Fei Unraveled: On the Box

Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting the Living Waters headquarters in Bellflower, CA. I went there with two of the pastors from my church to tour the ministry site, visit with the people who work in the ministry, and view a live taping of "On the Box" which is their daily, live broadcast. So here are a few of my thoughts about what transpired yesterday.

Our visit began with a short overview of the history of Living Waters and what their passion entails. Several of the people involved with the ministry popped their heads in to say hello to us during this time (Ray Comfort, Tony Miano, Emeal Zwayne, Mark Spence, and Allen Atzbi). It was cool to hear about the massive response to their latest ministry push, the 180 video. If you haven't seen this video yet you should set aside 30 minutes and watch it. It is the most powerful video I have seen in the last few years. You can watch the 180 movie HERE.

We then got to sit in on a live taping of their show "On the Box". It was cool to see what happens right before the show starts (jokes, notes being brought in at the last minute, countdowns, etc...), during the show, and after the show. They discussed Target's decision to donate money to promote gay marriage (Target calls it "family equality"), the "Occupy Graduation" (which includes students telling others about their debt by wearing inflatable ball and chains), and a story of a young man who has faced some tough physical circumstances but still serves the Lord mightily. It was a good episode. If you missed it you can watch it HERE (they introduce us during the middle of the episode...so I get 2 seconds of screen time! haha....). The show is really well done and you can watch it live at 11:30 a.m. Monday to Friday by clicking HERE.

Following the broadcast of "On the Box" we were treated to Subway sandwiches for lunch and some chocolate cake. We saw with the guys I mentioned earlier and they conversed with us in more detail and got to know us a little bit over the half hour we spent eating lunch with them. I was able to briefly share about some of the stuff I'm involved with at church that is related to Living Waters and evangelism (I will comment further on what this ministry has meant for me and my wife personally at the end of the blog). It was neat to hear about all of the doors that are opening for their ministry due to the influence and success of the 180 movie.

After lunch we were led on a tour of the facilities for the ministry headquarters. We got to see some pictures from episodes (which were explained to us) and then go upstairs to see all of the phone operators (and hear some of the customers/people that call in), got to see Ray Comfort's office, Mark Spence's office (I even got to talk to him for a few minutes!), and see the packing room where all of the tracts, books, dvd's, and the like are stored, packing, and shipped out (I was like a kid in a candy store in there....so many great resources!).

At the end of that tour we said our farewells and were given a gift basket which included a few DVD's and some candy. All in all it was a great few hours spent with people that not only inspire me, but also are brothers and sisters who are fighting the good fight of faith with us. In the end they are men and women just like you and me. They are inspiring though. I hope that I can inspire others and spur them on towards love and good deeds the way the Living Waters ministry does for countless people (Hebrews 10:24-25).

On a personal note it is funny to think of what my Christian life was like in 2005 when I first was introduced to the Way of the Master ministry. Though I was a church goer and born again there was little activity that would suggest that I took the Bible fully seriously. Here are a few things that I can thank the Lord for that are fruits of purchasing the "Way of the Master" basic training course in 2005.

I have been able to lead/facilitate 7 full Way of the Master evangelism training courses at my church
Nicole and I have led the Friday night "PIE" evangelism team for 6 years now (wow...time flies)
We have been on three mission trips (which would have never been a consideration or concern in my pre-Way of the Master days)
We have seen over 20 people come to know the Lord personally (and trust that the Good Shepherd will continue to find other sheep...some who have heard the Gospel from us). You can read about one of the nights of evangelism where someone came to faith HERE.
Our involvement in evangelism opened the door for us to work with the high school ministry at our church for 3 years.

I praise the Lord and give Him credit for all of the bullet point items above. He is to be praised for giving Living Waters the message(s) and influence that they have in Christendom. Their teachings, practices, and passions are something that any Christian can (and in my opinion should) imitate. It was very cool to speak with Mark Spence in his office! I love the segments he does on "On the Box" and especially in the season 4 "Mission Europe" series. He talked about how his family loves having company and making their home a place for their community to hang out and fellowship (May God richly bless him and his family!).

Here are a few pictures I snapped throughout the day on my iPad.