0:00:00.000,0:00:04.551
♪ (music) ♪
0:00:04.551,0:00:06.272
The country of Georgia is home to some
0:00:06.272,0:00:07.636
four million people.
0:00:07.839,0:00:09.106
Out of these millions,
0:00:09.106,0:00:11.926
Pastor Grigol is one of only two Georgian
0:00:11.926,0:00:13.864
Seventh-day Adventist pastors.
0:00:14.078,0:00:16.942
We don’t have many workers,
0:00:16.942,0:00:18.585
and because of that
0:00:18.585,0:00:21.611
we have a lot of functions as pastors.
0:00:22.209,0:00:23.647
It’s a big challenge because
0:00:23.647,0:00:26.737
we don’t have enough resources.
0:00:27.384,0:00:28.992
Pastor Grigol lives in
0:00:28.992,0:00:30.725
the port city of Batumi,
0:00:30.725,0:00:32.494
Georgia’s second largest city.
0:00:33.252,0:00:35.333
The mission challenges grow by the day
0:00:35.333,0:00:38.116
as new apartments, casinos, [br]and other developments
0:00:38.116,0:00:40.091
are constructed around his church.
0:00:40.548,0:00:42.088
Many people don’t trust
0:00:43.597,0:00:46.318
when you talk to them about God.
0:00:47.374,0:00:49.782
I would say this is one of the challenges.
0:00:49.782,0:00:51.216
Although historically,
0:00:51.216,0:00:52.775
Georgia was the second nation
0:00:52.775,0:00:54.631
to officially adopt Christianity,
0:00:54.631,0:00:57.400
Adventism has struggled [br]to gain ground here.
0:00:57.400,0:01:00.584
The Adventist Church [br]is very small in Georgia.
0:01:00.584,0:01:03.424
There are approximately 300 Adventists
0:01:04.522,0:01:06.160
scattered around Georgia.
0:01:06.160,0:01:08.022
In Batumi we have a church
0:01:08.022,0:01:11.506
consisting of approximately 40 members.
0:01:11.756,0:01:13.155
Despite their small numbers,
0:01:13.155,0:01:14.551
church members in Batumi
0:01:14.551,0:01:16.023
have a heart for mission.
0:01:16.432,0:01:17.867
So they have found practical ways
0:01:17.867,0:01:19.940
to follow Christ’s method of ministry.
0:01:20.282,0:01:22.327
When we become friends with people,
0:01:22.643,0:01:25.848
like we try to organize [br]different social projects
0:01:26.249,0:01:28.049
and humanitarian projects
0:01:28.049,0:01:30.027
for people who are in need,
0:01:30.027,0:01:33.207
and when they get closer to us
0:01:33.207,0:01:37.079
and start to communicate with us,
0:01:37.705,0:01:41.145
then we have more trust from them.
0:01:41.889,0:01:43.498
Recently, the greatest need comes
0:01:43.498,0:01:45.986
from the influx of Ukrainian refugees.
0:01:45.986,0:01:47.125
Adventists in Batumi
0:01:47.125,0:01:48.866
welcome refugees to their church
0:01:48.866,0:01:51.348
for a variety of classes and programs.
0:01:51.695,0:01:53.927
Today, they are [br]conducting English classes.
0:01:54.321,0:01:56.671
The classes are a great way [br]for the Ukrainians
0:01:56.671,0:01:59.029
to come together to learn and socialize.
0:01:59.615,0:02:01.420
These gatherings have [br]allowed them to develop
0:02:01.420,0:02:04.270
a community away [br]from their homes in Ukraine.
0:02:04.270,0:02:07.100
It allows them to feel [br]supported and cared for.
0:02:07.514,0:02:09.058
The church also offers classes
0:02:09.058,0:02:10.798
to learn the Georgian language.
0:02:11.308,0:02:12.957
Learning Georgian helps them find
0:02:12.957,0:02:14.757
job opportunities more easily
0:02:14.757,0:02:15.977
so that they can integrate
0:02:15.977,0:02:17.497
and feel more at home.
0:02:18.102,0:02:19.288
Through these projects
0:02:19.288,0:02:21.056
we become friends with them
0:02:21.056,0:02:23.112
and sometimes they ask
0:02:23.112,0:02:24.678
questions about our church,
0:02:24.678,0:02:27.646
about our beliefs and we can share.
0:02:28.294,0:02:29.920
We believe that these projects
0:02:29.920,0:02:31.755
will have influence and
0:02:31.755,0:02:33.024
maybe some of them
0:02:33.024,0:02:36.215
will even start to attend our church.
0:02:36.694,0:02:39.228
Pastor Grigol and church members in Batumi
0:02:39.228,0:02:40.989
have been praying for funds to build
0:02:40.989,0:02:42.666
an urban center of influence
0:02:42.666,0:02:44.286
that would provide space for them
0:02:44.286,0:02:46.523
to offer more programs to their community.
0:02:46.744,0:02:48.969
Currently, the church is too small.
0:02:49.269,0:02:50.929
Sometimes we have a challenge
0:02:50.929,0:02:52.036
because we don’t have
0:02:52.799,0:02:55.365
rooms or space to conduct
0:02:55.365,0:02:59.500
different kinds of events and meetings.
0:03:00.454,0:03:02.324
For example, with this English class
0:03:02.324,0:03:04.791
we have to use our hall
0:03:04.791,0:03:06.811
where we have services.
0:03:06.811,0:03:09.895
This is our biggest need I would say.
0:03:10.327,0:03:12.984
This quarter, a portion [br]of your 13th Sabbath Offering
0:03:12.984,0:03:14.044
will help construct
0:03:14.044,0:03:16.674
an urban center of influence [br]in Batumi, Georgia.
0:03:16.874,0:03:18.186
This will vastly improve
0:03:18.186,0:03:19.394
outreach efforts here.
0:03:19.609,0:03:22.934
This is a big honor and a big joy that
0:03:24.209,0:03:27.545
there are many people who care
0:03:27.545,0:03:32.600
and are interested in supporting
0:03:33.622,0:03:37.070
the mission in our country.
0:03:37.770,0:03:39.835
Please pray as church members in Batumi
0:03:39.835,0:03:42.178
continue to meet [br]the needs of their neighbors.
0:03:42.178,0:03:43.287
Thank you for supporting
0:03:43.287,0:03:46.388
13th Sabbath Offering projects like this!
0:03:46.388,0:03:53.301
♪ (music) ♪