Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS011011S
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00:01 Hi, I'm Dustin Comm with the Maranatha Minute.
00:03 Forty volunteers recently finished a project 00:05 at Camp Lawroweld in Maine. 00:08 Built around 1900 to serve Yale University, 00:11 the camp is now showing its age more than a century later. 00:15 Volunteers remodeled the lodge with new flooring, 00:18 pine paneling, tile, showers, plumbing and electrical. 00:23 They also renovated a boys' staff house, 00:25 painted furniture and poured a new floor 00:28 for the girls' bathhouse. 00:29 In addition, all of the screen doors 00:31 throughout the camp were replaced 00:33 which were torn and allowing animals inside. 00:36 This was Maranatha's first project 00:38 at Camp Lawroweld. 00:40 And it was such a success 00:41 that camp leadership began filling out 00:43 the application for a future project 00:45 before this one had ended. 00:47 Join us on another mission trip in the US 00:50 like on our upcoming project in Paradise, California, 00:53 starting on October 26. 00:55 Learn more at maranatha.org/volunteer. 01:34 2020 started like any other year 01:37 for Maranatha Volunteers International. 01:43 We have just wrapped the Christmas Family Project 01:45 where 86 volunteers served in Peru. 01:53 A small team of volunteers took off for Cote d'Ivoire 01:55 for a church construction project. 02:01 Groups were trickling 02:02 into various countries here and there. 02:06 Meanwhile, the Maranatha headquarters 02:08 in California was preparing 02:10 for the annual surge of volunteers 02:12 in the month of March. 02:18 What was different this time, however, 02:19 was the threat of a new virus 02:21 that had been wreaking havoc in Asia and Europe 02:23 in January and February. 02:27 In early March, 02:29 things were evolving with COVID-19. 02:31 We're hearing stories out of China. 02:33 And then there was some cases in the United States. 02:37 And so we really weren't sure how it's going to impact 02:41 all of our volunteer activity. 02:44 So we had some groups that were that went out. 02:49 We had some trips that they started to question, 02:53 but most of our group leaders were moving forward as planned. 02:57 And then mid-March, 02:58 things started to really move quickly. 03:02 And I started to look like, 03:03 well, maybe we might be more affected 03:06 than what we had hoped we would be. 03:09 So on March 11, 03:11 President Trump held a press conference 03:13 where he announced 03:15 that things were going to change, 03:16 there's a pandemic 03:18 and that created and triggered a number of effects. 03:22 The same day, the World Health Organization 03:24 announced that COVID-19 was a pandemic. 03:28 Overseas, other countries started shutting their borders. 03:32 Airports closed, offices shut, 03:35 people self-quarantined in their homes. 03:38 Peru was put in a total lockdown. 03:41 India was on total lockdown. 03:43 Kenyan airports were closed 03:45 and everyone was put on a lockdown. 03:47 By March, 03:48 groups were really starting to wonder 03:50 if they were going to be able to go 03:52 on their mission trip or not. 03:53 And by mid-March, 03:55 many of our trips had either canceled, 03:57 postponed, or we had a few, 03:59 a few groups that that went out, 04:01 but then had to come back a little bit early. 04:04 And so, wrapped in 04:05 within a space of a couple of weeks 04:07 things went from we're planning for a year 04:09 as normal to suddenly everything was shut down. 04:24 Last year, Maranatha mobilized over 2600 volunteers 04:27 to many countries around the world 04:29 to help build a number of different buildings. 04:32 But the number of buildings that those volunteers built 04:34 is actually a small fraction 04:36 of the total number of buildings 04:38 that Maranatha builds each year. 04:40 The rest we use local labor to build churches 04:43 and schools and water wells, 04:45 all are happening around the world 04:47 whether volunteers are there or not. 04:51 Quite frankly, a lot of our projects 04:53 are prepared 04:56 and completed by teams in the field. 05:00 We've actually spent decades developing a competent, 05:05 experienced, committed, 05:07 dedicated team of builders 05:09 that travel around the world 05:10 and get these projects prepared, 05:12 work with the volunteers, finish up with the volunteers, 05:14 do finish when they're on the project. 05:19 So, we have been doing actually a lot of work 05:23 during this time in the places that we can, 05:25 some places we can't. 05:26 But many places we've been able to work 05:28 and it's still very effective. 05:33 Now, several months in, the world is slowly opening up, 05:37 but not necessarily for travel. 05:40 So the work of Maranatha is still being carried out 05:42 by our local crews in six different countries. 05:46 Crews are carefully working in regions that are isolated 05:49 or relatively untouched by virus. 05:57 One of the places 05:58 where we've been working is Kenya, 06:00 a country that has welcomed more than 1,000 volunteers 06:03 since we started working there extensively in 2016. 06:08 Adventist church leadership in Kenya asked Maranatha 06:10 to build churches and schools 06:12 for their rapidly growing membership. 06:14 And since then, 06:16 Maranatha has completed more than 450 structures. 06:19 And since 2016, the church has grown 06:22 from 850,000 to more than 1 million members. 06:29 Kenya has been 06:31 one of Maranatha's most active countries 06:33 in terms of projects. 06:35 And while COVID has slowed the work, 06:37 it hasn't shut it down completely. 06:40 Just a few weeks 06:41 after the initial shutdown in March, 06:43 Maranatha's local crew started working 06:45 in rural locations by sheltering in place. 06:49 So construction continued 06:51 at the Kajiado Adventist School and Rescue Center 06:54 and Kiutine Adventist School. 06:57 Then, eventually, the One-Day Church 07:00 and well drilling teams headed out to the bush 07:02 to begin building once more. 07:04 We have put in 42 One-Day Churches. 07:09 We have put in 18 wells. 07:12 At Kiutine, we have put in a church, 07:16 which is completely blocked. 07:18 We have finished the sidewalks, the walkways. 07:20 We have finished landscaping. 07:22 We had some work at the staff housing 07:24 in a small kitchenette. 07:25 At Kajiado, we finished 07:27 the primary boys' dorm bathroom, 07:29 we finished the sidewalks, 07:30 we got a slab made for the classroom, 07:34 computer room and a staff room. 07:36 So when the country opens up and volunteers start coming, 07:38 we're all set and ready to get the work done. 07:40 So that's what has been accomplished 07:41 while Coronavirus happened. 07:44 In 2020 alone, even in the face of a pandemic, 07:48 the team in Kenya has completed nearly 100 churches 07:51 and more than 30 wells 07:53 along with the various projects at the school campuses. 07:57 Each project, whether it's a new church, 07:59 or classroom, or water well provides a great deal of hope, 08:02 especially during such uncertain times. 08:06 And this has provided Ron and his team 08:08 plenty of motivation 08:09 to keep pushing forward to get the work done. 08:13 When you see firsthand impact, because I see it firsthand. 08:18 And when you see that, it gives you more strength. 08:20 It gives you more courage. It sort of motivates you. 08:22 It tells you that, you know, you're on the right track. 08:25 And that you're part of a greater ministry 08:28 that the Lord has chosen. 08:29 And that is what Maranatha does, you know. 08:31 That is what Maranatha believes 08:32 that we are here to build people 08:34 as we build buildings. 08:39 Northwest of Kenya, 08:41 another team is working hard on a number of projects. 08:44 Cote d'Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast 08:47 has been a busy place for Maranatha 08:48 throughout the pandemic, 08:50 as it hadn't yet been impacted by COVID-19 08:53 other than the airport closing and the curfew. 08:56 Most life remained the same in this African country. 09:01 Cote d'Ivoire is a nation of 25 million people 09:04 with a relatively stable agricultural industry. 09:08 From coconut to cassava, and chocolate. 09:16 A large portion of the country is blanketed 09:18 with farms and plantations. 09:21 The farming industry has attracted many immigrants 09:23 from its neighboring countries. 09:25 And today, about 24% of the population 09:28 is a mix of cultures and nationalities. 09:34 When it comes to religion, 09:35 the majority of the population is Muslim 09:38 with 33% professing Christianity. 09:42 There are about 10,000 Seventh-day Adventists, 09:45 but that's about to change. 09:47 The Adventist Church in Cote d'Ivoire 09:49 is slowly growing, 09:50 and they think they can strengthen 09:51 their community by building churches and schools. 09:54 So they've asked Maranatha to help, 09:57 but just three volunteer projects in, 09:59 the pandemic struck 10:01 putting all mission trips on hold, 10:03 even in Cote d'Ivoire. 10:06 Then we start thinking, 10:07 how could we solve the situation, 10:09 the challenge. 10:10 So we had the idea, First, 10:12 we will reduce our team 10:13 so that will give enough space distance 10:16 for, you know, social distancing. 10:18 Then we gave them meals here, 10:21 we provide them with some mattresses 10:23 where they could sleep here, 10:25 and we gave them gloves, they use mask, 10:28 they also use gel to clean their hands. 10:31 And this was how we were able to for four months 10:34 without the lockdown work here. 10:39 In time, workers completed the Abbebroukoi 10:41 and Anan Seventh-day Adventist churches, 10:44 two projects that volunteers had started, 10:47 plus a classroom building. 10:49 In September, with restrictions lifted in the country, 10:52 both churches had dedication ceremonies 10:54 that welcomed the church leadership 10:56 and the local media. 10:59 In Abbebroukoi, the dedication was an exuberant kickoff 11:03 to an upcoming time of big positive change 11:06 in the neighborhood. 11:12 In Abbebroukoi, 11:13 we are enrolling now the children 11:15 and about two months ago, nine of our lay evangelists, 11:18 they start visiting the area, 11:21 visiting the homes 11:22 and they enrolled 100 people with Bible studies. 11:25 And we were so glad that about two weeks ago, 11:29 25 people, they were baptized. 11:31 When we started the church here, 11:34 barely the church could grow in this Muslim area. 11:36 But Adventist education will be a blessing for us. 11:40 And we hope by the end of this year 11:42 to have about 60 new members enrolled here in this church. 11:48 Next, the local crew is starting work 11:50 on another school. 11:52 There is an existing church in Niangon. 11:55 But for many years, they have been praying, 11:57 asking God to give them a school, 11:59 and the secondary school 12:00 because this is the greatest need 12:02 in the community. 12:03 And Maranatha is responding to their request, 12:06 given them seven classrooms, 12:10 two labs, science and computing, 12:13 five traditional classrooms. 12:16 Office to the principal as well, 12:19 a lunch room for the teachers. 12:21 And we hope that by December, 12:23 we will have a group of volunteers 12:25 coming here to help us to build that school. 12:30 When we come back, we'll head south to Zambia, 12:33 where crews are busier than ever 12:35 continuing the mission. 12:47 Right now you may be at home 12:49 wishing you could travel to another country to serve. 12:52 We know people are itching to volunteer 12:54 and yet international travel is limited. 12:57 But you can volunteer to carry the mission forward 13:00 right where you are 13:01 by organizing a personal fundraiser 13:03 for Maranatha, 13:04 and we have a newly redesigned tool 13:06 to help. 13:07 Introducing our revamped online fundraising platform, 13:11 this tool allows supporters to create 13:13 their own custom web page 13:15 to raise money for the mission of Maranatha. 13:18 Once you've personalized your page 13:20 by adding photos, video and text, 13:23 share the fundraiser with family and friends 13:25 and invite them to get involved. 13:27 One hundred percent of the donations 13:29 go to the Maranatha program you select. 13:32 To get started with your own Maranatha fundraiser, 13:35 go to maranatha.org/fundraise. 13:38 Make sure to create an account first if you haven't, 13:41 then get to work 13:42 contributing to the mission right from your home. 13:56 Zambia is a Sub-Saharan African country 13:59 most famous for Victoria Falls, 14:02 a breathtaking waterfall spanning a mile wide 14:05 and a depth of 304 feet. 14:09 But by Maranatha standards, 14:10 Zambia is famous as a country 14:12 with one of the largest 14:14 Seventh-day Adventist memberships in the world. 14:17 More than 1.36 million people 14:20 are part of the Adventist faith in Zambia, 14:22 and many of them need a place of worship. 14:26 After working in Zambia from 2009-2015 14:30 to build hundreds of structures, 14:32 Maranatha returned in 2018 to build more churches, 14:36 schools, and also water wells. 14:40 When news of the pandemic hit the world, 14:42 work in Zambia shut down for a couple of weeks 14:45 as the crew assessed the country restrictions 14:47 and the potential risks. 14:49 Then in mid-April 14:51 Maranatha decided to shelter in place 14:53 and work at the Immanuel Adventist Secondary School, 14:56 a campus in need of more classrooms. 15:00 When COVID came on the scene, 15:02 we needed a place to be able to work 15:05 that was a safe place 15:07 where we could bring our workers in, 15:09 and they weren't having to come on and off the job. 15:12 So the Immanuel School emerged as a good place 15:15 for us to do that. 15:16 There was a big need, 15:18 and so we talked to the leadership 15:19 and agreed on a couple of things 15:20 and we got started. 15:22 Since then the team has remained 15:23 at Immanuel, 15:25 building several classrooms and a girls' dormitory. 15:28 And when the country began opening up some more, 15:31 Maranatha started venturing out to build One-Day Churches. 15:35 You can't go anywhere in the country 15:37 without finding Seventh-day Adventist. 15:38 Every village along the road, every shop, there's just, 15:41 there's Seventh-day Adventist all over the country. 15:43 So the need for structures and buildings is huge. 15:49 They were meeting under trees. 15:51 If they have a structure, in general, 15:52 they have some kind of shade structure built up, 15:54 but it's made out of, 15:55 you know, sticks or thatch went around us, 15:57 it just pulls grass over top, no metal roof. 16:01 So it's a termite buffet, 16:03 you know, and the buildings don't last very long. 16:05 And so that's what we find in most villages 16:07 where we go and been asked to build. 16:11 The team has also been drilling water wells at places 16:14 where we have constructed churches. 16:16 And the impact has been massive. 16:20 There are some denominations in eastern Zambia 16:22 where we were building back in February, March 16:24 that actually were restricting access to only members. 16:28 And they actually charge them a certain amount of money, 16:30 and even if you were not a member, 16:32 you couldn't, even with money 16:34 you couldn't access the well. 16:35 Just you had to be like a real member, 16:37 you know, this club kind of thing, or this church. 16:40 Our situation is completely different. 16:42 We put it in, everybody's so grateful, 16:43 because they can't afford it. 16:45 I mean, a subsistence farmer, 16:47 you know, scratching a living out of the ground, 16:49 they don't have money for water. 16:50 I mean, they go get it from poor source, 16:52 because they can't afford to pay for it 16:54 from some other better source. 16:56 So we're just super stoked to be able to be providing 16:59 free water to every thirsty person. 17:02 And we're blessed with generous donors 17:04 and so we move as the Lord allows us 17:07 and as provides resources, you know, 17:09 but, but the impact is big. 17:11 And, of course, we're going to see 17:12 a lot more of that 17:14 as we continue to build for them, 17:16 that impact will continue to grow. 17:18 As of September 2020, 17:19 Maranatha had already constructed 17:21 more than 50 One-Day Churches 17:23 and drilled more than 100 wells in Zambia just this year. 17:29 The fact that most of Maranatha's projects 17:31 take place in rural areas 17:33 has been the saving grace for our work, 17:36 not just in Africa, 17:37 but also in other parts of the world. 17:48 As the COVID-19 virus spread around the world, 17:50 India quickly locked down the entire country. 17:55 The restrictions were most severe 17:56 in the urban areas 17:58 where people were not allowed to leave their homes. 18:03 On March 24, 2020, 18:06 our Prime Minister announced 18:07 that India is going in a complete lockdown. 18:10 And the guidelines for lockdown was no flights, 18:15 no ground transportation, no trains. 18:20 Everybody was supposed to stay indoor. 18:24 And everything came to standstill, 18:26 complete halt, nothing moved. 18:29 And for that matter of fact, 18:30 some of our team members 18:32 actually stayed away from their families 18:33 for almost six to seven months. 18:35 They could not go back to their families 18:37 because the states were all also locked on, 18:40 the state borders were sealed, we could not move. 18:44 But a couple weeks later, 18:46 the India team found a way to work again. 18:48 Unable to go home, 18:50 crews asked permission from local officials 18:52 to shelter in place at their construction sites 18:54 and keep working. 18:57 School and church construction projects 18:59 slowly started up again 19:01 with limited materials and even tools. 19:05 For example, like there was one instance 19:07 when we were trying to finish the church in Kerala. 19:11 We could not move our equipment from one site to the other. 19:14 So we had only one drill. 19:17 Only one drill to erect the entire church structure. 19:20 Plus also that same drill was used to place the roof. 19:25 And my team is very proud of that drill impact 19:30 because that was the only one equipment 19:32 we had to finish that church. 19:34 And sometimes we even had to wait 19:36 for three weeks 19:38 for just to get few screws 19:39 so that we could put it on the roof. 19:42 It was difficult, 19:43 but team was able to move along. 19:47 India has also been drilling wells during COVID 19:50 at locations where Maranatha has constructed churches. 19:54 Water is a dire need for any mankind. 19:57 You cannot survive without water. 20:00 And that goes for my country too. 20:02 In India, majority of our population 20:05 does not have access to clean drinking water. 20:08 And from past couple of years 20:09 we have been able to go and drill wells 20:11 for many communities in our country. 20:13 And that has helped our church tremendously 20:17 in making sure that, 20:18 you know, communities are reached 20:20 which do not have access to clean water. 20:22 Now some of those community people 20:23 are able to come to our churches 20:25 and attend churches. 20:28 Despite and during one of the strictest lockdowns, 20:31 the team in India is continuing to work 20:33 to share God's message of hope through construction. 20:48 From India, we head to Brazil, 20:50 a country that is famous for its expansive rainforest 20:53 and the Amazon River. 20:57 But it is less known for its deserts, 20:59 areas that have a scarcity of flora, 21:01 fauna and water. 21:06 Northeastern Brazil is one such place, 21:11 and it's where Maranatha has been focusing 21:13 its efforts since late 2019. 21:17 Here, rain is scarce and vegetation is sparse. 21:22 Water is a luxury to be purchased 21:27 or collected carefully when it rains, which is rare. 21:31 For years, Maranatha has been working in Brazil 21:34 to build nearly 1,000 One-Day Churches 21:36 for congregations in need. 21:39 Many of those structures were in this dry region. 21:43 And now Maranatha has returned to visit the congregations 21:46 and provide them a well even during the crisis. 21:50 Brazil has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, 21:53 and it has impacted people throughout the country. 21:56 Some of the cities have been hit extremely hard. 21:59 Yet out in the rural areas, we've been able to move around, 22:03 we've been able to drill wells in some of these villages 22:06 in areas where the need is extremely high. 22:11 While some wells tend to be private or reserved 22:14 for certain denominations, 22:15 all Maranatha water wells are free to the public 22:18 with no strings attached. 22:21 As we've drilled water wells in Brazil, 22:23 we've seen those wells be an opportunity 22:26 for a Seventh-day Adventist congregation 22:28 to get to know their community 22:30 in a way that they didn't before. 22:35 They're meeting their neighbors, 22:38 they're showing their care for people around them. 22:42 And it's actually completely changing the view 22:45 that the neighbors have about them as congregation 22:48 and about them as Christians. 23:03 While Maranatha has been able to continue 23:05 the mission in most countries, 23:07 there is one place where work has been halted 23:09 for several months, Peru. 23:15 Maranatha worked in this South American country 23:18 about 15 years ago, 23:19 providing churches and schools to dozens of communities. 23:25 The beautiful setting, rich culture, 23:28 and friendly people 23:30 made it a beloved project for volunteers. 23:33 And in 2020, the return to Peru was going to be a big focus. 23:38 The goal was to build churches and a school 23:41 in the suburbs surrounding Lima, 23:43 Peru's capital city. 23:47 Congregations that had been chosen 23:49 to receive a new church 23:50 prepared for Maranatha's Volunteers 23:52 by tearing down their old buildings 23:54 and clearing the way for the work. 23:56 Then everything came to a heartbreaking stop. 24:00 So we're really excited 24:03 for the month of March and April. 24:05 Those are the busiest months of the year for us. 24:09 We're expecting about eight groups 24:11 and close to 500 volunteers. 24:15 In early March, 24:16 Elmer and his team welcomed 24:17 two of the eight groups to Peru. 24:20 As soon as the groups arrived, 24:21 we start hearing that there was one case 24:23 and two cases. 24:24 By the end of the week, there were six cases 24:27 and that's when the World Health Organization 24:31 announced that this was a pandemic. 24:33 At that moment, the president of the country 24:35 decided to close the country 24:37 completed with all the borders close, 24:40 the airport, the land borders and sea. 24:46 In conjunction with the Maranatha team 24:47 in the United States, 24:49 Elmer's local team worked frantically 24:51 to get 100 volunteers home before Peru's border shut. 24:55 Thirty hours later 24:57 and with 10 minutes to spare before the border is closed, 25:00 everyone got out. 25:05 It was one problem solved. 25:07 But in Peru, Elmer and the team were basically on house arrest. 25:12 Work has not restarted in Peru since March. 25:15 But Maranatha is continuing to pray 25:18 for projects in Peru. 25:20 I can't predict the future. 25:21 But I can tell you that we're still committed 25:24 to trying to do what we had planned to do 25:26 and to honor our commitments that we made in Peru. 25:29 Right now, it's not possible to work there. 25:31 But we're waiting for the door to open and when it will open, 25:35 we'll walk through and do what we can. 25:42 What keeps me hoping and trusting 25:45 that God's going to take care of us 25:47 looking in the past and see how He has led our lives, 25:50 He has led the work of Maranatha, 25:52 and personally has been taking care of me 25:54 and my family. 25:55 And I know that He can do anything, 25:58 and He has all under His control. 26:00 We may not understand, but God sees the big picture. 26:03 So it's a exercise every day to trust Him 26:08 and know that He's taking care of us. 26:11 Through God's blessing and guidance, 26:13 we know He will open doors for us 26:15 to help these faithful congregations, 26:17 not only in Peru, but also in Kenya, Zambia, 26:23 Cote d'Ivoire, India, and Brazil. 26:28 We also trust that each of you watching 26:30 will be inspired to get involved. 26:32 Now more than ever, 26:34 we need your support 26:36 as we navigate this new reality. 26:40 Well, the more I watch what's transpired 26:42 and continues to transpire 26:44 during this COVID-19 time period, 26:47 the more I am convinced 26:50 that God wants us here that we're supposed to be 26:52 or that we're supposed to be reaching out to people. 26:57 I think that those that watch Maranatha 27:00 are involved with Maranatha. 27:02 They're involved 27:03 because they want to see something happen. 27:05 They don't want to see people go back in a corner 27:08 and fold their arms and retreat. 27:12 They want to see do as much as you can. 27:15 Push on all the doors that you can. 27:17 Don't be stupid about it, don't be unsafe about it. 27:20 But push on all the doors 27:21 and accomplish everything you can 27:23 and see if God doesn't open those doors 27:25 and make something happen. 27:27 As we keep pushing, God keeps blessing, 27:29 and that's, what's better than that? |
Revised 2020-11-02