Greetings!
As I drove down Highway 1 on the beautiful, sunny September afternoon, I prayed that God would anoint me with the Holy Spirit for Week of Prayer at Monterey Bay Academy. This was my first invitation to speak at an SDA Academy, and I was thankful that God had opened the door to bring the health message and the gospel to young people. I wondered in my humanness how the youth would receive the right arm of the gospel?
Not only was I speaking at one of the most popular SDA Academies located on the beautiful Pacific coast, but I also was scheduled to speak for Week of Prayer in the evening at Watsonville SDA Church. A double opportunity to share the health message with people of all ages. Charmaine and I would present our Lifestyle for Excellent Health series with raw food demonstrations on Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM. In all, I had 18 health presentations to give over the next seven days.
MBA is a beautiful school. The location and setting is breathtaking. The Christian school is surrounded by fertile, income-producing farmland. Monday morning, I was introduced to the student body by Pastor PJ and my friend and principle, Tim Kubrock. I entitled my five-day series to the youth How to Become a Super American. A catchy title to grab their attention. Following my successful first lecture in which I blended the physical and spiritual messages together, the chemistry and health teachers snagged me and asked if I would share in their classes. I gladly gave five presentations on the first day.
Tuesday, after sharing another spirit-filled message with the attentive students, I joined them for Project Blitz, a community work project. We dug ditches and cleaned Soquel Camp grounds and beaches. I shoveled for hours with 50 hard-working teens that looked like a chain gang. What a witness they were to me. What a way to bond with the students. Already, the rumor was circulating that Mr. Vierra was going to turn MBA vegan! One student said: "We have listened to other health speakers, but you blend the spiritual part in more."
On Thursday morning, "The Miracle" happened. After a night of prayer and making a couple of calls for confirmation, I decided I would show BellaVita - The Movie to the students the next morning. I questioned if it was the right thing to do. I thought about the cleansing message, the picture of the 3-foot tapeworm wrapped around the even-longer dark stool that passed out of the 86-year-old Holocaust survivor, Nick Hope, the seawater flushes, and black poultice drinks. What would they think? Would they think I was a crack-pot or something worse? Would I undo all I had accomplished thus far?
I prayed that morning and got an answer from the Lord. He impressed me with the thought: "I gave you the movie, so why should you hesitate in showing it to the youth?" I knew for certain it was the right thing to do.
One glitch that morning was I left my power cord for my Mac laptop at Watsonville Church. The DVD of BellaVita would play on my computer that had little battery time left. I noticed the battery draining during the movie and prayed that God would send an angel to lay hands on my computer and charge the battery. To my amazement, I saw the battery increase in power and stay there with no cord attached. God is awesome! When Nick's stool hit the screen, the 120 students yelled, shrieked, gasped in response to the 3-foot tapeworm. It took a few minutes before the shocked audience of young adults and teachers settled down again.
I think the fact that young people are in the movie, including my son Daniel and two of my teenage daughters, helped win the young audience's approval. Near the end of the movie, I received another impression from God: "Give an invitation for a couple of MBA students to intern at BellaVIta Lifestyle Center and go through the 10-day detoxification program." I questioned in my mind if there would be any takers? Then I witnessed another miracle and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. A large group of 50 students or more rushed down and surrounded me. They all wanted to come to BellaVita and go through the cleansing program! Their faces revealed their conviction and sincerity! I was overwhelmed and broke down in tears, crying on the shoulder of one kind student who had held out her arms to me.
Tim Kubrock, the principle of MBA, was also deeply moved. He said: "I told you to speak truth to the students and you did. You spoke truth, pure truth." Some of the students had to run off for testing and did not make it to where I was standing, but the crowd stood by my side for another hour before leaving. Eric, the student-pastor, handed me a paper with 40 names of students who wanted to go through a cleanse at BellaVita and learn the medical missionary work. The Lord again whispered: "I have given you R I S E N and here are your students." It is my dream to train an army of young people for the finishing work of the gospel!"
Later I learned there were more students that wanted to sign up for BellaVita but had to leave for testing. I think they were students from the sophomore and senior classes that had not had a chance to sign the paper yet. Wow, out of 120 students 40 signed up from only two classes! I wondered how many more would want to come from the other two classes?
I stood there overwhelmed and speechless! Possibly nearly half of the student body or more may want to come to BellaVIta. I told my excited young new friends that I would do what I could to accommodate them. Teachers joined in brain-storming how we could do it. Perhaps MBA was a possible location for the program. Imagine all these students hungering to learn more at about the 8 laws of health, herbal medicine, natural remedies, and health and healing lessons from the Bible while simultaneously cleansing their bodies of impurities! Some of them also shared that they did not want to eat cheese any more, but craved foods that grow in the earth! Many decided they wanted to be vegan!
A student counselor shared how many students were moved by the messages and personally told him that they wanted to become vegan. I told them that we would be back in January for a health weekend at Santa Cruz SDA Church. We are planning to rent the Rio Theater and show the BellaVIta Movie to the health conscious community. Tim jumped in and said we can rally MBA to pass out fliers in the area. Santa Cruz has two Whole Foods Markets, several other large health stores, and many vegetarian restaurants. How exciting to have the students help and get involved!
My last talk was Friday morning. I gave a closing message on how attitude affects our health. The MBA students were deeply touched once again. I told them that forgiveness is the armor that sets us free from bitterness and anger. I shared Christ as the One true Healer who was touched with the feelings of our infirmities. The Bible says of Jesus Christ: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. ... Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3, 4). I knew that many of the students at MBA have emotional pain, just like adults, and they need the grace and peace of God in their hearts just as we do. I taught them that negative emotions can cause sickness, disease, and even skin ailments. I gave them hope and trumpeted the message that forgiveness is the key to freedom.
Please pray for MBA and all the teachers too. God moved mightily for Week of Prayer and the response was beyond anything I ever imagined! I pray more doors will open in the future to reach more young people. Please pray that God continues to reach the youth with the health message and the gospel through Modern Manna Ministries.
the leaves in bowl. Leave the leaves large for larger chips or tear in half for smaller ones. Leaves shrink in dehydrator.
