(relaxing music)
- For the past two weeks, I have been in India,
a country rich in culture
and teeming with people steeped in tradition.
As I watch the crowded streets and markets,
I cannot help but marvel at how God is working
in every heart, even when we don't see it\,
reaching people all over the world
in the most unlikely places.
Hi, I'm Cami Oetman, and this is AWR360°.
(energetic music)
It says in Acts 16:9 and 10,
"During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia
standing and begging him,
'Come over to Macedonia and help us.'"
There are many people around the world waiting
for someone to share Jesus with them.
This is why the Lord has commissioned us
to go out to the people and AWR is doing just that.
In many places in India, no Adventist church resides,
and there is a need for the Adventist message
in their own languages.
We travel through the bustling streets and alleyways
to meet a faithful Bible worker.
It is in a colorful apartment we meet Lily.
After a brief hug, she shows me
that she is currently translating the Bible
into the local language on her laptop.
She takes careful notes and is filled with joy,
knowing that many lives will be changed
because of what she does.
Lily tries to teach me a few words,
which I find challenging.
She leads us to her patio flowers,
and she tells me her story.
(Lily speaks in a foreign language)
- [Translator] After school, I got married.
- [Cami] Her husband was a Roman Catholic.
Though she did not understand the Bible,
she followed his belief.
She wanted to know more than the priest taught,
but her husband never allowed her to even touch his Bible.
(Lily speaks in a foreign language)
- [Translator] For 20 years, I followed my husband's belief,
not truly knowing my Jesus.
- [Cami] In 2018, an Adventist World Radio representative
journeyed to her town, seeking someone to translate
AWR sermons to the local language,
and Lily was very willing to help.
But then she was confused, as what she was translating
was very different to what she was taught.
And then suddenly, she got very sick.
(Lily speaks in a foreign language)
- [Translator] The devil was trying to stop
the work I was doing.
- [Cami] In her sickness, she heard a voice warning her,
"Do not open your Bible, or you will die."
But after 20 years of not being able to read the Bible,
she knew what she had to do.
As she studied, she felt continually attacked
by an unseen force, but she never stopped reading.
Once her friend learned that Lily was sick,
she immediately came to pray over her,
and she read to her more truths from the Bible.
Soon, Lily fully recovered.
Immediately she resumed her important translation work.
And as she listened to and translated
the Adventist messages, she heard many new truths.
What she found was so interesting,
that she started to spend extra time in her day
researching these topics in her Bible,
like the seventh day Sabbath and Jesus' second coming.
(Lily speaks in a foreign language)
- [Translator] Everything I studied was so different
from what I believed, but it was coming straight
from the Bible.
- [Cami] But there was one problem that still remained:
her husband did not like the idea of change,
and became very concerned with her work.
Then one day she studied about the mark of the beast.
And after much research,
she was convicted that this was the truth.
She wanted to become Adventist,
but would that divide her family?
She spent much time in prayer.
Little did she know, God already had it all planned out.
While the translations were in progress,
AWR also saw the need for an outreach center.
They brought in a physical therapist
and hosted Bible studies.
When the place opened,
word of how people were being helped spread fast,
and the people from the city flocked to the center.
Paralytic patients from surrounding areas
made their way there.
People from neighboring countries also came to be healed.
And all heard about the loving Jesus while there.
During this time, someone was observing
the Adventists in the center.
When he witnessed their willingness
to help others, his heart changed.
(Lily speaks in a foreign language)
- [Translator] I was shocked as my husband came
to ask me about the Sabbath.
- [Cami] So the two studied together
and he came to a conclusion:
the Sabbath message is true.
As principal of a local school,
he stopped all schooling on the Sabbath
and started to worship at home.
There are now six people ready for baptism, including Lily.
(Lily speaks in a foreign language)
- [Translator] I'm grateful for AWR
and the messages of hope and truth.
- Friends, consider the impact you can have upon others
if you're willing to let the Lord lead.
You have the power to direct a soul for Christ.
Go to AWR.org for videos, training and more.
Join AWR360° as we share the gospel around this world,
no walls, no borders, and no limits.
This is AWR360°.
(gentle music)