ITISWRITTEN.COM
SUMMER 2019
impressions
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16 HOPE for LEBANON
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Addicted to Service
Hope and healing for Ethiopia
The Paradox of Prayer Better than answered prayer
on the cover
16 HOPE for
LEBANON In March 2019, It Is Written led a team of volunteer medical professionals and lay preachers to share the gospel with the community and refugees in Beirut, Lebanon. They left with Lebanon in their hearts.
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aspects 04
Director’s Desk
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Mission Report
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Escrito EstĂĄ
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My Place With Jesus
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Community Connection
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Staff Highlight
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Devotional
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It Is Written impressions
Addicted to Service
Hope and healing for Ethiopia
The Paradox of Prayer Better than answered prayer
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impressions magazine SUMMER 2019 ISSUE 17 EXECUTIVE EDITOR John Bradshaw EDITOR Ellen Metcalf ART DIRECTOR Michael Prewitt GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ariel Warren Copyright © 2019 by It Is Written. All rights reserved. It Is Written, Escrito Está, My Place With Jesus, and SALT are registered trademarks and/or service marks of It Is Written, Inc. Except otherwise noted, scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
connect with us itiswritten.com BUSINESS HOURS M – Th, 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST SUBSCRIPTIONS impressions@iiw.org It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401-0006 423-362-5800 SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/itiswritten instagram.com/itiswrittenmedia twitter.com/itiswritten youtube.com/ItIsWritten DESIGNED TO SHARE This Impressions magazine is designed to be shared with your friends, family, and neighbors. When you are done reading it, please pass it on.
notes 12
Partnership Highlight
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Resources
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Impressed
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Planned Giving
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Tributes & Memorials
calendar John Bradshaw, speaker/director AUG 29 — 31
Speaking at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska
SEP 6—8
Partnership event in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
SEP 13 — 15
Partnership event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
SEP 20 — 22
Partnership event in Orlando, Florida
SEP 27 — OCT 26
Evangelistic series in Phoenix, Arizona
NOV 1—3
Partnership event in Palm Springs, California
NOV 8 — 10
Partnership event in Portland, Oregon
Eric Flickinger, associate speaker AUG 23 — 24
Prophecy weekend in Rolling Hills, California
SEP 27 — OCT 19
Evangelistic series in Hagerstown, Maryland
OCT 26
Rally weekend in Green Bay, Wisconsin
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Partnership Listen to last year’s Partnership messages: itiswritten.com/partnership-videos
Director’s Desk
Something Real
T
he recent It Is Written Holy Land Tour was a phenomenal experience for all who joined us. With archaeologist Dr. Michael Hasel as our tour guide, each participant was blessed with incredible insights into the life and times of the ancient past and the ministry and teachings of Jesus. Perhaps what strikes a person visiting the Holy Land is the reality of the life and ministry of Jesus. He really lived. The sermon on the mount was preached there. The synagogue in Capernaum was right here. The pool of Siloam is right there. The same can be said for countless other sights. It really happened. He really lived. Which means, of course, that He really died, really went to heaven, and is really interceding for us at God’s right hand. And He’s really going to return to this earth and take us home. God has placed us in this world to communicate the reality of the gospel. While the message of the gospel has become less real in many minds, its reality has never been more greatly needed. Thank you for joining with It Is Written to share the greatest message ever shared, with a world in desperate need of something real.
John Bradshaw 4
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Speaker / Director
“WHAT STRIKES A PERSON VISITING THE HOLY LAND IS THE
reality OF THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS.”
Feature
“Dad always told me, ‘Fix your eyes on Jesus,’” Dr. Gohalem Felema remembers. “I knew, growing up, that the most important thing was for me to have a personal relationship with Jesus.” Her father knew what he was talking about. Jesus had seen him and her mother through some dark days. Gohalem’s father had been a Muslim, her mother Coptic Christian. Their passion for education took them to Sweden, where they were earning money to attend Newbold College. Through their experience, they fell in love with Jesus and each other. When they returned to Ethiopia they had one goal: fulfill the gospel commission for their home country. The devil had other plans. Gohalem’s father was a pastor, and her mother was a social worker. They put all their energies into sharing Jesus’ love with the Ethiopian people. But tragedy struck when Gohalem was just five years old. Her father was traveling in a rural area when he was in a bad car accident that put him in a coma. He would never walk again, but it didn’t deter him. He and his wife began to serve with even greater magnitude by opening orphanages. “I watched my dad and mom live out their strong beliefs,” Gohalem recalls. “My motivation and inspiration today comes from them.” When Gohalem was about seven, her parents took her to a poverty-stricken area of their community to give bread and clothing to families. What she witnessed made a lifelong impact: malnourished children without clothes or shoes, living in muddy shacks. “I saw the transformation in their faces when I gave them these simple things,” she says. “They hugged me and smiled ear to ear. The joy in serving others was imprinted on me. It almost became addictive.”
As Gohalem grew up, her “addiction” deepened. Physician missionaries would come to Ethiopia and visit her parents, and she began to see a synergistic relationship between medicine and evangelism. “I realized that if I could meet people’s physical needs, their hearts would open to the gospel.” Gohalem attended Loma Linda University and became a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist. Her husband, Dr. Dawit Adugna, a dentist, is also from Ethiopia, and together they continue to bring healing to their home country. They have joined several medical trips to Ethiopia in the past. But Gohalem and Dawit, It Is Written Partners, have always felt that “beyond our own ministry to the people, we were missing the power of combining medicine with evangelism.” The secular trips made a significant health care impact, but nothing like what happened in July when It Is Written took a mission team to Arsi Negele, Ethiopia, a part of the country often overlooked by humanitarian aid. “There’s a tremendous need in Ethiopia,” Gohalem explains. “Health care is almost nonexistent, but there is also a spiritual darkness. The hearts of the people are seeking something meaningful.” And meaning was found: 30 volunteers entered the country and changed lives through the power of Jesus. A baby’s life was saved, over 1,000 cataract surgeries were completed by Dr. Jacob Prabhakar, and over 400 people were baptized on the last Sabbath of the trip. “It really does more for me than them,” Gohalem says. “Nothing in this world can give you that fulfillment, that happiness, than when you are meeting others’ needs.”
“The joy in serving others was imprinted on me. It almost became addictive.”
ELLEN METCALF is the development director for It Is Written. Ellen and her team plan the yearly Partnership weekend events.
Read the stories: itiswritten.com/blog Join a trip: itiswritten.com/missiontrips SUMMER 2019
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Mission Report
Tobacco
Church
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he delicious south Indian thali I had eaten for lunch, along with the warm tropical sun, were doing all they could to lure me into a drowsy stupor that fateful afternoon. Fortunately, a pesky fly kept me from the temptation. I was on a very important mission! I was not to be deterred from personally visiting 14 churches before the sun set, and I still had eight more to go. Through the dusty window of our van, I gazed out over fields of gangly tobacco plants, which resembled elephant ears on tall poles. Fields that stretched out into the disappearing horizon were in different stages of growth. Some had just been harvested; others were just unfurling. Day laborers fanned out over 8
It Is Written impressions
the fields, their backs bent into the work of handpicking the leaves. Our van left the main road and bumped along more narrow lanes. Shriveling tobacco leaves hung from tall drying racks in nearly every yard. And then, abruptly, we arrived. Strewn across the church yard were meters of tarp. On the tarp sat an entire family amidst piles of freshly picked tobacco leaves, each member busy with his or her duties processing the tobacco. The father proudly explained that Philip Morris purchased these leaves for their tobacco products. The little girls ate snacks and scrambled about as the mother sewed leaves onto coarse rope. In the adjacent yard, the drying tobacco leaves hung like shriveled bats in a cave. Upon entering the church, I found pallets of tobacco ready for pickup. What better place to store a valuable commodity than in a large, well-ventilated church? My travel companions and I stood in the silent sanctuary, each lost in thought. I suppose we were all contemplating the embarrassing irony of a church filled with tobacco, its yard a processing space, and its
members the processors. “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7) seemed to echo in my mind. How sad Jesus must feel when a space dedicated to the worship of God is turned into a facility for products that rob people of their health, wealth, and well-being. We walked back out into the sunlight and discovered a small crowd of curious observers who had gathered to inquire about our visit. Among them stood a slender young man from a nearby village. He was from a Christian home and said he wanted to become a Bible worker or a pastor, but he couldn’t afford the training. We explained that we were looking for people just like him to provide spiritual leadership in their communities and that we were offering free Bible worker training. He excitedly rushed home to get his high school diploma. For the next four weeks, this young man, along with 24 others, completed training to become an It Is Written Bible worker. Each of these men are now assigned two churches to care for. It Is Written is working with a total of 50 closed churches. The goal is to reopen these churches and equip them with leaders to bring their communities to Christ. Right now, Bible workers are sweeping our sanctuaries, visiting members who have left, and preparing Sabbath sermons. Tobacco processing is being removed, and
How sad Jesus must feel when a space dedicated to the worship of God is turned into a facility for products that rob people of their health, wealth, and well-being. JOSEPHINE ROBINSON is the It Is Written India Mission Coordinator. She lives in the Northwest with her husband and three children.
God’s houses are being restored into places of prayer rather than storage centers of merchandise. Please earnestly pray for each of our 25 Bible workers, for they need God’s daily wisdom as they re-enter their communities as messengers of hope and change. SUMMER 2019
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Escrito Está
Mission First U nder the theme “Mission First,” churches in five states throughout central and south Mexico have united hands with Escrito Está to fulfill the Great Commission. Approximately two years ago, the churches resolved to reach the millions of people living in their territory. For decades Mexico has been a challenge to reach with the gospel through television and radio. Knowing that faith honors God and God honors faith, the churches invested a considerable amount of resources to place the weekly program from Escrito Está on several local television channels. Shortly after they began to air the programs, the national manager of TV Azteca, a Jew, was watching one of his channels and was impressed to see a Protestant religious program talking about Saturday as the biblical day of rest. As a result and at no additional cost, he ensured that the program was seen nationwide. Since then, Escrito Está reaches 58 million homes every Sunday at 8:00 a.m.
The church established a call center to answer viewers who call in response to a television program and request Bible studies, prayer, or the address of the nearest church. Seeds are sown every single day, and sometimes the churches get to see them take root and grow. Martha played Escrito Está at her restaurant. She would catch snippets of the programs as she served her customers. She liked what she heard, and she enjoyed studying the Bible, but she didn’t know where she could find a church that taught what she was learning. One day a physician who often had lunch at her restaurant saw Martha watching the program and said, “That program is from my church.” She couldn’t believe it! “Really?” she cried with joy. “I need you to tell me where your church is located. I want to attend!” Today, Martha is a baptized member of her customer’s church.
Rosita and Arturo, a couple of profession20,000 people involved in Bible studies. als, were having breakfast one day while The Escrito Está Bible studies are a favorite watching television. They heard the presenter and lead people to place their lives on the invite the viewers to meet at a local church. solid platform of all biblical truth. They decided to go, but when they arrived, The apocalyptic vision that John saw they found it nearly empty. Only a few memis becoming a reality today. Messengers bers were there, cleaning. Rosita and Arturo are flying with great speed, announcing inquired and said, “We have come at the the eternal gospel to every nation, tribe, invitation of the Escrito Está program.” language, and people. The members explained that the meeting Escrito Está has helped to sensitize society had been the previous day and invited Rosita through the truths of the Word of God, and Arturo to join their small Bible study while giving believers the opportunity to group. Today both share this blessed Rosita and Arturo are message. As a result, preparing for baptism. “Small groups are numerous, 14,900 people have The reaping work come into the body and they multiply with of these television of Christ—people wonderful results.” programs often who, because of involves small Bible the relationships study groups and personal invitations. they have formed and the truths they now “Small groups are numerous, and they believe, are rooted in the solid foundation multiply with wonderful results,” says of the Word of God. Pastor Reyna, president of the church More, many more, will join them in the in the five Mexican states. “We are months ahead. Thank you for supporting experiencing an awakening in our conthe work Escrito Está is doing in Mexico gregations as more and more people are and around the Spanish-speaking world. involved in the Great Commission.” MARTÍN OLVERA is the director of the Recently, nine young professionals Communication and Publishing Ministries organized a small group Bible study and for the Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union. invited other young professionals to join them. Not satisfied with just meeting together, they decided to open an elegant vegetarian restaurant as a center of Robert Costa, speaker/director influence in their community. All the profits are donated to help the needy of the Evangelism training SEP community. On the restaurant walls there in Indianapolis, Indiana 20 —22 are photos of people helped through the restaurant’s philanthropy. AIALE European Hispanic So far, the five states have more than OCT Conference in Paris, France 10,000 active small groups and over 3—6 OCT 19 — 26
Evangelistic series in Phoenix, Arizona
OCT 30 — NOV 2
Evangelistic series in New Jersey Conference SUMMER 2019
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Partnership Highlight
The
YOUNGEST I
t was late August when Nancy Costa, the wife of Robert Costa, speaker/director of Escrito Está, asked me if I would like to attend an It Is Written Partnership weekend in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. My husband and I were excited about this opportunity because we had been talking about finding different ministries to support in the upcoming year. We knew very little about It Is Written. We didn’t even know who the speaker was, but we felt impressed that we should attend. After making the decision, we told our kids about the upcoming weekend.
CHILDREN & YOUTH
God’s Missionaries Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Partner To our surprise, our youngest daughter, Ellie, 10, was super excited. She asked if she was going to meet John Bradshaw. She told us that she watched his Every Word devotional videos at school each morning. She couldn’t wait to meet him in person. This moment sealed the deal for us, and we knew that God wanted us to be there. A couple weeks later, we arrived at the Wyndham hotel and settled into our patriotic and Civil War themed room. Ellie couldn’t wait to get down to the meeting room. She met John and Melissa Bradshaw.
Explore stories of people who risked their life to share truth with others. Learn how everyone can make a positive impact for Christ in whatever mission field we are in. Special youth breakout sessions with Pastor Eric Flickinger.
Programs for ages 0–17 are offered during all adult meetings.
They were so kind to her and her sisters. John stole away from conversations to take a selfie with the girls in the photo booth and “helped” Ellie sneak an extra piece of baklava from the Friday night buffet. John became a real person to her. He was humble and took time with the kids, which reminded me of Jesus taking time with the children. After their initial meeting, Ellie and felt we should commit to, and she replied, her sisters took off to the children’s program. They loved it. She earned her Bible “I think we should become Partners.” My husband Trent and I had been moved by Marking Pathfinder honor and received a new It Is Written Bible. In the adult meetings, the stories we heard while we were at the Partnership weekend, and we knew that God we received a set of the My Place With Jesus was speaking to us through our child. Even Bible Guides and planned to use them in though we were putting three kids through evening devotions with the children to study through our fundamental beliefs. We left the private Christian education, we knew that we would be faithful to Him speaking weekend refreshed and inspired. through our daughter. The entire family This moment sealed the deal voted in unison, and we are now proud It Is Written Partners. Not just my husband for us, and we knew that and me—this is an entire family partnership with God in faithful support of His work. God wanted us to be there. We are already looking forward to attending our second Partnership weekend this A couple months after the Partnership fall as a family. We are excited to see our weekend, at the beginning of this year, we children growing in Christ. held a family stewardship council where we chose 12 ministries we wanted to support ALYSSA TRUMAN is a marketing manager. through the new year. We went around the She lives with her husband and three family circle and asked each child to name daughters in Silver Spring, Maryland. the ministry they wanted to donate to. When we got to Ellie, she immediately said, “It Is Written!” We asked her how much she
HONORS OFFERED:
Pathfinder Honor Native American Lore (ages 10–17)
Adventurer Honor Early Adventist Pioneer (ages 4–9)
LEADERS
Judy Shull, program director (right), and one of her assistants, Traci SUMMER 2019
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Resources
COMING SOON
CREATION LIFE STUDY GUIDES (8 LESSONS)
Discover and share God’s optimal plan for health using the new CREATION Life Study Guides from It Is Written and AdventHealth. CREATION Life is a scientifically researched, biblically based way to improve health and well-being. This framework for living an abundant life will help you live healthier, be happier, feel stronger, and experience trust in a new way.
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It Is Written impressions
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Cover Feature
HOPE LEBANON for
Lebanon is a beautiful country with alpine-like mountains and lush Mediterranean beaches. That beauty, however, was marred by a 15-year, bloody civil war that ended in 1990 and left the country in confusion. Since then, the industrious Lebanese people have worked diligently to help their country regain its former serenity. That’s not an easy task when you consider its geographical location: the Middle East, the world’s powder keg. In the last 10 years, Lebanon has received Iraqi and Syrian refugees escaping their war-torn nations. It has a population of six million, which includes 1.5 million refugees (25 percent of the total population). This refugee presence has created cultural unrest and social tension. In March of this year, It Is Written visited Beirut to share the love of Jesus with the refugees. Fourteen volunteers provided daily health clinics and basic medical care. These were followed with nightly presentations by John Bradshaw. Together the team embarked on an amazing and unforgettable journey. Among those who volunteered were It Is Written Partners, and I’ve asked some of them to share their stories. —Yves Monnier, Evangelism Director
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LARRY AND PIA SOULE We came to Lebanon not knowing what to expect. This was our 44th foreign trip and it turned out to be unlike any others we’ve done. Working with the refugees and especially the teen translators from the local church school gave us a totally new understanding of what the many millions of refugees around the world go through. Before this trip, refugees were just a statistic talked about on the news channel. After this trip, refugees are people with faces, smiles, dreams, and hopes. They are individuals who had a good life back home before war and terrorists forced them to flee. They are people who now live in a one-room apartment crammed full of family members. They are dads and moms who can’t find work and whose kids don’t have a school to go to. They have no hope for a better life where they are or if they return back home. Our experience gave us a real-world definition of the word “hopelessness.”
Before this trip, refugees were just a statistic talked about on the news channel. After this trip, refugees are people with faces, smiles, dreams, and hopes. This especially sank in when we talked to the teens about their life. One day, while waiting for the next patient to come, 14-year-old Rushra told us about her uncles and cousins getting abducted and killed. She got a faraway look in her eyes and teared up when talking about fleeing their home with gunfire all around, stepping over dead bodies in the street in their hurry to get away. She paused and then smiled and gave me a hug, saying,
Jennifer and Cherith Hickman pose with community members at the clinic in Beirut.
John Bradshaw baptizes a young man after the meetings in Beirut.
“I’m so glad to know you.” Like all the other kids, she was resilient and hopeful in spite of her horrible memories and the hopeless situation she and her family are in. In the midst of this hopelessness shines a bright light—the eight-grade local church school is providing a haven for 115 refugee children. The school has teachers from many different countries and provides a safe environment where the kids are taught in English, starting from first grade. Here the children find loving teachers, joy in learning, and some hope in their otherwise bleak world. Teachers have left well-paying jobs to minister to these families. While we went for a week, they live there offering hope day after day.
JENNIFER HICKMAN When my family and I heard that It Is Written was coordinating a trip to Beirut, Lebanon, we made the trip a matter of prayer. God led me and my daughter Cherith to be able to join the project. I was touched as I saw the mighty work that God is doing for the people in this country. Local teenage translators helped me as I saw patients in the health clinics. I would talk to the patients about health principles, and the translators caught on quickly. Without my prompting, they began educating patients about drinking more water, reducing sugar, and eliminating coffee and cigarettes from their lifestyle. One day, a woman who had been seen at the clinic came back with her husband, whom she knew had high blood sugar and blood pressure. I was able to share with them how nutrition and exercise can make a huge positive difference in their health. I also felt impressed to share how smoking can constrict blood vessels and at times have an impact on fertility. This couple only had one child and had been trying to conceive again for the past eight years! As I shared, they both became very interested in a healthy
lifestyle change. I was able to pray with them, and they expressed sincere gratitude. As we worked with these refugees, I was reminded of Psalm 107:1–3, where the Psalmist talks about how God gathers the redeemed out of the hand of the enemy and gathers them out of all lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. It was an honor to be a part of this project and watch God fulfilling this promise, in part, through me and It Is Written.
CHERITH HICKMAN (Jennifer’s daughter) I was so excited when I learned that It Is Written was going to Beirut, Lebanon! I have always wanted to go to the Middle East to be able to share God’s love. This was a great opportunity! While in Lebanon, I was able to help in the clinic by taking vitals and registering patients. I also helped care for the children during the evening meetings. The babies were so sweet! I got to know them and their mothers as they dropped their children off and picked them up each night. Our translators were wonderful! Most of the translators were Syrian refugees, who had gone or were still going to the nearby learning center. I was able to share hope and health information with them. I felt the Holy Spirit was working not only on the refugees’ hearts but also on the translators’ hearts. It was a wonderful experience. I felt very safe and comfortable sharing with people, and I hope to go back someday soon. Please pray for the work in Lebanon. Pray for the refugees and the Lebanese people, who need the loving hand of Jesus to show them hope. YVES MONNIER is the evangelism director for It Is Written. He schedules and oversees all of the ministry’s evangelism projects around the world.
SUMMER 2019
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My Place With Jesus
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ou might have heard that elephants never forget. And elephants have shown time and time again that they can remember things for months, even years! In 1998, Lawrence and his wife Françoise bought Thula Thula, a historic game reserve located in Zululand, South Africa. One year later they adopted a herd of nine wild elephants that were going to be put to death. Although knowing nothing about elephants, Lawrence was determined to save them. Lawrence would talk to them, and they would listen. They were very gentle with him, and he was happy in their presence. Because of the patience and
love Lawrence showed them, the herd of elephants made Thula Thula their permanent home. On March 2, 2012, while away on a business trip, Lawrence suffered a heart attack and died. This was devastating for Françoise, Thula Thula, and the elephants! At five o’clock—soon after the memorial service—the elephants gathered at the home of Lawrence and Françoise and stayed for several hours. In fact, every year, on the very same day, at the exact time, the elephants came again and again to show they hadn’t forgotten the man who saved their lives. God doesn’t forget either. The Bible talks about many things God remembers. He remembers to care for the little sparrows, He remembers all the promises that He has made, He remembers the love you show Him when you care for others, and most of all, He remembers you! The Bible also tells us about something God will never remember. Hebrews 10:17 says, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior and ask for His forgiveness, He will not remember our sins!
MELISSA BRADSHAW is the My Place With Jesus coordinator at It Is Written. Melissa and her husband, John Bradshaw, have two children and live in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area.
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Like us on Facebook! facebook.com/myplacewithjesus
Do you want Jesus to forget those unkind words you spoke, that argument you started with your parents, that thing you took that wasn’t yours, that anger you held in your heart? He will forget. First John 1:9 tells us that when we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us! Today, confess your sins to Jesus, ask Him for a new heart, and He will remember your sins no more!
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IT IS WRITTEN MINISTRY
Elephant Word Search Search up, down, forward, backward, and on the diagonal to find the hidden words.
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Do You Know the Difference? Did you know there is an easy way to tell the difference between the African and Asian elephants? African elephants have larger ears that resemble the shape of Africa, while Asian elephants have smaller ears that look like India.
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t’s hard to believe that we will soon be moving into our new ministry headquarters! This will be the first time in 63 years that It Is Written has had its very own home. This is only possible because of the tremendous support of our donors. We are only about $2.5 million away from being able to cover the cost of the entire project! And for that we extend our gratitude to those who have supported this effort so sacrificially. Some of these donors are very close to home. Our employees are personally invested in this project along with donors from all over the country. If employee participation were a graded class, our team would get an A plus! They are invested not only in their dedicated work every day but also in their commitment to see this building finished and equipped to spread the gospel.
CONCEPTUAL MOCKUP
JOCELYN D. ANDERSON is the associate director of Development. Jocelyn helps coordinate all the Partnership events each year and enjoys connecting with donors. Her greatest achievement in life is her beautiful daughter Chelsea.
Employees give because they know the impact this new headquarters will make for eternity. “I want to be a part of this,” said Speaker/Director John Bradshaw. “I want to say that I helped and God used me to provide for a small corner of this building.”
“It Is Written is where I work, but it’s so much more. It’s a place where I am encouraged in my walk with Christ and a place where I can encourage others.” Another employee was thankful for the opportunity: “It Is Written is where I work, but it’s so much more. It’s a place where I am encouraged in my walk with Christ and a place where I can encourage others.
I love that we are all collectively working toward bringing others to Christ. I feel excited and honored to be able to contribute to the building. Thanks for giving me the opportunity!” Our employees feel that just coming to work isn’t enough. “There is a difference between being paid for the work you do— your job—and your personal commitment,” an employee shared. “How can I say to people in the community that they should support our work if I’m not? It’s not enough to just say, ‘I work there.’” Employees gave because they strongly believe in the mission—our mission—to use media to spread the gospel throughout the world so that Jesus can come back soon. The bricks and mortar of the building are nearly complete. Funds are still needed to completely finish the work and to equip the studio for filming our 10 television programs. The ministry team is planning an open house for November 22, 2019. There is still an opportunity for you to join us in supporting the It Is Written of tomorrow—almost the It Is Written of today! Naming opportunities are still available for certain gift levels, and you can also donate toward a commemorative brick. To make your gift to our building, just go to itiswritten.build. JOCELYN ANDERSON is the associate director of Development. Jocelyn helps coordinate all the Partnership events each year and enjoys connecting with donors. Her greatest achievement in life is her beautiful daughter Chelsea.
A Legacy of Partnership Rolland and Virginia McKibbin were It Is Written Partners for over 30 years. I first met them in 1985, 34 years ago when I married their daughter Cheryl. One weekend a year in the fall, without fail, they would attend an It Is Written Partnership event. When I asked why they attended, their answer was short and succinct: “We love It Is Written and believe in what they are doing.” When I accepted the call to join It Is Written in 2010, no one was more excited than my in-laws. I soon discovered firsthand that they had been absolutely right about It Is Written. It’s an amazing ministry that touches millions of lives. I’ve got the best job in the world. In March 2016, Virginia—Mom—fell asleep in Jesus after a lengthy illness. Nine months later, Dad passed away. They died with Jesus in their hearts and with the blessed hope of a great resurrection day. As part of their legacy, they decided, long ago, to leave funds to It Is Written so that more people could have that same hope. Consequently, the master control room at the new It Is Written building has been named after Rolland and Virginia. I hope their legacy of giving will inspire others to support the production of the life-changing programs filmed in this space. —Yves Monnier, It Is Written Evangelism Director
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Feature
The of I
nvented in 1974 by a Hungarian architect, more than 350 million Rubik’s Cubes have now been sold. I had one when I was a teenager, and I could never figure it out. I ended up giving it away. When I read that the record time for solving a Rubik’s Cube is a little under 3.5 seconds, and the record average for solving the puzzle five times is 5.69 seconds, I kept thinking,“How in the world…?” The unfortunate thing is that for many people prayer is a lot like a Rubik’s Cube, a puzzle yet to be figured out, even though prayer has to be the most simple science ever devised. In prayer, one talks to God. And even if a person were unable to talk, prayer can be thought. This means God gave us something as powerful as prayer that is as easy as thinking. So how powerful is prayer? Daniel prayed and as a result was shown a king’s dream and its interpretation. 24
It Is Written impressions
Jehoshaphat prayed, and certain destruction was turned into a crushing military victory. The early church prayed, and Peter was miraculously released from prison. His chains fell off, and an iron gate swung open on its hinges as he walked to freedom. Yes, there are times when prayer is not answered. Paul did not receive the healing he desired. Jesus prayed to be spared crucifixion. But we understand that prayer is at times not answered the way we wish, and we yield to the wisdom of God. And we accept that in eternity our unanswered prayers will not in any way be a source of discontent. The paradox of prayer isn’t that some prayers are answered the way we wish and some are not. What is paradoxical is knowing prayer changes hearts and lives, knowing that God invites us into His presence, but not praying!
BY JOHN BRADSHAW, Speaker /Director
The Bible says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14–15). But there’s something even better than having your prayers answered, and that is to be able to speak with God and experience His presence in your life. Answered prayer is truly a blessing, but if your faith rests on that alone, you’ll struggle with prayer you perceive to be unanswered. Recognizing prayer as time with God, as an audience with the Creator, as heart-to-heart communication with the One whom “the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot
There’s something even better than having your prayers answered, and that is to be able to speak with God and experience His presence in your life.
Him. To know Him. Someone wrote that “prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend” (Steps to Christ, 93). While neglecting prayer is to fail to confess your sins and thank God for His blessings, it’s also—and perhaps most importantly—to fail to connect with God and welcome God into your day and into your life. You miss a lot when you don’t pray. How many times have you heard someone say, “If I’d known it was going to be that good…”? Prayer is that good. Better, in fact. Take time to connect with God. Allow prayer to be more than drivethrough praying. Take time to connect with the heart of the God who loves you enough to allow His Son to die for you. Thankfully, prayer isn’t as complicated as a Rubik’s Cube. It’s simple. And it’s powerful.
contain” (1 Kings 8:27) is what is truly powerful. Prayer is communication. As small as we are, there is a sovereign God who wishes to hear the prayers of the humblest heart and make known to every soul the depths of His love and care. The message of the gospel is an invitation. “Come to me,” Jesus said (Matthew 11:28). “He [or she] who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). While this speaks of the invitation to surrender one’s life to Christ, this is also an invitation to come to Jesus and commune with Him, to speak with SUMMER 2019
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Impressed
Impressed by the Holy Spirit, lives are forever changed
We love your program. We love the variety of each program and the fact that you always present the gospel and the opportunity for a person to make a decision for Christ. God bless you all. —Texas, USA Hi! I am currently a college student at Walla Walla University and this year I am doing task force work in Hilo, Hawaii! Today I was sick and was not able to go to church but I was able to watch an episode of It Is Written! I have grown up watching It Is Written, thanks to my dad. I want the people who work hard to produce this show to know I am so blessed by it and enjoy it greatly! I love sharing Thank you! Happy Sabbath. —Washington, USA I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for your one-minute Every Word devotionals. I start my work day with them every morning. They seem to set the tone for the day! —North Carolina, USA
[Every Word in sign language] on my Facebook wall because I think the interpreter does such a great job! God bless you all! ❤
To Pastor John Bradshaw, I congratulate you and thank you for your message on Coventry Cathedral and forgiveness. I remember the occasion vividly — Norway while I was living in London and also experienced bombing. I was also in Exeter when the cathedral, where I was baptized in 1942, was bombed. Your program was excellently presented and your ministry is a favorite of mine here in New Zealand. I have been a Christian for many years and appreciate your wisdom and teaching. Thank you and bless you. —New Zealand After losing my husband in a car accident back in 2015, I started to listen to It Is Written. This ministry was one of the many ways God has chosen to speak and bring me closer to Him. May the Lord continue to bless this ministry. —New York, USA
Do you have a story about how God has touched your life through the work of It Is Written? Tell us! Simply email impressions@iiw.org
Staff Highlight
Judy Kunkel EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Although she keeps busy filling two roles, Judy does it all with a cheerful attitude and easy laugh. For almost two years, she has served as volunteer coordinator and executive assistant to John Bradshaw, speaker/director, and Jesse Johnson, general manager. She keeps the wheels turning smoothly. She manages correspondence, plans events, serves on committees, maintains calendars, organizes schedules, and does anything else no one else in the office knows how to do. John Bradshaw recognizes the contribution Judy makes to the team. “She’s the glue that holds together a lot of what we do,” he said. “Judy has a wonderful, positive approach to life and ministry. She’s not only a wonderful person, but her faith is evident in her life. Love for God shines out of her. I’m incredibly grateful God led her to be part of this ministry.” Judy had been interested in working with It Is Written several years earlier, but she was happy working in public affairs for a large hospital in Minnesota. When she was invited to join the It Is Written team, Judy and her husband Joe prayed about the call. “A number of things took place,” she said, “that made it very clear this is where God wanted us to be.” Judy and Joe are also It Is Written Partners, and Joe often volunteers at the ministry. After attending their first Partnership weekend in December 2017, BY CASSIE MATCHIM HERNANDEZ
they were struck by all the “amazing ways that It Is Written is reaching the world for Jesus,” Judy said. “We wanted to be a part of that, even if it was in a small way.” Judy’s colleagues argue: She contributes in a big way, and we are blessed as a result.
Get to know Judy: What is your favorite meal? Mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed vegetables, vegetarian “meatloaf,” and garden salad.
What was your first job? Working at my next-door neighbor’s daycare center in Michigan. I was 12 and was responsible for the 2- to 5-year-olds, which was usually around 10 kids!
What is the best advice anyone has given you? A friend once shared with me that “it is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.”
What is one thing that most of your coworkers don’t know about you? I have 31 nieces and nephews and two grand-nieces. SUMMER 2019
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Planned Giving
BY OLAN THOMAS, Planned Giving and Trust Services Director
Paint Brushes and
Legacy Plans
J
oyce was an artist. And when she retired to a small farm in rural Nebraska, she made sure she had an upstairs studio where the natural light would help her paint her masterpieces. Joyce loved life. She had lived all over the country, but she retired back to her family’s estate in the country to enjoy her hobbies. Another hobby was working with her friends on church and community projects. She had developed strong and meaningful relationships now that she had settled back home. Before her retirement, Joyce had been familiar with how God was using It Is Written to reach hearts. In retirement, she wanted to be a part of the ministry, but she needed to maintain a steady income. She visited with an It Is Written Planned Giving and Trust Services representative, who helped her establish a charitable gift annuity. Afterward, as she worked on a Nebraska landscape scene in her studio, she was at peace.
Joyce was impacting and changing lives for eternity through It Is Written, and she had a fixed and secure income for the rest of her life. When her paintbrush lay still, she knew that any remainder in the gift annuity would fund evangelistic endeavors like the ones you have read about in this issue of Impressions. Charitable gift annuities achieve three worthy objectives: giving to God’s work, providing stable income, and reducing tax liability. When Joyce created her charitable gift annuity, she received a robust tax deduction that provided her with many years of stable income for the rest of her life and secured the remainder for evangelistic ministry. Would Joyce recommend this life income option to her friends at church? Absolutely! Especially since payout rates are great right now, with up to a 9.5 percent annual return! Contact us for more information or questions. 800-992-2219 plannedgiving@iiw.org www.HisLegacy.com
Let us know if you have included It Is Written in your estate plan so we can thank you.
Tributes & Memorials If you would like to give a donation in memory of someone, please visit itiswritten.com/give or use the enclosed envelope to mail your donation. IN LOVING MEMORY OF Acuff, Chloe and Fred by Faye Acuff Alanis, Andrew by Olympia Alanis Baerg, Pastor Bernie by Charles Fancher and Rita J. Vital Barbosa-King, Maria Amalia by Mr. Roy King Becker, Verla by Mr. and Mrs. Louis L. Meyer Byxbe, Dennis Lynn by Donna Byxbe Chuljan, Terriz by Rita J. Vital Conrad, Evelyn by Mrs. Dorothy Mote Cote, Leola by Rita J. Vital
Hivale, Samuel and Arulbai by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald S. Hivale
Young, Harold by Mr. and Mrs. James C. Culpepper
Hutahaean, Ibrahim by Mr. Dale S. Isley
Ziegler, Buddy by Mr. and Mrs. James C. Culpepper
Jazzy Girl Pup by Jon Duncan
IN HONOR OF
Kabanuk, Andrew by Mr. and Mrs. Llewellyn Alexenko
Connor, Mary P. by Andrea C. Whatley
Killmon, Norma and Tom by Norman and Bonnie Killmon
Green, Grace and Ted by Mr. and Mrs. Mike Weakley
King, Milton by Mr. and Mrs. Louis L. Meyer
Grier, Caitlyn by Rick and Vicky Stevenson
Lawry, Pat by Mr. and Mrs. Louis L. Meyer Mamou, Caffery and Josephine by Shirley Mamou Mandolini, Michele by Daniel Witt McLean, Margaret Hisako by Jonathan and Amanda Collins
Higgins, Gary D. by Tad Higgins It Is Written by Michael Bacon MacArthur, Wanda by Chris MacArthur Minnick, Marlene K. by Mr. Gary Minnick
Everett, Dr. Joel and Mary by Attorney and Mrs. George E. Reid
Mejia, Maria by Mike Zimmer
Franklin, Jerry by Rita J. Vital
Ness, John, Sr. by Tami Bowles
Gannigan, Lisa by Richard Bauer
Strang, Jeffery by Rita J. Vital
Hahn, Wendell by Vicki Hahn
Trapp, Barbara by Mrs. Dawn A. Hainey
Halley, Vernese by Mrs. Jeralene Boggess
Turner, Eugene by Sharon Turner
Sherman, Bill M. by Mrs. Roby A. Sherman
Hill, Beatrice by the Selma Seventh-day Adventist Church
Wickwire, Adele by Mrs. Dorothy Mote and Rita J. Vital
To see the complete list of tributes and memorials, please visit itiswritten.com/tributes
Nanny, Ora Charlotte E. by Sherrie J. Williamson Pelletier, David by Diane Harris Roy-Altemare, Dr. Chandra by Linda Flower
Remember someone special with your love gift to It Is Written. Your memorial or honorary gifts are helping spread the gospel around the world. Unless you request otherwise, your name will be listed on the Tributes web page and may be printed in Impressions. If you wish, we will send a gift acknowledgment card to your desired recipient. Please be sure to include the recipient’s name and address.
Devotional
“Yes”
He Still Says,
A
s a Planned Giving and Trust Services representative for It Is Written, I have the opportunity to visit our Partners in their homes. I recently visited with Shindo and Naoe Matsuda, and they shared this miraculous story: Shindo and his wife Naoe moved to the United States from Japan in 1960, eventually settling in California. They built careers in the medical field and raised their three sons. Now retired, Shindo recently went in for a routine health exam. He and Naoe were shocked. Shindo had high-grade dysplasia in his stomach. Abnormal, precancerous cells were forming at an alarming rate. To prevent cancer, Shindo’s stomach had to be removed. The family was devastated. The couple began praying as they had never prayed before. Naoe skipped lunch and used the time to intercede with God for the healing of her husband. The more they prayed, the more they felt that they should ask God for complete healing. Several weeks later, at a UCLA medical center for a second opinion, the specialist ordered a chromoendoscopy and endoscopic mucosal resection, expanding the stomach so the entire surface could be seen clearly. After the procedure, the physician came in with the results. “Are you awake?” he asked. “I don’t understand what happened, but I did not see any dysplasia in your stomach.” The doctor had taken 28 biopsies, and a few days later the results came in: no dysplasia! Shindo came back three months later for another scope procedure. Again, the miracle was confirmed. Shindo is praising God with CURT DOLINSKY is the Planned Giving the Psalmist, “O Lord & Trust Services southwest ministry my God, I cried out to representative. Curt has always worked in ministry and began working at It Is You, and You healed Written in 2008. He is married to Coleen, me” (Psalm 30:2). Ask. and they have two adult children. He still says, “Yes.” 30
It Is Written impressions
The more they prayed, the more they felt that they should ask God for complete healing.
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The It Is Written of tomorrow is here. Experience the ministry at our open house.
Ribbon Cutting and Open House November 22, 2019 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. It Is Written, 9340 Four Corners Place, Collegedale, TN 37363 View the virtual tour at itiswritten.build.
®
Partnership YOU’RE INVITED! Join our Partners this fall for a weekend with the ministry team at one of the locations below. It Is Written exists to share the love of Jesus Christ. Ministry Partners make this possible by committing $1,500 or more annually to spread the gospel around the globe. Be our guest this fall and enjoy fellowship, inspiration, and encouragement. See how becoming a Partner changes lives. —John and Melissa Bradshaw
Gatlinburg, TN #1
Gettysburg, PA
Orlando, FL
SEPTEMBER 6–8
SEPTEMBER 13–15
SEPTEMBER 20–22
Palm Springs, CA
Portland, OR
Monterey, CA
NOVEMBER 1–3
NOVEMBER 8–10
Park Vista DoubleTree
DoubleTree Golf Resort
Wyndham Hotel
Embassy Suites Airport
Marriott Airport
NOVEMBER 15–17
Embassy Suites Monterey–Seaside
Register as our guest by calling: 1-800-479-9056 Gatlinburg, TN #2 DECEMBER 6–8
Park Vista DoubleTree
Or visit: itiswritten.com/partners