[0:00] Thank you. Well, we are blessed to be at this time, and Grandma Olivia, congratulations. Seems like it's passed by very quickly. I'm sure to your parents, both sets, I'm sure to many people, seems like you just started not long ago, and I praise the Lord for that. Allow me to give you, whether our church or the training center or the mission, we're not the ones who called you to God's service. That was God, right? And God's allowed us to encourage you and equip you along the way, give you the tools that you're needed, but God's the one who called you. Never forget that.
[0:34] So allow me to give both of you maybe some words, some thoughts to encourage you along the way to remind you of the things that God has already taught you. First of all, I'd like to remind you to work hard. I personally was blessed to have both of you working as assistants throughout the years, and y'all are some. For others of my friends that are on the field that might be listening, I am not going to say you're the best assistants, but you guys are the top. To not get me in trouble, you guys are awesome. You guys are great, and no one here would doubt at all. From your parents, to the friends, to our brothers here, nobody doubts, and everybody can vouch that you are hard workers.
[1:16] You love the Lord, you're the good stubborn. Well, sometimes anyway, right? But yeah, by the way, let's get an iPhone and drop that Android gram. But anyway, you're the good stubborn, right?
[1:30] But the Lord's good. Let me say this, you know, I believe one of the greatest tools that a missionary that any of us could have many times is a hard work ethic. That's something, that's not something, a tool that we can give you, that's something that you come with. And from both sides of the family, they've learned that work ethic. They've worked very hard. Y'all have done the job.
[1:51] Let me give you a verse, and that work ethic is going to go all throughout your ministry and all throughout your life. In fact, if you don't work hard and invest the hours, you won't learn the language. If you don't work hard and invite people to come to church, they won't come. You'll have nobody preach to. If you don't work hard and witness to people, nobody will get saved or nobody will be discipled. I mean, you have to put it in. Faith without works is dead, right? And so that work ethic.
[2:13] Proverbs chapter number 13, verse number four, the Bible says, the soul of the sluggard desireth, and he has nothing. It says, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Diligent simply means worker, hard work. The soul of the diligent, the hard worker, the one with good work ethic, he shall be made fat. Now that's not a prophecy that you're going to be a chubby man, although that might be happen as well. Nevertheless, if you work hard, that simply means that you will have the blessings, you will reap that harvest because you've done that work. So first of all, remember to work hard. Second of all, don't leave your family behind. Got to put the two of you together.
[2:52] Desire and plan to get to the end line just as you got right to where you are. Work this together. Graham, your husband loves the Lord. Follow with him and continue on. Graham, did I say something?
[3:03] I don't know what I said. Olivia, your husband loves the Lord. Is that better? You know what I meant? And I was trying to wake some of y'all up. Anyway, and Graham, thank the Lord you don't have a husband, but your wife also loves the Lord. Love her and follow along. Take her with the journey. The Lord knows where I'm at from there. All right, third thing that I want to give you, I want to remind you of is stay determined. One of the differences between somebody who succeeds in an area of life, whether that is the marriage or whether that's a ministry, whether it's a job that they have or whatever it is, in any area, that's determination. Determination goes well past the talent. You determine to get something done. You have that attitude that I'm going to get through it and that determination must be fueled by something, must be fueled by a belief. And that belief for you and I, for Christians that, you know, how can I get through this when it's hard at work?
[4:00] Or how can I witness somebody when they've ignored me a hundred times? Or how do I keep giving, you know, when God has told, you know, whatever it is, we are determined. We don't give up. You know, our attitude just keeps on it. Be determined to get out there and see the Lord do a work. Be determined to see it, you know, not leave and not move until God moves you. Be determined that you're going to finish the job that God's given you to do. Many different groups would be fueled by different, you know, beliefs and that fuels their determination. A man who wants to lose weight might be fueled and because of that is determination is, I'm not going to eat chocolate. Well, one, you know, we're going to have chocolate in heaven. Spoiler alert for all the rest of you, you know, but get used to it. But anyway, that determination, I'm going to do it no matter how hard it is, right? Well, we continue on, whether it's learning the language or whatever, we're determined. Get the job done.
[4:51] Follow through. Love your old. We don't give up when we have an argument with our spouse. We don't give up and move on when language is difficult. We don't give up because the hard times. We don't give up. We continue. We stay determined to what God's given us to do. Never forget, we all know this theoretically, but we can't do the work without God. And you have to know without a shadow of a doubt that God is right there with you. He's not going to abandon you. He's not abandoned anybody up till now. You're not going to be, you know, the first one he does. You're not the exception. So God will take you through. Be determined. Stick on the path that God's given you. We love you. We're thankful that we get to hold that rope as you go down there. So continue serving God and move forward in your life.