Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS010047S
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00:01 Hi, I'm Dustin Comm with the Maranatha Minute.
00:03 Some people wring in the new year with diets, 00:05 exercise plans and other resolutions, 00:08 or if you're a Maranatha volunteer, 00:10 you kick-start January with a project. 00:13 Maranatha's first project of 2021 00:15 was held in Northern Florida at Camp Kulaqua. 00:18 Here, 38 volunteers helped on a number of tasks at 00:21 the Seventh-day Adventist Camp and Retreat Center, 00:24 including cutting down a dozen trees, 00:26 cleaning and creating horse trails, 00:29 painting decks, 00:30 and laying 1500 feet of water line. 00:34 The main project was the construction 00:36 of a 40 by 60 foot pavilion. 00:38 This open air space 00:40 will provide a gathering place for picnics, 00:42 meetings and other events. 00:45 This was Maranatha's third consecutive project 00:47 at Camp Kulaqua, 00:48 and one of the many at camps, schools, and churches 00:51 in the United States and Canada. 00:53 If your organization could use Maranatha's help, 00:55 check out 00:56 our North American project assistance page 00:58 on our website. 01:25 Fifty years ago, 01:26 Maranatha's founders didn't set out to build 01:29 11,000 structures, 01:31 drill a thousand wells 01:32 or mobilize more than 85,000 volunteers. 01:38 Their sights weren't set on specific numbers. 01:42 Their one desire was to simply help others, 01:50 to allow God 01:51 to determine the course for the organization 01:56 and because of God's leading 01:58 doors have opened to opportunities 02:00 we never would have imagined. 02:06 Today, we'll look at two very different ways. 02:08 The mission of Maranatha is touching lives 02:10 around the world and in our backyard. 02:17 First, we'll explore a Maranatha tradition 02:19 that had fallen by the wayside, 02:21 but made a comeback in celebration 02:23 of Maranatha's 50 years of missions. 02:29 Maranatha conventions haven't been around 02:31 for as long as the organization itself, 02:34 but the tradition of a missions gathering 02:37 stretches back quite a ways. 02:40 The first convention was held in 1976, 02:43 43 years ago in Thousand Oaks, California. 02:48 Back then projects were few and far between, 02:51 so the focus was mostly on spiritual growth 02:53 and social fellowship among the volunteers. 02:57 Eventually, as Maranatha grew in scope, 03:00 conventions evolve to become 03:01 a time to learn about new projects 03:03 and opportunities. 03:06 A local convention project, 03:08 such as a school campus renovation 03:10 became an essential part of the event. 03:14 By the mid 2000s most school and camp venues 03:17 were too small for the growing interest 03:19 in Maranatha's mission. 03:22 Conventions moved to megachurches 03:24 and the shift away from school and camp locations 03:26 put an end to convention projects. 03:30 In 2019 as a special part 03:32 of the 50th-anniversary celebration, 03:34 Maranatha organized three convention projects 03:37 at locations in Northern California, 03:40 Pacific Union College, Rio Lindo Academy, 03:46 and Leoni Meadows Camp. 03:50 The first and largest project was at Pacific Union College. 03:55 Nestled in the mountains above the Napa Valley, 03:57 Pacific Union College provides quality Christian education 04:01 for nearly 1000 students each year. 04:05 The campus was established 130 years ago, 04:07 which means tens of thousands of students 04:10 have passed through the institution 04:11 on the way to their successful futures. 04:15 But the school's long history 04:17 also means some of the buildings 04:18 are showing their age. 04:21 College administration reached out to Maranatha 04:24 about remodeling one of the men's dormitories, 04:26 and Maranatha agreed to help. 04:29 The effort recruited volunteers from all over the country 04:32 and all over the campus. 04:35 Among the college recruits was Howard Munson, 04:37 a professor in the history department. 04:39 So I first heard about this project 04:41 at a faculty meeting, 04:43 and it was super welcome news 04:45 because for years people have talked about 04:48 how the dorms need help, the dorms need help, 04:50 but nothing has changed. 04:51 And finally, if Maranatha is gonna come in, 04:53 then something's gonna change. 04:56 So as soon as I knew that Maranatha was coming in 04:58 to do the work, 04:59 then I knew I wanted to volunteer to help. 05:03 The scope of the project included demolition, 05:06 replacing the subfloor and laying new floor, 05:09 building and installing new cabinets and painting. 05:14 It's lots of fun 05:16 'cause it's very rewarding work 05:18 knowing that students are gonna have nicer rooms, 05:21 but just to see how much better they look 05:24 and having heard lots of horror stories 05:25 about what it looked like before, 05:28 to see so many rooms being transformed so quickly 05:31 by a host of volunteers, 05:33 it just makes you wanna volunteer more. 05:37 The construction was led 05:39 by a veteran construction superintendent, 05:41 Leroy Kelm. 05:42 He kept the work moving forward 05:43 and focused not only on giving the dorm a facelift, 05:46 but creating connections between the volunteers. 05:50 I really love the Maranatha family 05:53 and the people that come are just jewels. 05:57 They work hard. 05:59 They have a lot of fun, 06:00 and I like to have fun on jobs 06:01 because if you're grumpy, you don't get anything done. 06:05 So if you come, have a good time 06:09 and we get a lot of work done. 06:13 And my other philosophy 06:14 is we're here to build relationships, 06:17 not build buildings. 06:20 And if you build a relationship with my crew, 06:23 then the building or renovation 06:25 or whatever just takes care of itself. 06:27 You don't have to worry about that part. 06:30 Jim Frei is one of the volunteers 06:32 working at PUC 06:33 and he can attest 06:34 to the importance of building friendships 06:36 on these projects. 06:37 Jim signed up 06:39 for his very first Maranatha project 06:40 in 2002, 06:42 although uncertain about what he had joined, 06:45 Jim loaded up his trailer and drove more than 950 miles 06:48 to the worksite in Monument Valley, Utah. 06:51 But when he got there, 06:53 his apprehension nearly got the best of it. 06:55 And he nearly left 06:56 before stepping a foot on the project. 06:58 The welcoming spirit of the volunteers touched him. 07:02 They just treated me like a long lost soul. 07:05 And I said, wait, this is some organization, 07:07 you know, they'll take big people like me 07:11 and they accept them in by deal and just, 07:15 you know, and that's what we find 07:17 over the years. 07:19 That's one of the beauties of it 07:20 is everybody is welcomed 07:23 that I don't know of anybody they've ever turned away. 07:27 Yeah, no matter what you can do 07:30 Since that first project in 2002, 07:32 Jim has been on nearly 100 projects 07:34 in North America. 07:36 His life is now all about service. 07:39 When I decided to retire, 07:41 then I decided I wanted to pay the Lord back. 07:46 I, made the commitment to him said, Lord, you got me here. 07:52 Like I said, you got me here. 07:55 What can I do? 07:56 And when I went to that first project 07:59 and then I went to a second one in Grants Pass, I think, 08:03 and then a third one in Laramie. 08:05 And I was just, you know just hooked, 08:09 but what I made a vow to the Lord, 08:12 that God, You got me here, 08:15 You provided, You did all this, so I will go. 08:20 As long as you provide the means and the health, 08:24 you know, as long as I'm able, I will go. 08:28 I'm here 08:29 because this is where He wants me. 08:32 And that's the way I have to look at it. 08:35 Not all the volunteers on this project 08:36 have scores of mission trips under their belts, 08:39 Tina Van Phillips, and her husband, Carlos, 08:41 decided to forego their annual vacation 08:44 and give service a try. 08:46 Every year we go on vacation 08:48 and this year I wanted to do something different. 08:51 And I always talk about going on a Maranatha trip 08:54 and so I looked in the program, 08:58 and they were saying that they had one in California 09:01 and I was like, wow, 09:03 this is the same time as our vacation. 09:05 So I surprised my husband. 09:07 I said, "Do you know where we're going this year?" 09:12 And he said, "No. Where you would like to go." 09:14 And I said, "Well, we're going to Maranatha trip this year." 09:18 He said, "What?" 09:19 I said, "Yeah, this is going to be 09:21 our vacation this year." 09:23 Just like Jim, the couple found the work 09:25 to be rewarding 09:26 and discovered a brand new family. 09:29 Oh, it's seem more than a vacation to me. 09:32 It's relaxing, I love to work. 09:35 I love to do painting 09:37 and all these other objects 09:39 that maybe not to have us to do. 09:42 And it had been a wonderful stay. 09:44 The people are so nice. They're like a family. 09:48 I like these projects for, for the fellowship, 09:54 the camaraderie, 09:57 everybody's here for the same reason. 10:01 No, if you make a mistake, everybody says, 10:05 "Okay, let's fix it and go on." 10:07 You know, there's nobody hollering 10:09 and screaming at each other. 10:11 It's just like a big, happy family. 10:14 Yeah. 10:15 It's about like a big happy family. 10:16 Yeah. 10:18 And, in fact, that's what we say 10:19 after somebody has been here once or twice say, 10:22 welcome to the family. 10:26 The Maranatha family 10:27 was able to make a major impact for students at PUC. 10:30 And the school is immensely grateful. 10:33 I just want to say thank you to Maranatha as an organization 10:37 and to all the Maranatha volunteers 10:38 that have come 10:40 from all over the country to help. 10:42 It is greatly appreciated. 10:43 Whether you're a PUC alum, 10:45 or you just have a heart for service, 10:48 thank you so much. 10:51 After completing the work at PUC, 10:53 volunteers headed to two other projects 10:55 in Northern California. 10:58 At Rio Lindo Academy, 10:59 they helped to renovate dorm rooms 11:01 as well as faculty housing. 11:06 At Leoni Meadows Camp, they helped remodel the lodge, 11:09 worked on landscaping 11:10 as well as maintenance on the train track. 11:15 In just a month, 11:16 three North American institutions 11:18 received much-needed assistance 11:20 in the upkeep of their facilities. 11:24 It's a mission field that's often overlooked, 11:26 but thanks to the dedicated work 11:28 of hundreds of volunteers each year, 11:30 churches, schools, and camps 11:32 are able to continue their ministry. 11:35 People think that you need to go overseas 11:37 to do to actually do mission work. 11:40 But North America 11:42 is a huge mission field in itself. 11:45 Our facilities need a lot of work. 11:47 They have a lot of backlog maintenance, 11:49 and by helping to keep these institutions going, 11:53 we are helping to maintain these institutions 11:56 so they can further educate our young people. 11:59 So they can go out into the world 12:01 and do the work that we can't. 12:04 At the close of the projects, 12:05 a number of volunteers gathered 12:07 at Maranatha's 50th-anniversary convention 12:10 where they fellowshipped, shared their stories, 12:12 and left energized to continue God's work. 12:16 This year more than 800 volunteers 12:19 served on Maranatha projects in North America. 12:22 Their work not only saves 12:23 organization's thousands of dollars in labor, 12:26 but also further solidifies bonds 12:28 in the Maranatha family. 12:30 Next, learn how a change in scope 12:32 amplified Maranatha's impact. 12:49 For more than a decade, 12:50 Maranatha mission stories has taken you around the world, 12:54 showing you the need 12:55 and challenging you to get involved. 12:59 Now we're introducing new ways for you to stay informed 13:02 and inspired about the mission. 13:05 Watch your favorite episode of Maranatha mission stories, 13:08 as well as other Maranatha videos 13:10 on your Apple TV. 13:13 Visit the App Store, 13:14 search for the Maranatha channel 13:16 and hit install. 13:19 You'll have access 13:21 to all of our latest video content, 13:23 and you can watch anytime. 13:25 Our videos are available on demand 24 hours a day. 13:29 Our content can also be viewed on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 13:34 The Maranatha channel, 13:36 bringing mission adventures to your living room. 13:45 Churches and schools, 13:47 Maranatha was founded 13:49 with the goal of providing spiritual shelter 13:51 and educational opportunities for those in need. 13:54 As a result of this laser focus, 13:56 more than 11,000 structures 13:58 have been constructed around the world, 14:01 but when presented with an overwhelming need, 14:04 water, our scope expanded in a way 14:06 that reached more people 14:07 than we could have ever imagined. 14:17 For nearly four decades. 14:19 Maranatha Volunteers International 14:21 was known for one thing, construction. 14:24 Thousands of churches and schools around the world 14:27 stood as a testament to Maranatha's focused mission 14:30 of building up God's church. 14:33 But around 2007, 14:35 while beginning extensive work in Mozambique, 14:38 the lack of water in remote areas 14:40 became a cause for concern. 14:43 Water is a very critical to the job 14:46 because once they start pouring, 14:47 boy, they never quit? 14:49 I mean, they keep that mixer running 14:50 just fast as about nine guys can go. 14:53 They pour continuously, 14:55 not quite as fast as we can do ready-mix back home, 14:57 but they can really put out the, 14:59 put out the concrete. 15:03 Typically you wouldn't see us doing this. 15:05 We're out in the bush. 15:07 And as you're out in the bush, you got to take what you get. 15:09 There's no water out of a hydrant. 15:12 There's no electricity around here. 15:14 I'm going to guess for probably 15 miles. 15:16 And this is the way they get the water 15:18 to mix concrete. 15:26 The need for accessible water at the construction site 15:29 was a massive challenge for Maranatha. 15:32 But God had a solution 15:34 that would do more than provide water for the mixer. 15:38 What happened? 15:40 God worked through some people, 15:43 specifically, a guy named Gary Burke. 15:45 He's a well driller, 15:47 and we knew that they needed water, 15:49 but we built churches, we don't drill wells, 15:51 right, wrong. 15:56 He started changing our thinking on that. 15:58 Why don't we? 15:59 And then the light start coming on. 16:01 Okay. 16:02 So what if we drill a well 16:05 by all the churches that we built. 16:07 Now, there's a winner. 16:09 People can come to the church for two kinds of water 16:12 and there it's right there. 16:15 Plus your, what an impact on the people and their lives 16:18 and making a difference. 16:20 Maranatha asked Gary Burns to go to Mozambique, 16:23 to start Maranatha's well drilling program. 16:27 He agreed to go 16:28 and water became an ongoing part 16:30 of Maranatha's mission. 16:33 So we commissioned a rig to be built. 16:35 And Gary started drilling wells, 16:38 and it was something that immediately we could tell, 16:42 hit a very big need, 16:45 and it answered 16:46 a really important need for the people. 16:48 And as we were building churches, 16:50 we would drill a well. 16:56 Adding water to what Maranatha does 16:59 the churches and the schools 17:00 have a unique, impact, 17:05 which is multiple. 17:08 When we started putting water wells, 17:10 the women had so much additional time 17:13 that they said, 17:15 Hey, I should learn how to read and write. 17:18 Let's go to the place called the church. 17:22 Let's learn there. 17:23 They have these books they're called Bibles. 17:26 Let's learn how to do that. 17:27 And many places, 17:29 they got chalkboards and they learned. 17:31 It's really cool to be there 17:32 when they actually write their name 17:34 for the first time. 17:36 So there is, how in a very physical way, 17:40 it changes people's lives. 17:42 They have more time. 17:45 Their health is improved. 17:47 Now, let's talk on a spiritual level. 17:49 If all of a sudden you're in a village 17:50 where you have grown up for generations, 17:52 having to walk and get water. 17:55 And this new building comes in. 17:57 Something called the church 17:58 from a group called the Seventh-day Adventist, 18:00 and now there's a well and they provide you water free 18:04 because you could buy it but you can't afford it. 18:07 Now it's free. 18:08 You're gonna be interested on what happens on Sabbath. 18:11 When you go get water in the morning, 18:13 you're gonna hear the member singing, 18:15 and hopefully, they're gonna invite you to come in 18:18 and you're gonna learn about that. 18:19 And that became 18:21 not only an excellent outreach opportunity, 18:25 but it was something that 18:26 the Adventist Church in Mozambique 18:29 started being seen by the government 18:31 and by the community at large, 18:34 as a church that was meeting 18:35 the physical needs of the people 18:37 and it raised their profile almost immediately. 18:41 When Maranatha started working in Mozambique, 18:43 it was responding to a need for churches and schools. 18:47 But with God's blessing, 18:49 the project resulted in nearly a thousand churches, 18:52 several schools, and almost 800 wells. 18:57 Seeing how impactful it was to provide a water well 19:00 next to a newly constructed church in Mozambique. 19:03 Maranatha in 2014, 19:06 again, contracted wells to be drilled 19:09 while working in Zimbabwe. 19:11 Another generous donor 19:13 sponsored a new rig to be built. 19:16 Maranatha organized new well drilling crews 19:18 who could travel throughout Zimbabwe and Kenya 19:21 and provide sources of fresh clean water. 19:25 In Kenya, church leaders saw an opportunity 19:28 to share the hope of the Adventist message 19:31 in regions previously out of reach. 19:34 Regions so desolate that people are nomadic. 19:37 Rainfall in these areas 19:39 are sometimes limited to a couple inches a year. 19:42 So people move following the water. 19:46 When Maranatha enters a place like Kenya, 19:50 and you're working amongst people 19:53 that have not perhaps even heard about Jesus Christ, 19:59 they don't have a lot of the things 20:01 that we think of in life to be important. 20:04 They live a pretty simple lifestyle, 20:07 but when you want to talk to them 20:09 about Jesus Christ, 20:11 if you haven't helped them 20:14 to meet some of the basic human needs 20:16 that they have like clean water, 20:19 it's harder to reach them. 20:22 But when you can go in and you can provide water, 20:26 you can make friends with them. 20:28 You can help to teach them how to plant gardens 20:32 say that's using the water that's now available. 20:36 They begin to understand that you care about them, 20:38 and then they become open 20:40 and receptive to perhaps thinking about other things 20:44 that you might present 20:45 such as the gospel of Jesus Christ. 20:52 For example, in Kenya, 20:53 I can remember talking to a pastor there. 20:55 I said, 20:57 tell me what's the most important thing 20:59 for you as a pastor to have in your territory. 21:03 I said, "Do you need a church? Or what do you need?" 21:06 He said, "No." 21:09 He said, 21:10 "I don't need a church first. I don't need a school first. 21:13 I need the well first 21:15 because we need to take care of the people first. 21:19 Once that's taken care of, then come build me the church. 21:23 Then come build me the school." 21:30 We were involved in a project in Kenya, 21:32 in a village called Chimberi. 21:34 The reason we went there 21:35 is we were gonna put a one-day church building, 21:38 well, we went there. 21:39 This place is so desolate, I kid you not. 21:42 It is so dry. 21:46 Over time we promised them a well 21:49 and they have a well. 21:50 About a year later after the well was drilled, 21:54 we went there, 21:56 the little children whose skin, 21:58 if you've pressed it tight would hardly bounced back 22:01 because of lack of water. 22:03 They're running around, their eyes are bright. 22:06 They're connecting, 22:07 they're laughing instead of just dragging. 22:11 Unbelievable. 22:12 You would not think you're in the same town. 22:14 All of a sudden, they're hundreds of goats. 22:16 And they're competing with the people to get water. 22:20 There's one lady, in particular, 22:22 she is mom of a number of kids there. 22:26 And she said, "You have no idea what this water means." 22:30 And then she proceeded to say, 22:32 "Water for us is life, water is opportunity." 22:36 And then she says, 22:38 "If you have water, you can go anywhere. 22:41 You can be anything." 22:44 So when I'm sitting there watching this, 22:47 you go, she's right. 22:50 You know, here in the Western world, 22:52 we think, oh, you know, I can figure it out. 22:54 I've got access to education. I got friends. 22:57 I can break out of whatever cycle I'm in. 23:01 In a place like that in Kenya you really can't. 23:07 You can't break out 23:11 if your whole life is about just surviving. 23:14 And how can you move from that 23:18 to believing in this wonderful creator 23:21 that made you and gives you hope? 23:24 I mean, that's a big leap, 23:26 but all of a sudden you have water. 23:30 Physical need is met, 23:32 you can actually think about something else. 23:34 Yes, you can go anywhere. 23:36 You can be anything if you have water. 23:40 Maranatha has expanded its well drilling operations 23:44 to include remote areas of India, Brazil, in Zambia. 23:50 And with all of our wells, 23:52 the water is free to anyone in the community. 23:57 In just over a decade, 23:59 we have been able to provide water 24:01 in more than 1000 communities. 24:04 And with your support and prayers, 24:06 we've established new relationships 24:09 that lead to Jesus, the wellspring of life. 24:18 Providing water completely changes a community, 24:21 and you can be a part of this transformation. 24:24 Support Maranatha's water program 24:26 and bring life to thousands of people 24:29 in Africa, India, or South America. 24:32 Call the number on your screen or visit maranatha.org to give. 24:49 In 2020, 24:51 many of Maranatha's 24:52 International Volunteer projects were put on hold, 24:54 but in December 24:55 we held our first overseas volunteer project 24:57 in nearly nine months in Africa. 25:00 This March, join us on the same continent 25:02 in the country of Zambia. 25:04 Volunteers on this mission trip will construct a building 25:07 for the Liomba Adventist School. 25:09 The school was established in 1928, 25:12 and many of the buildings are deteriorating. 25:15 There isn't enough space 25:16 for the 360 students who attend, 25:18 and staff housing is also limited 25:20 with one teacher 25:22 bedding down in a classroom each night. 25:25 Maranatha is responding to this need 25:27 by building new classrooms, 25:29 bathrooms and staff housing at Liomba. 25:32 Volunteers on this project 25:34 will help us construct one of these buildings. 25:37 There will also be opportunities 25:38 to conduct community outreach 25:40 through activities like children's ministry programs 25:42 and health education. 25:44 Learn more about this project at maranatha.org/volunteer. 26:00 These women spend 560 minutes a day 26:04 fetching water. 26:08 Water is life, 26:11 but your life shouldn't revolve around water. 26:19 We're raising money for water wells. 26:23 Make a donation, 26:28 give women the gift of time, 26:32 health, family. 26:38 Sponsor a well. 26:41 Give water, give life. 26:58 The core of Maranatha's mission is to build people. 27:04 You go for a party. 27:06 This determination takes different forms 27:08 in different environments. 27:11 Hello, is it comfortable? 27:14 Yeah. Yes. 27:15 In some places, 27:16 it includes providing water 27:18 for a thirsty community in Africa. 27:23 It could involve improving the college experience 27:25 for students in California. 27:32 It means gathering with people 27:34 who are linked by the common desire to serve. 27:38 Yeah. Okay. 27:39 There you go. First one. 27:41 Let's go. 27:43 I love you so much 27:47 Whatever the form, 27:49 it's a mission that needs you. |
Revised 2021-02-11