Interview with Serah Silas - 1915

SPEAKER A Hello. SPEAKER B I'm Kaysie Butler, and I want to welcome you to healthy living around the world. I am recording here on site at Cedarvale Health and Lifestyle Retreat, which is located in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley a couple of hours south of Sydney in Australia. With me today day is a special guest, Serah Silas. Welcome to the program, Serah. SPEAKER A Thank you. SPEAKER B Now, Sarah, tell me, where are you from originally? SPEAKER A Well, I'm from Vanuatu. SPEAKER B From Vanuatu? SPEAKER A Very nice. SPEAKER B I have been there before once. It's a beautiful place. SPEAKER A Thank you. SPEAKER B And tell me, how has it come about that you're here in Australia? You're here at Cedarvale. SPEAKER A Yeah, it's a long story. I stayed with a doctor from Australia working in Vanuatu, and I worked with him for three years. He asked me that is it okay if I want to go and stay in a health retreat? And I'm like, oh, that sounds interesting. So, yeah, that's where the story goes. And I'm ended up here. SPEAKER B Okay, so he put you in touch with us here, and now you've come here, and you've been here a little while now. Tell me, what kind of things have you been doing here? SPEAKER A Yeah, I just do the massage and hydrotherapy colon, like contra shower and clave wrap, mineral mineral pad and yeah, a lot of natural remedies and this stuff. SPEAKER B So you've been learning to give a variety of treatments? SPEAKER A Yes, that's it. And also help in the kitchen cooking. That's what I do. SPEAKER B So you're here as a student, is that correct? SPEAKER A Yeah. SPEAKER B Learning about all these different things to help people with their health. SPEAKER A Yeah. SPEAKER B Very good. Now tell me with the work that you did with the doctor in Vanuatu, which you did before you came here, was that to do with natural health related treatments? Yes. SPEAKER A The doctor I stayed with him for the last three years is taking patients to his clinic and looking after them. That doesn't mean he only treat them with drugs, like medicine and all this stuff, but also encouraging them to change the diet and yeah, it's all to do with healthy Living and all this, so I'm also bad in what he's doing there. SPEAKER B So it's been a few years now that you've been doing quite a lot with helping people with healthy Living. SPEAKER A Yeah. SPEAKER B Okay, that's excellent. Can you tell me how you came to appreciate healthy Living? For you personally? You're doing a lot of things that are helping other people, and you're learning how to do that, but how has living a healthy lifestyle helped you? SPEAKER A Well, back then, before I started coming to contact with the doctor, I didn't know anything about healthy living and all this. I didn't care much about my health. But after when I landed here, we need to look after our body and yeah. Taking the right food and all these because it will affect our health. So I really appreciate that. I came to learn more about health, healthy living. And for now, I feel like, yeah, I'm so happy that I know it. And I also like to encourage more people to try to take their health more seriously because sometimes we take it for granted and we didn't realize that what we're taking. And then we get suffer after that, get different diseases and all this. But I really encourage everyone to look like, take more, consider more on looking after their body and taking the right things into their body that they won't get affected later, like years after. SPEAKER B So since you've been living a healthier lifestyle, have you noticed any changes in your own health? SPEAKER A Yes, I found that when I started to get more into health and all this, it helps me a lot, especially with sleeping and the way I think, I feel like, wow, I think more clearly, I guess. Okay, you've noticed. Yeah, I noticed that. And also I feel more because I do exercise. I didn't do exercise. Math a new thing. Everything is like new for me. So excited because now I do lots of exercise and I find that I'm fit well, actually, I'm not really fit, but I find that yeah, it helps me a lot. And I have problem with sleeping and I don't know, but when I started doing exercises and all this, it helped me with my sleeping habits now. Right. I don't know how it works. I found that yeah, that's what you've. SPEAKER B Found since you've been exercising, you're sleeping much better. Yeah, that's so good. So many people struggle with sleeping. So the fact that you found that improvement, that's really encouraging. So what would be your most favorite lifestyle habit that you've now put in place in your life? SPEAKER A Yeah, I grew up in a family. We used to have meat and everything. But for now I find that I feel like I won't get any more meat. I want to be like vegetarian. But anyway, before that, because I grew habiting a lot of meat. And I find it so hard to let go of meat. But something that I did, maybe it will encourage what I'm sharing, will encourage some of us who is like, struggling with food, especially eating meat and all this. And if you want to make a start, then that's what I did. I find it so hard to let go all the meat because I think I became vegetarian only three years from now, quite recently. But before that, well, I find it so hard to let go all the meat. And for the first few months I just become one of the meat. I think fish is my favorite. Yes. So I just eat fish and then I stop all the other meat. And then I slowly try to not have fish regularly. So I have fish like once a week. At first I start once a week. It's a hard so once a week. And then slowly I go once a month or twice a month and then go once, and then I feel like, okay, then now I can go without meat. SPEAKER B Right, so you just take it a little step. SPEAKER A Yeah, that's right. That's what I did. Because I find it so hard, I use this method and I find that oh, yeah, that does help. And slowly I get that jazz. SPEAKER B Wow, that's really interesting how you were able to do that in just little increments at a time. And I guess those increments were achievable for you, and therefore, in the long run, you've been able to sustain that change. That's really encouraging. SPEAKER A Yeah. And my family is like, every one of us in the family, we hit meat. So sometimes it's a challenge for me when I stay back with my family, even now. Yeah, okay. Because my food will be different from theirs. So sometimes be like, oh, maybe it's rude that I have my own type of food and they have this. But anyway, I was encouraged that, yeah, I think I need to learn more about getting money, recipes and all this and I can prepare the food for my family and all this and try to introduce them to healthy food like vegetarian diet and all this because I found that it helps me, so it might help them also. SPEAKER B Wow, that's a good way of approaching that challenge, because instead of just saying, oh, no, I can't handle it, because they're all eating the other way, you're saying, well, I can introduce them to this good food, and maybe they'll enjoy it, too. That's a really good approach. How has your healthy lifestyle changes that. SPEAKER A You'Ve put in place? SPEAKER B How has that affected your spiritual life? SPEAKER A Well, I think when I started to change my diet and try to introduce doing exercise and all this, I feel like it helps me to think more clearly. So when I read the word of God and I feel like, wow. Because sometimes I just read for the sake of reading and well, I didn't get what I'm reading. But when I try to live a healthy life and trying to get right to doing a lot of exercise and follow the principle of health new stat, I think some people might know that. SPEAKER B That'S those eight principles healthy living, nutrition, exercise, water those ones sunshine. Yes. SPEAKER A So when I follow those eight principles of health and I find it it helps me to think more clearly and also to descend, like trying to make right decision, choice and all these. So, yeah, it really helps me with especially my spiritual life. And also, remember Bible says in Vest Corinthian, where it says that whatever you take, like you do, whatever you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God. SPEAKER B Yes. SPEAKER A So, yeah, sometimes I didn't think when I just at first I grab anything just because it tastes good, and that's all. I just have them. But now I find that, wow, is this bring glory to God if I drink this or if I eat that? And so, yeah, now when I learn more about the health, I think more about what I'm taking in and all this, I think. Yeah. SPEAKER B So it sounds to me like your healthy living is not only making your mind clearer so that you can have a better relationship with God, but your relationship with God is also influencing what you're doing with your body. Now, because the quote so I can ask a question like, yeah, did this. SPEAKER A Is what God wants me to have it or not? SPEAKER B Yeah, they're influencing each other. That's very interesting. Yeah, it goes both ways. So that's very good. What would you say to someone then, because you've had experience where you've made changes in your own lifestyle and you're helping others here and back in Vanuatu before with their lifestyles. What would you say to someone who is wanting to make changes with their lifestyle and wanting to be successful at it? Is there anything that you would recommend in terms of strategies or tips for them in that situation? SPEAKER A I will encourage everyone, my family. I will also encourage them that they will, like, just have a try. It's good to try, and it's not easy at first, but if you continue, keep on trying and all this, and slowly you will see the change happening and you will appreciate it. It doesn't be like just when you did it and you can see the change happening at the same time. It's like a process. Okay, well, that's what I'm speaking from experience, like what I'm going through. SPEAKER B So it's not like an instant, overnight, magical change that happens. SPEAKER A But it takes time. So don't be discouraged if you try and you feel like, oh, I didn't see any change. Because like I've said, it takes time. And when you continue on, you try your best and all this and pray about it because it's not really easy. But when you pray about it and God will help for me, God helped me. I found it so hard, but I read a lot of Bible and all this, and I prayed about it, and I keep on trying. Sometimes I fail. To be honest, I fail sometimes. And then I feel like, oh, I have to continue on. I want before and that's all. I just changed back to the normal lifestyle I used before. But when I fail, I just pray and ask God to give me strength and all this. So I encourage everyone that we can do it with God's help. And nothing is impossible for God. And if that's what God wants, for us to have good health in order to do his work, then we'll try it. God will also help us. SPEAKER B That's very encouraging. Yes. So often people can try really hard, and it feels like it's impossible for them to do make these changes, but it's encouraging that not only we will see the results even though it might take some time, but there's also a source of strength. God is wanting to help us be healthy. That's so encouraging. SPEAKER A So it's the same as in exercise. Like when you started doing exercise, you don't do much. Like you run for 1 km or something for the first time you're like, oh, that is becaus e after that you will feel like, oh, you don't like it. But if you go slowly and then you start improving okay, then, yeah, it will help because if you try your best and you try to make a big change, like quickly as possible but sometimes you will feel like, oh, you don't like it anymore and then it will discourage you. Then you feel like, oh, I'm done, I don't want to do it anymore. Like I've said, it takes time. SPEAKER B Yeah, well, we don't want people to give up. So you very much encourage us to not give up because you've put things in place in your life and it's taken time, but it's been worth it, right? SPEAKER A Yeah, it's worth it. Very good. And when you see the result, you really appreciate what you're doing and you feel like, oh, yes, I'm happy that I did the right thing. SPEAKER B That's so good. Well, thank you so much for sharing with us your experience today. I think it's been very encouraging, very interesting to hear what things you have learned and the fact that you've been able to make some positive changes in your own life and are helping others do the same. I think that will really be a blessing for people to hear. Thank you for tuning in on this program. You've been listening to healthy living around the world and we have been recording today on site at Cedarvale Health and Lifestyle Retreat in the Kangaroo Valley south of Sydney in Australia. With me has been a guest from Vanuatu, Serah Silas and she has been sharing her experience of working here at Cedarvale Health and Lifestyle Retreat. I am your host, Kaysie Butler. And until next time, God bless you in your endeavors to live a healthier life. Bye for now.