Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS011051S
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00:01 Hi, I am Dustin Comm with the Maranatha Minute.
00:03 Maranatha is wrapping up work 00:04 at the Emanuel Adventist Secondary School in Zambia. 00:08 This boarding academy serves 320 students 00:11 and was a major focal point for Maranatha 00:13 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 00:16 Our local crews sheltered in place 00:18 to construct a three classroom building, 00:20 a girls' dormitory and bathrooms 00:23 and are now completing a second three classroom block. 00:27 The team also made improvements to the school's water source 00:30 and supplied it to the boys' side of campus. 00:33 These additions will allow the school 00:34 to accept more students. 00:37 Previously, school leadership had to turn away 00:39 40 kids each year 00:41 due to lack of space 00:42 even with some students already sleeping in a garage. 00:46 Now, as they returned to campus this week, 00:48 all of these students 00:50 will be properly housed in a dorm. 00:52 Project like Emanuel 00:54 aren't possible without your generosity. 00:56 To support Maranatha's work around the world, 00:58 go to our website. 01:21 Maranatha's standard mission story 01:23 focuses on the plight of a group of people 01:26 in need of a church, school, or community center. 01:31 This crisis typically take place 01:33 in developing countries 01:35 where resources can be scarce. 01:39 This story of need for space to gather 01:41 is a common one 01:43 and this need is a story without borders. 01:56 Ooltewah, Tennessee, 01:58 this Chattanooga suburb has recently seen major growth 02:01 due to manufacturing expansion in the region. 02:04 Situated in the Bible Belt, 02:06 it's also a community full of churches. 02:09 The history of the Ooltewah Hispanic 02:10 Seventh-day Adventist Church begins ten years ago. 02:14 The group grew 02:15 from the Collegedale Hispanic Adventist Church, 02:18 a congregation that splits 02:19 when they outgrew their meeting space. 02:22 For the next decade, 02:23 the new group continued growing 02:25 and moved to various rented meeting spaces, 02:28 a situation that was less than ideal. 02:31 Our congregation was formally meeting 02:33 in the Ooltewah Methodist Church. 02:35 We met there for about seven and eight years 02:37 and that was great experience. 02:39 It was also a great stepping stone 02:42 in the sense that we came to the conviction 02:45 that we couldn't be renting forever, 02:48 we needed our own building 02:49 if we wanted to hold evangelistic meetings 02:54 and VBS and socials 02:57 and all this community outreach programs 03:00 and that really helped us realize 03:03 that we need our own building 03:06 to really live up to what God is calling us to do 03:10 to the community 03:11 and for the salvation of many other people. 03:15 When Juan became the pastor of the congregation in 2018, 03:19 the group expressed their urgency 03:21 in building a church. 03:24 One of the first things I was asked 03:26 when I was interviewed 03:27 by the Ooltewah Hispanic SDA Church, 03:30 from the church board 03:31 when they were considering me as their pastor 03:35 was the confidence 03:38 and the qualifications if you will, 03:42 to build a church 03:44 because this is a heavily saturated church area 03:49 not only Adventist but Bible Belt. 03:52 So we have so many Christian denominations 03:55 and finding a church in this area, 03:57 a physical church, it's not easy. 04:01 And so that was top priority 04:04 in the pastoral job, 04:08 position filling 04:09 and so, I really had no experience 04:14 building a church 04:18 what they expected of me, 04:19 but I told them I was willing to learn, 04:22 I was willing to try 04:24 and do everything with God's help 04:26 to make it a reality. 04:28 Juan began researching construction options. 04:31 The group had purchase a three acre plot of land 04:33 with a house on the property. 04:35 Their initial plan was to renovate 04:37 the house into a church, 04:38 but remodeling the existing building 04:40 proved to be costly. 04:42 Eventually they demolished the building 04:44 and look into options for new construction. 04:47 Everything just seemed just out of reached. 04:51 Then they learned 04:52 Maranatha would be holding a mission event 04:54 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 04:57 One of the church members elbowed me and was like, 05:01 "Pastor what if we go ask Maranatha? 05:03 They could build the church." 05:05 My first reaction was like, 05:07 that's only overseas and third world countries, 05:09 that's not a viable option but I said, 05:13 "Okay, let's go and may be it will be fun." 05:16 So we went to the Maranatha event 05:19 here in Chattanooga, 05:21 and to my surprise and to my delight 05:23 I did find out that Maranatha does build 05:27 here in the United States churches. 05:30 For decades, 05:31 Maranatha has constructed churches 05:33 all over North America. 05:35 Volunteers travel to sites, 05:37 lending their labor 05:38 to quickly raise structures out of the ground. 05:41 But over the years, an additional need emerged. 05:44 There were many congregations just like Juan's 05:47 that needed a proper place to worship, 05:50 but didn't know where to start when it came to construction, 05:53 and didn't have the funds to hire a team of experts. 05:56 Unfortunately we have seen over and over again examples 05:59 where congregations decided they want to build a church, 06:02 but they don't really have the experience 06:05 with development and construction, 06:07 that will enable them to have a successful project. 06:11 And so they quickly get mired into the details 06:13 and often get derailed from the project. 06:17 So that's the reality that motivated Maranatha's idea 06:21 of a standardized church approach 06:23 here in North America. 06:25 In 2012, 06:26 Maranatha developed a simple affordable church plan 06:30 designed specifically for small congregations. 06:33 The plans allow congregations to save money 06:35 they would have spent in architect fees. 06:38 Maranatha also offers construction consultation 06:41 and coordination of volunteer project 06:43 to eliminate some of the cost of labor. 06:46 After meeting with Maranatha staff 06:48 and learning more about what Maranatha could offer, 06:51 Juan visited Maranatha's website 06:53 and filled out a project application. 06:55 He soon found himself connected with a network of resources 06:59 to help guide him through the building process. 07:01 I had no experience in building a church, 07:05 I didn't know the process from beginning to end, 07:08 and Maranatha was able to explain that 07:13 not only on the structural construction aspect of it, 07:19 but in the spiritual aspect of it. 07:23 I better understood 07:24 their whole purpose of a ministry 07:27 and made the connection and I felt as though... 07:32 I would have been adopted into a family 07:35 is what I have come to the conclusion 07:38 that the whole process has been. 07:41 You've got a better idea of what we can do relevant 07:43 to what we can? 07:45 Maranatha board member Roger Hatch 07:47 is a general contractor 07:48 and has overseen scores 07:50 of Maranatha project in North America 07:52 and around the world. 07:53 He has developed an affinity 07:55 for congregations like this one in Ooltewah 07:57 and signed on as the construction foreman 08:00 to oversee the project from start to finish. 08:03 His goal is to lend his expertise 08:05 and help them accomplished their goal 08:07 in the most cost effective manner. 08:10 Certainly there is a financial side of it 08:12 with that it helps tremendously with their budget, 08:19 depending on how much we do, 08:21 you can be anywhere from 50,000-60, 000 08:24 up to over $100,000. 08:27 For the next two years 08:28 the church worked to get the project off the ground. 08:31 Complications and funding and design 08:33 created several delays, 08:35 but in August of 2020 08:37 they broke ground on the church. 08:40 Two month later 08:41 the site was abuzz with volunteers 08:43 eager to help the Ooltewah congregations dream come true. 08:47 I feel so blessed 08:49 to have volunteers from all over the country. 08:52 You know, when the first few volunteers 08:56 from Maranatha arrived. 08:59 It started to actually hit me, 09:01 I started to actually process it 09:03 and I felt so touched where they asked me, 09:08 "How do you feel, Pastor?" 09:10 And I said, 09:11 "I feel like we are a family." 09:13 And their response was, 09:15 "That's right, Pastor, 09:16 we are a family in Christ and we are here to help you." 09:19 That melted my heart and I realized that 09:23 all the conversations we have had prior 09:26 were now gonna become a reality. 09:31 This mission trip may not have required passports 09:33 or long hours on an airplane, 09:36 but the volunteers recognized the great need that exist 09:39 even closer to home. 09:41 Living in the Bible Belt 09:44 where there is a lot of churches, 09:46 there's still a lot of people that don't go to church, 09:49 and I think it's also that 09:51 we can be a part of building a sanctuary for God. 09:55 And I really enjoyed it. 09:58 To me it's not a matter of what country you are in 10:00 or how many miles you are travelling, 10:03 it's just whether or not you are serving 10:05 and serving for the right reasons, 10:06 and that's really our focus is try to serve in humility 10:11 and just do the work of Jesus while we are here. 10:14 I loved doing this because A, I enjoyed building things. 10:19 B, our work is greatly appreciated. 10:21 This last Sabbath I was here 10:23 and met with some of the church members 10:25 and to see their excitement, 10:26 to hear their gratitude was just really heartwarming 10:31 and makes our aches and pains and our tiredness worthwhile. 10:36 Melinda Durller is a relatively new volunteer 10:39 with this being her second project. 10:41 She was praying for opportunities to serve God 10:44 in a hands-on way 10:45 when a friend introduced her to Maranatha. 10:48 I heard that it was a Christian organization 10:51 which is right up my alley 10:53 and that it had to do with construction 10:55 and I really want to learn. 10:57 I'd like to learn plumbing, 10:58 I'd like to learn little bit of electrical, 11:00 I'd like to make new friends, um, 11:03 I'd like to be a part of putting forth the gospel 11:07 and it does all of that. 11:10 For Melinda, Maranatha projects 11:12 not only expanded her construction skills 11:14 but also her world. 11:16 Working in Maranatha 11:18 has just broadened my horizons immensely. 11:23 I feel like I am a part of a family. 11:26 I love my community, I love my church. 11:30 Those are both small and now my world is expanding. 11:35 I have made many new friends and I just... 11:39 I love how we have worshipped in the morning 11:42 and worshipped in the evening 11:44 and people speak of Christ all day long 11:47 and I need that in my life 11:49 and it's a blessing to me 11:51 but I also, I try to be a blessing to others 11:54 and just being able to help 11:56 and being able to have some real meaning to life, 11:59 that's important to me. 12:02 The relationships formed on Maranatha projects 12:05 are what draw volunteers back trip after trip. 12:10 I feel very connected to coming on Maranatha trips 12:13 because I feel like 12:15 this is part of my family for one, 12:17 the Maranatha people that I worked with. 12:21 I look forward to seeing them again 12:23 and working with them, worshipping with them, 12:27 praising them, praying with them 12:29 all together as we serve God together. 12:33 So I am probably receiving more spiritually 12:38 than I am actually giving out here physically. 12:41 So just being the connected 12:43 and seeing progress of God's work here. 12:48 And the family these volunteers had created 12:50 is one they want to grow. 12:52 Come, join the effort. 12:56 This is a family effort. 12:57 You become very close with the people you work with. 13:01 It's immensely rewarding. 13:02 Go to the Maranatha website. 13:04 Find the project, sign up for it. 13:05 You don't have to be a skilled builder. 13:08 We have people here 13:09 who know virtually nothing about building. 13:12 Hey, we show you what to do, we have the tools. 13:15 You don't have to have tools. 13:16 Come, bring your heart, bring your energy. 13:19 Just come. 13:21 Over the course of two weeks, 13:23 volunteers worked hard 13:24 to bring the building plans to life. 13:27 To them their effort is about more than swinging hammers 13:30 or manning saws 13:31 and the result is more than an ordinary structure. 13:34 It's a sacred space 13:36 where more people can learn about God. 13:39 This church that you see behind us, 13:42 I don't think that's possible. 13:44 I have just been overwhelmed watching this church grow up. 13:46 I don't think this is possible 13:47 for 40 humans to do in a week and a half. 13:50 But the Holy Spirit can do it 13:51 and He is working through a lot of people, 13:53 and I am happy to be part of that experience. 13:56 I have to say that 13:57 just working into our project here 13:59 as the trusses went up and the roof went up that... 14:04 It was just an awe-inspiring experience 14:07 even though the inside is not done yet. 14:11 But so, I anticipated 14:13 they will have that same awe and reverence 14:16 and just feeling of coming home 14:19 when they come to their church. 14:22 They will be exciting to come visit this area again 14:24 and drive by this church 14:26 and see preachers coming in and out 14:28 and being able to know that, 14:29 "Hey, I was part of that." 14:31 So it's exciting and I want to do it again. 14:33 I will sign up for my projects. 14:36 The process of building a church 14:37 has been educational for Pastor Juan, 14:39 but aside from learning about church construction, 14:42 he's learned more about trusting God. 14:46 This process has taught me a lot about faith 14:50 in the sense that there was many days 14:56 where I was lacking faith, 15:00 questioning 15:01 whether this project would ever gonna become a reality. 15:04 It has taught me to trust God in the process, 15:08 but also to trust other people. 15:10 To trust ministries that have experience 15:14 specifically in this example, Maranatha, 15:18 that is so rich in experience of building 15:22 and helping people around the world. 15:25 And I'd never imagine 15:26 that I would become as a church, 15:28 a recipient of their hope. 15:38 There are more than 60 Seventh-day Adventist camps 15:41 in North America 15:42 and several have been the focus of a Maranatha mission trip. 15:45 While at first glance 15:47 a camp may not seem 15:48 an obvious place for a Maranatha project, 15:51 these retreat centers 15:52 are an important part of the Adventist mission 15:54 to share Jesus with the world. 16:00 Every year, 16:02 a big part of Maranatha's mission trip line up 16:04 involves projects in North America. 16:08 And this local projects 16:10 end up drawing hundreds of people 16:12 to serve right in their own backyards. 16:17 Among the projects Maranatha frequently accept 16:19 are church renovation or new construction, 16:26 school renovations 16:27 from elementary to colleges 16:30 and another frequent local, camps. 16:34 The Seventh-day Adventist Church 16:36 has more than 60 camps in North America, 16:39 and Maranatha has worked at several of them. 16:43 Initially camps don't look like a place 16:45 you would immediately associates 16:47 with Maranatha's mission, 16:49 but while this camps are full of the fun 16:52 bustling activity you would expect, 16:54 they also offer something more. 16:56 Camp Kulaqua is a youth camp 17:00 that services different ages and youth 17:04 year around here in North Florida. 17:06 And so, we have a multitude of different people 17:08 that come here and enjoy camp 17:10 whether it be youth, young adults. 17:13 We have adults and women's retreats, 17:15 all sorts of things. 17:17 In essence it's just a place for people 17:19 in whatever their need 17:21 they have to get away from the city 17:22 and just come enjoy nature and connect with God. 17:25 When Florida Conference decided that 17:28 we needed to find our own place 17:30 for youth ministry to take place 17:31 and youth camp to happen. 17:33 And so we moved from state parks 17:36 to finding our own place 17:37 and we bought 250 acres in 1953 17:42 and the executive committee sat on the banks of the spring, 17:46 the Hornsby Spring which is on the property 17:48 and they prayed, 17:49 "God, should we buy this place 17:51 for the future of the youth of this church?" 17:53 And God impressed upon them 17:55 and today Camp Kulaqua exist 17:59 and it can accommodate 1000 people here in beds, 18:03 and it also is 800 acres of property. 18:07 I would say at Camp Kulaqua, 18:08 our mission is to share God's love. 18:13 I mean that's a very basic answer, 18:16 but in essence we are here to share God's love 18:18 in whatever capacity 18:19 to meet people where they are at 18:21 and be here for them. 18:23 We have things that meet the needs of people 18:26 in society today, 18:27 but while at the same time 18:29 we still carry the core values of a gospel 18:32 and we are still sharing that in a special way. 18:35 We have multiple baptisms in the summer, lot of children. 18:40 It was interesting 18:42 Christian Camping International did a survey 18:45 and they asked people, asked a thousand people, 18:47 "Where were you at 18:49 when you met Christ as your savior?" 18:51 And 68% of them were in a camp setting. 18:54 There is something special about camps 18:57 that touches the lives of people 18:58 when God calls them. 19:00 These camps continued to be an effective outreach 19:04 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 19:06 but after so many years, 19:07 many of the camps have acquired 19:09 a long list of needed repairs and renovations 19:12 and the cost of maintenance is expensive 19:15 for a ministry to maintain. 19:17 Michael Hopkins 19:18 is the building maintenance manager 19:20 at Camp Kulaqua. 19:21 He understands the huge task 19:23 of keeping a large campus updated. 19:25 The Camp Kulaqua is a large facility there. 19:29 I believe there 750 to 800 acres of land at this point, 19:34 and my responsibilities I believe, 19:36 I have to take care of about a 100 different structures 19:41 and those ranged from small cabins 19:43 to gymnasium size structures. 19:46 On the grounds here, we have a wild life sanctuary, 19:49 we have a horse program, 19:51 we have a natural spring that's behind us here, 19:54 that's a first magnitude spring. 19:56 And we are blessed 19:58 with a lot of neat natural features in that way. 20:05 I think in any camp 20:06 there is always more work that can be done 20:08 or needs to be done, 20:10 and there is a struggle between 20:14 feeling excited about what you see happening 20:17 and then realizing how much more needs to be done. 20:20 Then Michael came upon an idea. 20:23 In 2018 20:24 while at an Adventist Camp Association meeting, 20:27 he heard a presentation from Maranatha 20:29 and the work the volunteers have done at camps. 20:32 The concept clicked 20:34 and he asked Maranatha to come to Kulaqua. 20:37 Just a few months later in February, 2019, 20:41 78 volunteers landed in High Springs, Florida 20:44 ready to work. 20:47 The first year that we did this, 20:49 it was a learning process for me, 20:50 I wasn't sure who would come, 20:52 what the experience would be 20:54 and I was just blown away by that first year. 20:57 The work ethic that people come with, 20:59 you know, if you are not keeping them busy, 21:02 they started to get frustrated with you 21:04 and that's a really good problem to have. 21:07 It was such a successful project 21:09 that Camp Kulaqua asked Maranatha 21:11 to return a year later, 21:14 then again a year after that in January 2021. 21:20 For the most recent project, 21:22 volunteers helped to built a 40 by 60 foot pole barn. 21:28 Laid 1,500 feet of waterline, 21:31 cut down trees, 21:34 painted 21:37 and worked on landscaping. 21:42 It's all tasks that would have been difficult 21:44 to complete without the help of volunteers. 21:50 But the giving doesn't just go one way. 21:55 These projects provide Maranatha volunteers 21:58 with opportunities to not only serve 22:00 but to connect with people, 22:02 a blessing that has become even greater 22:04 during these times. 22:07 For long time 22:08 volunteer and project leader Betty Chrispell, 22:11 the projects are a way of life. 22:13 This is my family 22:15 and your family keeps getting bigger and bigger 22:18 because you keep meeting new people, 22:20 and then you get to see the old ones 22:24 and you get such a bond between you, it's just... 22:28 I can't express how I feel when I get to go on a project. 22:32 It's awesome. 22:34 Whereas Camp Kulaqua was Betty's 43rd project, 22:38 it was Patricia Hodge's very first one. 22:41 While she had an outreach 22:43 with her church in her hometown, 22:44 she wanted to try serving outside of her city's borders. 22:49 I wanted... 22:50 I had wanted to do a missionary trip 22:54 and I didn't know where to start 22:56 but you know old faithful Google. 22:59 I started there and when I did Google, 23:04 Maranatha was the first one that popped up 23:07 and I explored it, 23:09 looked and saw that 23:10 there were so many projects and trips going on 23:14 in the country and out of the country. 23:16 And so, this I found was an hour and half 23:19 from where I lived, 23:21 and I thought this would be a nice initiation. 23:23 And so, I took, I signed up for it, 23:26 registered and along the way I kept saying, 23:29 "Am I really, really, really gonna do this?" 23:31 And it got down to the wire 23:33 where I was a week away from it 23:35 and I'm saying, okay, it's just too late to cancel 23:38 and so I came through with it, I went through with it. 23:41 Patricia's first mission trip has been an adventure, 23:44 a tough one, 23:45 full of panting and cutting and hauling off trees 23:48 and other physical labor. 23:50 The first day I couldn't move, 23:52 all I want to do is just go home 23:54 and just take a bath really with some absinthe salt, 23:57 but I had no absinthe salt. 24:02 But even with the exhausting first day, 24:04 Patricia had a good time serving and making new friends. 24:08 I just find that 24:09 the people have been very caring, 24:12 just concerned 24:13 and want to make sure that that I'm, I feel... 24:18 It's just what people saying, 24:20 "Hey, come and sit with us and eat." 24:23 You know, because sometimes simple things like that 24:27 and all those people want to reach out 24:30 and they want to do it 24:32 but actually saying it 24:33 and doing it makes the difference. 24:35 Just a gesture like that makes a big difference to someone 24:39 who is a stranger and don't know anyone. 24:42 I would encourage anyone 24:45 if they want to have an experience 24:48 of just being out in nature, the fresh air, 24:54 meeting new people, enjoying. 24:57 If you enjoy meeting new people and good people, 25:00 I believe it's a growing experience 25:02 and I believe anyone, 25:04 everyone should take advantage of it 25:06 and try at least once. 25:08 I've enjoyed it. 25:09 It's really, really... 25:10 It's been amazing and I am glad I did, 25:12 it's been a good experience. 25:14 But the relationships aren't limited 25:16 to only the volunteers. 25:19 After multiple years of working together, 25:21 Camp Kulaqua staffs have found new friendships too. 25:25 Now, we are three years into this and it's... 25:29 It feels like 25:30 friends are coming back each time. 25:32 You know, I know this event 25:33 I think about half of the volunteers are returning 25:36 and then half are new 25:38 and it feels a lot more comfortable 25:39 just like they are coming 25:41 and they are part of the family at this point. 25:43 So that's a really neat relationship to have there 25:45 and to have the support of an organization 25:48 that wants to come and invest in us 25:51 is just a huge benefit 25:53 especially to my responsibilities. 25:56 You know in camp ministry, 25:57 we love people 25:59 and so when Maranatha comes 26:00 and we get to connect with different people, 26:02 with different walks of life and gets to hear their stories 26:05 and hear where they are from, 26:08 it just boost us 26:09 and so our interactions have been so positive 26:12 and so encouraging 26:14 and you just never know who you are gonna meet 26:17 and how they are gonna touch you 26:20 and they just, they bring a joy to us, 26:23 and they just revive us and encourage us 26:25 and remind us that ministry is bigger than just me or you. 26:30 There is a whole team of people out there we are connected to. 26:36 Maranatha is planning 26:38 a number of volunteer mission trips 26:39 around the globe for 2021, 26:42 but if you prefer to serve at home this year, 26:44 consider one of our many North America projects. 26:47 In May, join us in Tennessee 26:49 as we construct a brand new building 26:51 for the Jamestown Seventh-day Adventist Church. 26:54 Volunteers on this project 26:55 will help with wood framing, siding, 26:58 roofing and window installation. 27:00 Then in June, 27:02 help us in North Carolina at Mount Pisgah Academy. 27:05 Volunteers on this project 27:06 will help renovate 41 girls' dorm rooms. 27:09 The work will include electrical, flooring, 27:12 door installation, 27:14 blocked wall removal 27:15 and the installation of dressers, 27:17 shelving units and bunk beds. 27:20 If neither of this projects work for you, 27:22 Maranatha has plans 27:24 for around 20 North America projects 27:26 in 2021. 27:28 Please visit maranatha.org/volunteer 27:31 to browse our current list of projects. 27:34 We hope to see you there soon. 27:37 The volunteer project in Tennessee and Florida 27:40 took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. 27:45 The success of both experiences 27:47 are evidence of how a mission trip is not defined 27:50 by where you go but what you do and why. 27:55 Travel is challenging in these times, 27:58 but the opportunity for service is always open 28:02 and the mission is present wherever you go. |
Revised 2021-02-11