GYC 2025: Seeing the Invisible

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Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

Andrew Park

Allison Toktogulova

Kelsey Unruh

Ted N.C. Wilson

Interview with the Wilsons

This morning we have a very special programming element that we really wanted to have before Elder Wilson and Mrs.

We have the privilege of interviewing both of them just to get to know them as human beings as they reflect on a life of ministry, asking questions about that, and also asking questions about any advice that they may have for us as young people.

We know this is a privilege and we are expecting to have a blessing.

So why don't we have a word of prayer and we want to utilize as much time as we can to ask all the questions we were able to.

Father in heaven, we thank you for the ministry of Elder Wilson and Mrs.

And as we go into our interview time, we invite the presence of Christ.

We desire for the Holy Spirit to be abiding among us.

And Father, we have a longing to have direction in our lives and you have placed those of experience in our midst that we may receive counsel and direction as we walk the Christian pathway.

So please bless our time and we pray this in Jesus name, amen.

I remember as an attendee the impact of seeing church leadership at GYC, just walking the halls.

And I think it makes a big impact for all of us here.

I wanted to know how many GYCs have you guys attended?

I think I have been at least at 3 if not 4.

Nancy, I'm not quite sure, not that many, but.

Do you remember which years you attended?

I can't remember exactly, but I know 1 specifically was in Baltimore, because that's very close to where we live.

I think I remember seeing you in Phoenix.

And I remember seeing you in Houston in 2016.

Well, you have better memories than we do.

So next question, this is a controversial question in Adventism Today.

How do you order your, how do you layer your haystack?

Nancy is the real cook, so she can at least give her view on that.

Well, I don't think it's very unusual, but we do chips, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, And we add a little extra thing.

I roast sunflower seeds and put nutritional yeast flakes with them and put that on top with some Italian dressing that I make.

And do you crush your chips or do you leave them whole?

Andrew is not a chip crusher, That's what we learned.

It says, if your 20-year-old self were sitting in the audience, what would you tell him or her?

If your 20-year-old self was sitting in the audience.

You know, at 20 years old you have your life before you and It's 1 of those periods of time where everything seems possible.

And the devil is also pulling you in certain directions, so you have to really make a concerted effort to focus on what God wants you to do.

And if you're 20 years old, 18, 19, 21, whatever it is, this is a time when really the Lord is helping to direct you for your entire life.

I think if you are in attendance at GYC, this is 1 of the best things you can do to make sure that the compass is set on Christ and on what He wants you to accomplish.

So your being here in Orlando at this GYC has helped you, whether you recognize it or not, to really get a bearing on what it is God wants you to do.

And slowly He adds certain things into your life to reveal to you what His plan is for you.

Don't just push ahead with everything you think you ought to do.

I had my whole life planned when I was 20.

Asheville, North Carolina, it's a beautiful area.

I was going to get my education, and whoever I married would move back to Asheville with me and I would live there the rest of my life.

I come from a very close family, but the bottom line was I always wanted to do God's will.

I just figured that would be his will, But I would like to tell all of you 20-year-olds and younger and older that you're missing out on an incredible life if you don't let God lead.

I remember we had just gotten married and Ted knew how close I was to my family.

Application, I mean, and I was writing thank yous.

But I will tell you, if the bottom line is that you know you're only happy doing God's will, He will give you the heart to do it.

Yeah, it took about 5 years, so be patient.

And then circumstances happened, and Nancy was much more willing to accept the fact, yeah, let's think about mission service.

I think it actually happened before that, but that 1 fell through.

But anyway, Another thing, I never thought I'd marry a minister, and it was actually when he was past, he pastored a year before we got married, and it took me a month or 2, and I thought, Oh, I have to be a certain way.

And I had been working and I was very adventurous.

And it dawned on me 1 day, the Lord just wanted me to love these people.

And when we left that church, I just cried and cried.

But God can change your heart, and He knows you better than you know yourself.

And I'm very adventurous, I love people, and I realized God gave, He directed our lives just the right way.

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Interview with the Wilsons

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