your immediate right is Leilani Lee, one of the 07:30 students of Laurelbrook. Good to have you here, 07:32 Leilani. - Thank you. - Yes, tell us a little 07:35 bit about you. Kind of just give us a...who 07:38 is Leilani? Where are you from? Where is 07:40 your home? - I'm from West Virginia, and I'm 07:44 a senior at Laurelbrook Academy. I've been there 07:46 for four years...and yeah. - Wonderful. Well, good 07:49 to have you here today. We're going to talk a 07:50 little bit more about your academics and 07:52 where you're looking forward for your future to unfold, 07:55 and missions, also, in your life. Thank you 07:57 so much for being here. And also, we have Maria 08:00 Hernandez from Colombia. - Yep. - Good to have you 08:04 here, Maria. - Thank you for having me. - Yes! 08:06 So, we found out that you are... Your family 08:09 is from where in Colombia? - Well, different places 08:13 in Colombia. But right now, my family lives in 08:16 Villavicencio. - Okay, wow. And you are a 08:20 senior at Laurelbrook Academy. And you're 08:25 one of how many siblings?- how many brothers and 08:27 sisters? - I have a younger brother. He's a freshman 08:30 at Laurelbrook Academy, also. - Okay, so you're 08:32 not there by yourself. - Yeah. - That's good. 08:34 Good to have you here today. Yes. We're going 08:37 to have a very exciting program. I'll refer to 08:39 you as president McDaniels. - [chuckles] Okay. - And 08:43 now tell us. You've been at Laurelbrook 08:45 now for...you've said how many months? 08:48 - Yeah, about four months now. - Okay. - As president. 08:49 - Wonderful. And with the background that you 08:53 have in electrical engineering and then with the platform 08:57 and experience you have in the mission fields, 08:59 tell us about your excitement to be at 09:01 Laurelbrook Academy. - Well, what's interesting 09:04 is that when I first went to the mission 09:07 field, my electrical background and management 09:10 background had little to do with survival in the 09:13 bush. However, coming back, now, the things 09:17 that are happening at Laurelbrook in terms of 09:19 our vocational program, it's teaching our students 09:23 how to do things with their hands-how to be 09:27 contributors to God's cause. My background 09:30 in the mission field basically gives them 09:33 sort of a list of the possibilities-the things 09:38 that could be if they choose missions as a 09:42 life work. So, my experience in the mission field and my 09:48 background in engineering helps prepare them to 09:51 combine sort of the theory and the practical 09:55 side, and hopefully those things will inspire them 09:59 to contribute to God's cause somewhere 10:01 some part of the world. - Now, what kind of school 10:05 is Laurelbrook? I mean, a lot of times we think 10:07 about academy, we obviously know about 10:09 academics-you know: math, science, social 10:11 studies, and all the things that go along 10:12 with that. What makes Laurelbrook unique? 10:15 - Well, that's another interesting question. 10:19 The idea is that we want these kids to 10:22 develop holistically, and in several ways 10:25 other than just mental. So, we focus on their 10:29 spiritual growth, the vocational side of their 10:32 training: how to do things, how to compute, how to 10:36 comprehend complex subjects and figure things out. So, 10:43 they get to work with their hands and to understand 10:47 the applications behind the theory. So, those 10:51 three elements are balanced at Laurelbrook in terms of 10:56 these students' education and growth. - And I 10:59 noticed in preparation for the program, you have 11:00 a lot of things you do, like construction, farming, 11:03 firefighting, laundry, woods in the grounds, 11:06 even-this may not sound unusual, but-a cooking class 11:10 for boys. [laughter] - Well, it's not so much 11:16 a cooking class, but part of their character development 11:19 and their rotation, they will spend some time 11:22 cooking in our nursing home. We have a 50-bed 11:25 nursing home, so part of their rotation 11:27 vocational training could be in our nursing 11:31 home kitchen. So, they're actually cooking in the 11:33 school's kitchen. So, it's an equal opportunity 11:38 to learn things that perhaps traditionally 11:42 were not something that a young man would lean 11:47 toward. - Okay. - Mhm. - Let me as Leilani. Outside 11:50 of your academics, what other way are you involved 11:52 in Laurelbrook Academy? We talked about some of 11:56 these different areas. What else brings you 11:58 joy in being a student at Laurelbrook Academy? 12:02 Like, what else do you do? Are you involved 12:04 in some of the vocations like farming, firefighting, 12:06 laundry-all those different types of things? 12:08 I heard you're a singer. But outside of that, 12:11 what else do you get involved in at Laurelbrook? 12:13 - Well, since I've been there, I've pretty much 12:16 worked in pretty much all the places that they 12:19 have for vocational training. Right now, I'm 12:22 working as a teacher's aid in the elementary 12:24 school, which is great because I want to do 12:26 that with my life. - Okay. - Yeah. I don't know what 12:29 else. - That's good; that's good. So when you 12:31 go to the mission field, then you could use the 12:33 practical lessons of learning how to substitute teacher, 12:37 learning those skills so they could be useful 12:39 in the mission field. - And learning how to 12:41 work in whatever position that you were-to work 12:44 hard and do your best even if you don't exactly 12:46 enjoy what you're doing, but that you can do your 12:51 best. - Okay, so the training, then, is really 12:53 great. What about you, Maria? What are some 12:56 of the things outside of just your academics 12:58 that you are learning at Laurelbrook? - Well, 13:01 I've been working in the school office this 13:04 year, and I really enjoyed it, 'cause I like dealing 13:11 with people and papers and stuff. So, that's like 13:17 my favorite place that I've been so far. - So 13:19 like administrative stuff, dealing with... And that's 13:23 very needed when you talk about a future that 13:25 a person's looking forward to, because in the mission 13:27 fields, there are a lot of different areas that 13:30 are needed. - Absolutely. - Let's talk about construction. 13:31 We have some graphics today. We want to talk 13:34 about some of these vocational aspects of 13:37 Laurelbrook Academy. Describe to our viewers 13:40 what we're seeing here, this picture about construction. 13:44 - Okay. Yeah, this is a part of the rotation. 13:49 Every nine weeks, our students rotate into 13:51 different areas. and in the construction area, 13:54 this particular photo is one of our, actually, 13:57 the supervisor of our construction area, he's 14:00 showing a kid how to do some wiring. The 14:03 idea is to give them exposure to these 14:07 different vocational areas from the ground up. 14:09 Learning by doing is our motto at Laurelbrook, so 14:13 we're not afraid to make mistakes, we're not 14:17 afraid to allow the students to make 14:18 mistakes, so they learn how to do these things. 14:22 In this particular case, construction or 14:23 electrical wiring by actually doing it. 14:26 Now, of course, doing it safely. - Right. - Yeah. 14:29 [laughter] So I don't want to suggest that 14:30 they're wiring up everything and they can make mistakes 14:33 with that. - You'll have one less student a week. 14:35 - Yeah. It's under close supervision. But the 14:38 practical aspect is something that's really important 14:42 in their character development. - Okay, good, good. And 14:45 then farming. Have any of you been involved in 14:48 the farming at all at Laurelbrook? - I've 14:50 worked on the farm. - Okay. - And I've taken 14:53 the agriculture class. - Okay. So this picture 14:55 about farming-this is pretty interesting, 14:57 because we talk about vocational. Describe 14:59 what kind of farming do you do at Laurelbrook. 15:01 - Well, there are two aspects. We have indoor 15:04 and outdoor. We have greenhouses that are 15:06 heated, and there's ventilation systems, 15:10 so we can grow our vegetables year-round. 15:13 And currently, we have an organic booth at the 15:18 local farmers market in Chattanooga, so 15:21 we're selling our vegetables on a weekly basis. So, the 15:24 agriculture is critical to a school like ours, 15:29 a self-supporting school. It's one of the fundamental 15:31 principles is growing your own food, and 15:33 we're trying to do that. So with the greenhouses, 15:37 it's a bit high-tech, and we've demonstrated 15:41 that you're able to grow organically, locally 15:44 grown food, and generate income, as well. So, the 15:50 students then learn how to grow organic food and 15:54 how to do traditional classical farming, as well. 15:58 So, many of our students come from 16:01 developing countries, so when they return 16:04 to their countries, they may not have access 16:06 to some of these more high-tech processes 16:10 related to agriculture so they'll learn how to 16:12 do traditional farming and grow their own 16:14 food or perhaps go start a ministry where 16:17 food shortages is a prevalent issue for the 16:21 local population. So, it's a big part of what 16:23 we do. - So how frequently do you guys get involved 16:26 in outdoors- because Laurelbrook being located 16:30 in Tennessee... Particularly, what part of Tennessee? 16:33 - In Dayton, Tennessee. We're in the mountain- 16:35 Dayton- about an hour outside of Chattanooga. 16:38 - Okay, wonderful. Nice area. Now, have you 16:40 gotten involved in the farming aspects of it, 16:42 Maria? - Not yet, but next semester I will. 16:45 - Okay, good, good. So each of the students 16:47 get a chance to be exposed to the different 16:49 aspects of vocation. - Absolutely. Every 16:51 nine weeks, there is a rotation in a particular 16:55 area-vocational area. This is in addition to 16:58 the traditional academics. So, whether they're 17:02 juniors or seniors will determine which 17:04 part of the day they're doing their vocational 17:06 training. Agriculture is one of those areas 17:11 that they will have to rotate through before 17:14 they graduate. - And I'm looking at the contrast 17:16 between areas. You have construction and 17:18 farming, and those are obviously different. But 17:21 construction can also benefit the principles 17:24 of farming-you know, to build greenhouses 17:26 and things like that. But this next one is 17:28 quite different from the first two categories: 17:30 firefighting! - Ah... - And this is interesting 17:32 to me, because my sister who was a firefighter 17:34 worked for the fire department in New 17:36 York, an EMT-but talk about that, how they 17:37 train for that. - Yeah. Well, it's also interesting 17:40 for me. My father was retired. He spent 35 years 17:43 as a firefighter. He was a superintendent of a 17:46 fire department in New Orleans, and we 17:48 have 2,000 acres-Laurelbrook Academy. We're in a rural 17:53 setting, so we have our own fire department that 17:56 supports about a five-mile radius around our school. 18:01 So, the fire station and department is located 18:03 on our campus. One of the vocational rotations 18:07 for the students, if they choose, is to become 18:09 a junior firefighter. So, during that nine-week 18:15 rotation, they learn how to extinguish fires, 18:21 how to operate the apparatus on the fire trucks, they 18:27 learned CPR... They're not able to go into a 18:29 burning building, but as a junior firefighter 18:32 they're able to operate the equipment. And so, 18:37 we get calls for fires and things like that, 18:39 and it's a very interesting experience for our students. 18:44 As a matter of fact, I'm going through the 18:45 course, myself. - Okay! - Which is interesting, yeah. 18:47 - Now, have any of you been involved in the 18:49 firefighting aspects of it? You have, Maria? 18:51 - Yeah, I'm going through the course right now. 18:53 - Oh, you're in the course right now? - Yeah. - Have 18:55 you put on the jackets and all that yet? - Yeah, 18:57 it's actually huge for me, but yeah. It's fun. 18:59 - It's what? - It's huge. - Oh. [laughter] - Yeah. 19:03 - So, the equipment, then. You mean the 19:06 helmet, also? - Mhm. And the everything that goes 19:08 along with firefighting. Is it pretty exciting to 19:11 be involved in that? - Yeah, it seems 19:14 I came to Laurelbrook, I wanted to be there, 19:16 and I got the opportunity.. And yeah. I love it. 19:19 I like it. - You know, that's nice, because 19:21 what happens is a lot of kids when we think 19:23 of going away to school, we think, "I'm gonna 19:25 be meeting class all day long..." But you're 19:27 breaking out of the normal avenues of academics and 19:30 really giving them hands-on experience. So when they 19:34 sit down and think about, "What do I want to do 19:35 for the future?" They could think, "Hey, I want 19:38 to be involved in construction, maybe 19:40 hands-on from an architectural perspective. I want to 19:43 own a farm or work on a farm or have my own 19:46 farm," or even the skills of putting their own farm 19:49 together to raise a lot of organic food. 19:53 Another question: do you guys eat from the 19:56 farm? [Mhm!] Okay. So, you have organic food! 19:59 - Mhm. Yeah. And you know what's interesting, 20:01 our farming is not just the traditional, you 20:06 know, you put a seed in the ground, you put 20:07 some water, and you watch it grow, but it's, 20:10 again, a holistic approach. We're involved in the 20:12 marketing. How do you price the cost of lettuce? 20:17 You know, when's the best time to grow it so 20:19 the kids who are involved in the greenhouse production, 20:23 they're doing more than just learning how to grow 20:27 food-but how do you sell it, how do you market 20:29 it, how do you generate income, how do you, you 20:32 know, make it a way of living for you-more than 20:35 just a hobby? So, it is something that we 20:39 believe would be useful not only as livelihood for 20:44 the students, but a part of a mission experience. 20:48 Most of the missions that I've gone to or visited- 20:52 you know, one of the first things they ask for- 20:54 well, they certainly need people, volunteers- 20:57 but an agriculture person, somebody 21:00 who can focus on growing the food whether they're 21:02 in Asia or Africa- whatever. It's a need. 21:05 So, if we have students who have experienced how 21:08 to grow food in some difficult environments 21:12 but also how to sell it, how to market it, 21:15 and to generate income and profits for ministry, 21:18 I believe that would be huge. I know I would've 21:21 loved to have received a young person with energy 21:24 and knowledge to do that when I was in foreign 21:27 missions. - And also how to cook it. [laughter] 21:30 - Yeah. Yes. - What about, have you gotten 21:32 involved in any of the farming aspects of it 21:34 yet, Leilani? - Wait, the farming? - Yeah. 21:37 - Yeah, I worked on the farm when I was a 21:39 freshman for a quarter, and I took the agriculture 21:42 class when I was a sophomore, so yeah. - Was that your 21:46 first exposure to hands-on farming? - At Laurelbrook? 21:51 - Was that- yeah, at Laurelbrook. Yeah. 21:52 Was that your first time getting involved 21:54 in hands-on, like, literally getting involved in 21:57 farming? - Yeah... - Yeah? did you enjoy it? - Yeah. 22:01 - Okay, good! I mean, what we're seeing is 22:03 young people that are just expanding their 22:05 horizon, and now we go to the next one. Let's 22:08 bring up this next graphic-laundry. 22:11 Everybody should learn how to do laundry! 22:13 It shouldn't be just a ladies thing. - Yeah, 22:15 well... [laughs] Well, if you're washing clothes 22:19 for 45 residents at our nursing home, it's 22:23 a bit different than doing your little brother's 22:25 laundry. - Okay. - So, that photo is at our 22:28 nursing home. Part of the rotation in our 22:30 nursing home, the students are involved in housekeeping, 22:35 laundry, the sanitarium kitchen, the nursing 22:40 home kitchen, as well as assisting CNAs on 22:43 the floor. So, in the laundry, they are taking 22:47 care of the linen, the personal clothing of the 22:51 patients, as well. And so it is quite a challenging 22:56 job. It can get lonely there, but it certainly 23:00 teaches leadership organization and those 23:03 sorts of things. - Now, both of the students- 23:07 we have Maria and Leilani- want to get involved in 23:09 missions. Tell me, why would you- what makes 23:13 you want to be involved in missions? Let's start 23:15 with Maria. - Well, since I came to Laurelbrook, 23:21 I realized that I don't have to go really far 23:24 away to meet people that need help. So, I 23:31 also realized that in my own country near 23:33 my house, I can go and help them. So, I just feel 23:41 like God is calling me and that that's the 23:43 only purpose that I should focus on to 23:46 fulfill His plans for me, and if that's what He's 23:52 calling me to do, then I'll just follow Him. - And 23:55 you're excited about it, too. - Yeah. - Wow, that's 23:56 good, because I like what you mentioned. 23:58 You don't have to necessarily go far away, 24:00 but in the country that you came from, you could 24:02 witness to people right where you are. And praise 24:05 the Lord that that's developing in the mindset 24:07 of the young people. What about you, Leilani? 24:09 Why is missions attractive for you? - Well, since 24:13 I came to Laurelbrook, I've been to six mission 24:16 trips. I've been on six mission trips, and I've 24:19 been able to see in Mexico and Cuba the way that 24:23 the people live, and I've been exposed to 24:26 all the people, that they don't really have Jesus 24:29 the way that I've been in an Adventist home 24:33 my whole life. God has really impressed me that 24:38 that is the purpose of life is to reach the world 24:41 for Him. And instead of like, just integrating 24:44 that into whatever you can do, to whatever 24:48 you're doing, that is the main purpose, and 24:50 then you can use whatever you're doing to help 24:53 forward that work. And so, my purpose is to 24:59 be able to reach as many people as I can 25:01 so that we can finish God's work so that Jesus 25:05 can come back. - Amen. Praise the Lord. What 25:07 are some of the places you've been? You mentioned 25:09 a couple of them. - Well, yeah. I've been three times 25:12 to Mexico and once to Cuba, and twice to Florida 25:18 after hurricanes. And I'm planning on going to 25:20 Honduras before I graduate, so... - Wow. So, that's 25:23 your... I mean, when I was your age, I was 25:27 locked in Brooklyn. I didn't even know what 25:30 it was like to be on a plane. I didn't go onto a 25:32 plane until I got to college. So, you're 25:35 way ahead of the curve, and quite a different 25:38 generation-not that they didn't have airplanes 25:40 at the time. Just wanted to let you know they did 25:43 have them. [laughter] But just to have that 25:46 kind of experience to go a number of times, 25:49 to go to these countries, and also in America to 25:52 get involved in something that involved helping 25:54 people in a time of disaster. Was it like 25:57 when you went to Florida after the hurricane? - Well, 26:01 it looked pretty bad. There were trees and 26:03 everything, like, falling on houses and their 26:06 yards, and we were able to go with chainsaws, 26:10 and we were able to clear several of the yards 26:13 in the neighborhoods, and yeah. - Did you 26:17 operate a chainsaw? - Yeah. - Wow! Okay! 26:21 Just changed my view of you all around, 'cause 26:24 you have to be skillful to hold that chain- 26:25 "mmm"- I mean, that must've been... You 26:29 obviously had some training, which kind of takes us to 26:31 the next one. We went from laundry. What about 26:34 you, Maria? Have you had any of the mission 26:35 trip experience yet? - I went to Florida once 26:38 and to Cuba. - Okay. And comfortable in Cuba, 26:42 'cause the language, very similar. - Yeah, 26:45 it's Spanish. - That's good. I've been to Cuba 26:46 before. I like all those different color cars. 26:49 The Chevy motor, Ford back, a purple car, pink 26:52 car... That's very unique about Cuba. 26:55 Very nice place to be. Go to woods and grounds, 26:57 and now let's talk about that. And the 26:59 chainsaw, I think, is involved in that. - Yeah. 27:01 - Look at this picture here about woods 27:03 and the grounds of... - Well, this is one of 27:05 our students operating the lawn mower. Like 27:09 I said, we have about 2,000 acres, so it's 27:11 quite a big, large property, and we 27:14 do have a couple of wood-burning systems 27:18 that require firewood. So, part of that maintaining 27:22 the grounds can be a daunting task at times, 27:26 so our students learn how to operate equipment, 27:30 how to maintain equipment... We do it safely, of course, 27:35 but part of the rotation is, again, nine weeks in 27:39 grounds planting shrubs and pruning trees and 27:43 mowing lawns and hauling firewood to different 27:47 places. It also is a learning experience. 27:51 Part of what we're trying to do is develop 27:54 leaders. So, these young ladies, they are a bit 27:57 modest, but Leilani and Maria, they both can 28:02 manage a group of young people in a kitchen, for 28:07 instance. If necessary, they can take a group 28:09 of young people and organize a menu or 28:13 prepare food or go... And in Maria's case, 28:17 she's working in the office area, so she can 28:21 do some registrar functions and secretarial functions. 28:25 So, they're real leaders, and that comes as a result 28:27 of rotating into these different areas and 28:30 getting a group of tasks together and giving them 28:35 the wherewithal to make it happen, and they've 28:38 done that really well. - So they may be modest, 28:41 but they're not incapable. - Oh, no! [laughs] - Good. 28:44 That's good. Moving right along to boys' 28:46 cooking. Talk about that. - Mhm. Well, we 28:49 mentioned it a bit earlier, but part of the 28:52 rotation in their vocational areas is in 28:55 our academy kitchen or in our nursing home 28:59 kitchen. Depending on which shift you're working, 29:03 this is our academy kitchen, I believe. - Mhm. 29:06 - Depending on which shift you work, you 29:09 can be up quite early in the morning preparing 29:12 the breakfast for the student body or preparing 29:16 meals in our nursing home on a Sunday morning. 29:19 - Okay. - So, it is a bit diverse. And certainly, 29:23 in our nursing home, it's a very particular 29:27 menu, because they have dietary needs, depending 29:30 on the residents that we have. So, you have to 29:34 pay attention to detail. You can't just kinda 29:36 throw things together and cook whatever you 29:38 feel like. [laughs] - Makes a difference. - Yeah, 29:40 so it matters. - And the Mexico trip-let's talk 29:43 about Mexico Missions, because you mentioned 29:45 having gone to Mexico before. I think Leilani 29:47 talked about that. - Mhm. - Mexico Missions. - Yeah. 29:50 Mexico Missions is an organization that has 29:53 done a phenomenal job at building churches in 29:55 Mexico. Our students have partnered with 30:00 Mexico Missions to go down to Mexico to build 30:03 churches on several occasions, and it has 30:06 been life-changing for many of the students 30:08 who have gone down there. And I think it's 30:11 either Leilani or Heissel was on the trip where 30:14 they built seven churches. - Both of us. - Yeah. 30:17 Tell us... - Wow, yeah. - The last time that we 30:20 went to Mexico in December, we were planning on 30:23 building five churches at the most (that was 30:26 the most we had ever built in the two-week 30:28 time period before). But when we got there, 30:30 God opened the doors for us to be able to 30:31 build a sixth, and we were making jokes like, 30:34 "Oh, now what next? We go to back to the cabin 30:36 and they're gonna tell us to build a seventh?" 30:37 And that's exactly what happened. We went back, 30:39 and they said that we had the opportunity to 30:43 build a seventh. The reason we did is because 30:45 the towns in Mexico, they dedicate a certain 30:50 plot of land to the Catholic Church, usually, 30:53 so that they can build a church. But because 30:57 of our previous Mexico mission trips and health 30:59 expo we had done in that town, they decided to give 31:02 it to the Adventist church, so we were able 31:06 to build another church there. - Wow, praise 31:08 the Lord for that. So you know how to get 31:10 your hands dirty. - Yeah. [laughs] - Yeah, swing 31:12 that- get that gravel going and moving all 31:14 those bricks... Wow! They look pretty clean 31:17 today, but they know how to get involved. 31:19 What about you? Have you learned some of 31:21 those skills of building, Maria? - Not much like 31:27 building. When we went to Cuba, we helped more 31:31 with painting the church and making the classrooms 31:37 for the kids look nice, and yeah. - Okay. All 31:40 right. That's wonderful. And then mission trip 31:43 to Florida. You alluded to that a moment ago; 31:45 talk about that. - Sure, sure. Yes, Leilani mentioned 31:49 that. We have natural disasters... - Is that 31:52 Leilani right there? - Ah, there she is. 31:54 [laughter] - Okay, all right. - She does know 31:56 how to get dirty when necessary. - Good, good. 31:59 Those are pretty large pieces of wood there! 32:02 Developing student muscles. [laughter] 32:04 - That's right; absolutely. - That's a good thing. 32:06 - Typically, when we mention missions, we 32:08 think foreign missions, we think impoverished, 32:12 developing countries and whatnot...but there 32:15 are lots of opportunities in North America for 32:17 missions. - That's right. - Certainly in this 32:20 particular case, after a hurricane, there are 32:22 people who are in distress, and there are lots of 32:24 folk who are open to hearing the gospel after 32:28 you've addressed their immediate needs. Folk 32:32 are living out of doors or need food. You address 32:35 those needs, and then you're better able to 32:38 present the gospel secondarily after you've 32:42 addressed their physical needs, so yeah. - That's 32:45 right. - Mhm. - Well, you know, we think 32:48 about it, and everything that you do is a blessing 32:51 to someone. Construction, farming, firefighting, laundry, 32:56 woods and grounds, boys' cooking, Mexico Missions, 32:58 and missions to Florida... That's just 33:00 the tip of the iceberg. We're going to get a 33:02 chance to find out more about the nursing, home 33:05 kitchen, and baptism and computer classes 33:07 and orchestration... But before we go to 33:09 that, we have another song by Scott Michael 33:12 Bennett entitled, "Blessings". And right after this 33:15 song, you'll meet two more students that are involved 33:18 in the Laurelbrook mission program as well as their 33:21 academics. 33:41 We pray for blessings 33:45 We pray for peace 33:48 Comfort for family, protection while we sleep 33:56 We pray for healing, and prosperity 34:03 We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering 34:11 And all the while, You hear each spoken need 34:18 Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things 34:25 'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops 34:30 What if Your healing comes through tears 34:33 And what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes 34:38 to know You're near 34:42 And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise 35:05 We pray for wisdom 35:09 Your voice to hear 35:12 And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near 35:20 We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love 35:28 As if every promise from Your Word is not enough 35:34 And all the while, You hear each desperate plea 35:42 And You long that we'd have faith to believe 35:49 'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops 35:53 What if Your healing comes through tears 35:57 And what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes 36:02 to know You're near 36:06 And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise 36:17 When friends betray us 36:21 When darkness seems to win 36:24 We know this pain reminds our hearts 36:28 That this is not No, this is not our home 36:38 Is not our home 36:48 'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops 36:52 What if Your healing comes through tears 36:55 And what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes 37:00 to know You're near 37:05 What if my greatest disappointments 37:09 Or the aching of this life 37:13 Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy 37:24 What if trials of this life 37:29 The rain, the storms, the hardest nights 37:34 Are your mercies in disguise 38:03 - Thank you so much, Scott, for that song, 38:05 "Blessings". And our blessings will continue 38:07 as we introduce to you two more students from 38:10 the Laurelbrook Academy. Let me go ahead and 38:13 first, introduce Heissel. Good to have you here, 38:15 Heissel. - Thank you! - And I'm gonna try this: 38:17 Entriano? - Interiano. - Interiano. Good to have 38:21 you here. - Thank you. - And what year are 38:24 you in Laurelbrook? - I'm a senior in Laurelbrook, 38:29 and I help with anything that they need. - [chuckles] 38:33 Okay. And you're from where? Where's your 38:35 background? - I'm from El Salvador. - Okay. 38:38 - Yeah. But I'm living in Costa Rica right now. 38:40 - Wow. So- one thing I noticed about the 38:43 school: very international. - Yes! Yes. Very diverse 38:46 group of young people from all over the world. 38:48 - Okay. That's wonderful. And got a young man on 38:52 the program. Michael, good to have you here. 38:53 - Thank you. - And pronounce your last 38:55 name for me. - Villalobos. - Yes. - And where are 38:59 you from? - I was born in Colorado, but my parents 39:03 are from Mexico, so... - Okay. All right. So, 39:06 we have an American-born foreigner. [laughter] Or 39:09 foreign-born American. [more laughter] It's 39:11 good to have you here today. We've talked about 39:13 a number of aspects of the program, like instruction 39:16 farming... Just give us an overview: what have 39:19 you- how have you been involved in the programs 39:22 of Laurelbrook Academy? I know your academics- 39:24 but what else have you done while you're 39:25 there? - Well, little things. I've been in 39:29 almost everything, every vocational training 39:32 that they have, and I've helped in the 39:35 kitchens-both of them. And I'm, right now, in 39:41 the farming side. - Okay! - Yeah. I'm learning about 39:45 the greenhouse, how to manage it, and two 39:47 other students are with me and we get 39:49 to supervise ourselves kind of. We're getting 39:54 ready just to learn more things. - Okay! 39:58 That's good. What about you, Michael? - Well, 40:01 beyond academics, I've been working in grounds, 40:07 the nursing home kitchen... I have the 6:30 shift in 40:11 the morning. - Okay. - And I've also been in 40:14 charge of cooking the boys' breakfast. - Okay. 40:17 Well, on that note, let's dive into the nursing 40:19 home kitchen. This is a picture of the nursing 40:20 home kitchen that Michael just alluded to. Is that 40:23 you in the... Are you in this picture? - No, no, 40:26 no, no. - So, nursing home kitchen-talk 40:28 about that. Maybe let's see what Michael- 40:30 what is the nursing home kitchen? - Well... - You seem 40:33 comfortable to talk about it. - [laughs] The nursing 40:35 home kitchen, on what I've worked on, is- 40:39 I usually wake up before 6:30 because that's when 40:43 I enter, and you have to make preparations 40:46 for the next day. The nursing home kitchen 40:48 usually is always a day ahead. You make the 40:52 salads, the food... Sometimes, you're 40:55 a supervisor and you cook for the meal plan of the 40:59 residents, and yeah. - Wow. Do you enjoy 41:02 that? - Yeah. I actually really do. - [chuckles] 41:05 Okay. So if you're getting up really early 41:06 on the most... I guess only those who are 41:09 involved in the early morning preparations 41:10 are up at that time. So you don't mind doing 41:13 that. - No, not at all. - Good, so you're learning- so 41:16 when you get married, you're already comfortable 41:18 with the kitchen. [chuckling] - Yeah. 41:20 [laughter] - Okay, good. I'm not pushing 41:21 marriage on you yet. [laughter] Well, what 41:24 about you? Have you been involved in any of that 41:25 nursing home kitchen? - Yeah. I've been supervisor, 41:27 and I've worked, also. Yeah, it's kind of a 41:34 rushing kind of thing, because you have to 41:37 have- you have two hours to prepare your breakfast 41:40 and two hours to prepare your lunch, and then 41:43 you have like four types of meals that you need 41:48 to prepare, so it's kind of interesting. 41:51 - That's good, that's good. See, this is 41:52 what you're gonna be diving into. - [chuckles] 41:54 Yes. - You're gonna be on-hands with the students 41:56 there. - Absolutely. - That's a wonderful 41:58 program, nursing home kitchen. - Mhm. - Talk 42:02 about baptism for a moment. - Yeah. This 42:04 is the culmination of the whole experience- 42:07 not just baptism but conversion. So, our 42:11 evangelism, our students are involved in outreach, 42:15 and in the local community, of course, we've spoken 42:18 about foreign missions and missions in sort of 42:21 post-disaster areas. But we also have a 42:25 program where they go out and do evangelism 42:28 locally. There is a colporteur program where the students 42:32 learn how to distribute and sell our literature 42:37 for fundraising and for evangelism. So, as a 42:43 result of those ministries that are a part of our 42:47 school, these young people are learning how to bring 42:52 other young people to a decision to serve 42:54 Christ, and they're actively engaged in it- 42:57 especially the two of them. Michael talked 42:59 about being a youth pastor. And whenever 43:03 he has the opportunity to speak or to preach, 43:06 he doesn't hesitate. So, it kind of instills 43:09 a sense of confidence in him. - Mm. So, where 43:12 did you get your desire to preach from? Or was 43:15 it a calling on your life, or you saw someone 43:17 and said, "That's what I'd like to do"? - Well, 43:19 since I was little, I kind of had the gist 43:23 of it. Every time I was in church, my mom would 43:26 always make us sit in the front seat. - Oh, 43:28 wow. - And every time I would hear the preacher, 43:31 I would always come up with something else to 43:33 add to it. Since that moment, I kind of got 43:37 up to that point where I wanted to preach. - That's 43:41 called expository preaching: "What else does the text 43:43 say?" Also, let's talk about, is Laurelbrook 43:50 an accredited academy? - Yes, it is. Yeah. So, 43:53 our students- and we've spoken mostly about the 43:56 vocational side, but there's academics 43:58 involved. There's the pre-calculus, the chemistry, 44:02 the physics, the math traditional class... They 44:06 write their ACT exams, so we have several kids 44:09 who go onto college-to our Adventist universities, 44:13 as well. But even those who choose the traditional 44:17 route-college-they go with a skill set that's 44:21 not very common from the normal freshman 44:25 entry, you know, university. So, they have the 44:29 opportunity to get their certified nursing assistant 44:33 license at Laurelbrook before they graduate 44:36 from school, and they can go and work part-time 44:40 as they are in university. So, we have an accredited 44:44 school by traditional standards in terms of 44:49 academics. But in addition to that, the 44:52 leadership training that they receive is something 44:56 that's extremely important for young people, especially 44:59 in this day and age. - Let's talk about the 45:01 computer class, for example. You talk about the academics. 45:04 - Yeah. - Computers are very much a part of our 45:06 society today. This is the computer class. Talk 45:08 about that program. - Yeah. When we talk 45:13 about modern-day evangelism and sharing the message, 45:18 you... - Cannot... - Yeah. The days of, you know, 45:22 mailing a bunch of cards and saying, "Hey, come 45:26 out to the meeting on the corner"... - The 45:28 long- the only method. - Yeah, right. So, these young 45:30 people are very computer-savvy. I kind of dated myself 45:35 if I say, "Hey, can you show me how to 45:37 use this feature on my phone?" or something, 45:41 they can do that. But understanding the technology, 45:45 and it's important for them to understand that 45:47 this technology in to be used to win souls becomes 45:54 just incredibly powerful, just as TV and radio is. 45:57 So, when we're- everything we teach, we want to 46:02 give the instructions with the end goal of 46:05 using your knowledge, the information, your 46:08 skill set, your experiences, and the technology to win 46:11 souls. - Okay. Heissel, are you involved in the 46:13 computing side of it? Are you one of those 46:15 savvy young people that know how to use computers? 46:18 - No. No, not really. But actually, there 46:22 are some friends that are in there, and they're 46:25 very excited. They know how to do it, and both 46:29 of them are my classmates. And so, it's just amazing 46:34 to see them doing it and they enjoy doing it. 46:36 - Okay. So, they're kind of an example of 46:39 where you're going to be in your computer 46:41 literacy. What about you, Michael? - It's not 46:45 something that I've really developed, but that's a 46:49 skill that I look forward to also developing. 46:52 - Because our generation- I mean, think about it. 46:55 You guys were born in the digital era. Think 46:59 about it. We were not born- we were one 47:01 of the analogue... [laughter] - Yes. 47:03 - Better not tell too many people about that. 47:04 But you're born in a digital generation where 47:07 using this media not only for communicating 47:10 and doing term papers and doing your homework, 47:12 but also wonderful means of evangelism...and putting 47:15 your sermons together! - Mhm! - That's gonna 47:17 be another thing. Orchestra! We talked about music. 47:20 I think the other two students said they sing. 47:21 Do you both sing? - Yes. [laughs] - What kind of 47:24 orchestra do you have here? - Well, we have- 47:27 in that photo there, you see Maria who was just 47:30 here. She's a gifted violinist. - Oh, right 47:33 on the end there. - Yeah. So, we have a small 47:35 ensemble. I mean, orchestra, you think of...you know. 47:38 100-piece whatever. But we have several students 47:43 who are just gifted musically. So, we have- 47:47 they play cello and violin and piano and those 47:51 different things. So, we put together small 47:53 ensemble orchestra every year, and then we have 47:57 a choir. So, music is a big part of what we 48:01 do, and we try to develop that skill set among 48:06 the students during their time at Laurelbrook. - Wow. 48:10 - So, it's a beautiful experience, watching 48:13 them grow musically and otherwise. - You 48:17 both sing. Are you in the orchestra? - I'm 48:20 not in the orchestra, but both of us are 48:22 in the choir. - Oh, okay! Good, good. 48:25 And I like this last part. It says, "Michael 48:27 teaching." We're talking about Michael. Let's 48:29 look at this graphic here and describe- 48:31 and I'll let Michael describe this. Michael, what 48:34 are you teaching there? - Well, I think it's a... 48:38 Oh, yeah, it's English or something? - Okay. 48:41 - But the thing- I don't really- I've never really 48:45 taught an actual class, a full-length class; 48:48 it's just certain things. When my fellow classmates 48:52 don't understand something, I've always liked getting 48:57 up there and trying to explain it in a way that 49:00 they understand. I've never been- before 49:03 coming to Laurelbrook, I've never really been 49:06 too confident in public speaking or, you know, 49:10 explaining things. But I've seen Laurelbrook 49:13 as a way... I see Laurelbrook opening opportunities 49:19 for me to be able to get out there and 49:23 express myself and not be afraid to speak in 49:27 public. - That's good. Because to be a pastor, 49:30 that's gonna be very important. You're gonna 49:32 stand up and not only do sermons but teaching 49:34 and getting involved in the public. And 49:37 praise the Lord that Laurelbrook is also 49:38 pulling the students out of the shadows. 49:41 - Sure. - Not just qualifying them 49:42 academically, but also a lot of spiritual skills. 49:45 What are some of the needs that Laurelbrook 49:47 has? - Yeah. Well, next year will be our seventh 49:50 year. So, we're celebrating 70 years. Laurelbrook 49:55 was founded in 1950. So, we have infrastructure 49:59 needs in terms of housing. We're looking at a new 50:03 dormitory. That's our biggest need is the 50:06 construction of a new dormitory. So, redoing 50:10 our infrastructure, updating our infrastructure, 50:13 is our greatest need now. Of course, always, 50:17 staff. We're looking for teachers and deans 50:22 and maintenance folk and mechanics. So, 50:26 for those who may be interested in teaching 50:30 young people skills that they know, whether 50:33 you're a carpenter or a contractor or whatever 50:37 in an environment like this where you're able to 50:39 share your knowledge with a hands-on sort 50:44 of environment, we'd love to have you. - Okay. 50:46 I want to make sure that those who are 50:48 watching the program get an opportunity to 50:49 receive information to get in touch with Laurelbrook 50:52 either as a student or a parent, or someone 50:55 who might be interested in being involved in missions, 50:58 and here is the information that you need. 51:02 - Laurelbrook Academy has been providing 51:04 students with quality Adventist education 51:06 for many years. Through their unique combination 51:09 of academics, vocational training, and missionary 51:12 experience, they are 51:13 training an army of youth to change our 51:14 world. If you'd like to learn more, support 51:17 them financially, or take a tour of their unique 51:20 programs and beautiful campus, please visit 51:22 their website: Laurelbrook.org. 51:24 That's Laurelbrook.org. You may also call them 51:28 at (423) 775-3336, or write them at 51:34 Laurelbrook Academy 114 Campus Drive 51:38 Dayton, Tennessee 37321. |
Revised 2020-01-13