For many people,
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summer is synonymous with camp.
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And over the last month,
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Maranatha
Volunteers have been helping
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two camp and retreat centers
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prepare for their
busy summer season.
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For almost two decades,
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Maranatha has assisted
a Camp MiVoden in Idaho.
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And this year was no different.
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Volunteers tackle tasks
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such as building
an equestrian shed,
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rebuilding a dock, and
working on landscaping.
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At Big Lake
Youth Camp in Oregon,
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volunteers worked on
two cabins, building decks,
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installing insulation,
ceilings, and flooring,
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and assembling
bunk beds, and desks.
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These are just
two of the seven camps
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Maranatha has
assisted this year.
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The work of these volunteers
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saves facilities
thousands of dollars,
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and gives campers safe
environments to have fun
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and learn more about Christ.
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See why people are inspired
to serve in the mission field
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by watching
Maranatha Mission Stories.
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Watch anytime on
your phone or tablet
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by downloading the
Maranatha Channel app.
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For almost 50 years,
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God has used Maranatha
Volunteers International
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to answer the prayers
of thousands of people
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around the world.
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From North America to Africa,
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Asia to South America,
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the urgent need
for churches, schools,
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and water wells has
moved the hearts of volunteers
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and donors who go above
and beyond to help others.
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Their precious time
and resources invested
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in mission projects are the key
to producing permanent change
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with eternal significance
for the people who serve
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and the communities reached.
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And their service
comes in many forms.
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Take Maranatha
volunteer, Mary Johnson,
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a high school Spanish teacher
from Antioch, California,
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who was inspired
to take her commitment
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to missions to the next level.
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What is your regular 9 to 5?
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My regular, I'm
a teacher by trade,
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high school teacher by trade.
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Okay.
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Except for this school year,
I'm taking a year off to do
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as many short-term
mission trips as I can.
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God bless your heart.
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I didn't really
think it was that unique
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because not that
I've ever heard of anyone
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taking off a year to do
short-term missions, but I...
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In 2017, Maranatha
volunteer, Mary Johnson,
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left her full-time job
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as a high school Spanish teacher
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to devote a year of her
life to short-term missions.
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She is no stranger
to the mission field.
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Her first experience
came as a college student
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when she served on a
Maranatha mission trip
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to Mexico.
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It was here that she
realized her career calling.
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Oh, my goodness, I
just had a real conversation
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in Spanish in
Mexico with a real Mexican.
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This is great.
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This is what I'm
going to do for my career.
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After teaching
for more than a decade
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and continuing to serve
on short-term mission trips,
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Mary sensed God was
calling her to serve
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in an even greater capacity.
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And I was, kind
of, just waiting like,
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I was kind of
feeling antsy or burnt out
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from doing the same
thing year after year.
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But I hadn't felt
like the cloud was moving,
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like the Lord was leading me
to do anything different yet.
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And I was just like,
"Okay, Lord, you know,
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whenever, just let me know,
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I'm ready for
something different."
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And one day as I was
walking from my condo to my car,
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I just felt like the
Lord was saying like, "When?"
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Like, "Now it's time to
do something different."
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Initially, Mary
asked her school district
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to grant her sabbatical
leave with partial pay,
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which was denied.
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However, they did
grant a year of unpaid leave,
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meaning her job
would be waiting for her
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when she returned.
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The only thing I was
nervous about was the finances,
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because they weren't
all there to begin with.
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I remember Kathleen, I
said, "I need about 40 grand
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to really make this work,"
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which I didn't have at
the beginning of the year.
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And I told my sister, I
said, "Okay, let's pray.
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I need about 40 grand,
let's make this happen."
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My sister's like,
"Well, you know what?
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It's going to. It's
going to come in installments."
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When I would run into people,
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the first thing
they always think,
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"Oh, you must
have a lot of money.
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Or how did you..."
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They may not say
that, but they may say
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"Oh, wow, how
did you afford that?"
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They must be thinking, you know,
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I have money saved up,
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maybe I'm a lawyer
or something like that.
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I have this money. I'm like...
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I always respond
with, "I'm broke."
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Despite financial uncertainty,
Mary found that God provided
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for her every step of the way.
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What I live by,
if it's God's will,
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it's God's will.
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If He wants it to
happen, He'll send the money.
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If He doesn't, then
it's not going to come.
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And I've seen it work both ways.
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Like, for example,
the Kenya trip I did,
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my sister was
going to come with me.
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And she had, you
know, put money for it.
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And then she felt
impressed that she shouldn't go,
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and so she just transferred
all the money over to me,
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for me to be
able to go to Kenya.
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And that was really neat
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because I know she
really wanted to go,
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but the Lord just
wasn't leading that direction.
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And she was able
to recognize that
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and not fight it.
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And just say,
"Okay, so I'm just going
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to transfer it to my sister."
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Mary also adjusted her lifestyle
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to make ends meet
without her normal income,
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and that
included selling her condo
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and moving in with her parents.
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I used to go out to eat,
you know, or things like that.
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I used to do a
lot more shopping.
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I used to buy
clothes, pretty much,
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at least twice a year I
spent a few hundred dollars
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on each season,
spring and summer,
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fall and winter.
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And I just didn't
do that last year.
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People donated stuff
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for mission trips
or for garage sales.
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If it fit me, I'm like,
"Hey, I'm going to use this."
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As Mary made her way
through her year of missions,
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trip by trip, she experienced
many blessings along the way.
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I would say my favorite moments
are doing children's ministry.
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Just, you know,
singing with the kids
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like those simple songs
like Jesus Love is Bubbling Over
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and Jesus Loves Me.
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It just really reminds
you of what really matters.
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Because, I mean,
just keep it simple.
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You know what
more do I need to know,
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Jesus loves me, this I
know, for the Bible tells me so.
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And the kids are
so excited about it.
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Mary's year of
short-term missions
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brought her immense joy.
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But there was
also a strong adversity
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she faced at the midway point.
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The worst moment was
my second trip to India
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when...
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It was actually
one of the worst,
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some of the worst
moments in my entire life.
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Everything went
wrong on that trip,
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I went from a really,
really spiritual high,
00:07:05.15\00:07:08.36
and the Kenya
trip, it was amazing.
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I learned a lot
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of my spiritual
lessons on that trip
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and then actually
prepared me for the all time low
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that would happen
on the India trip.
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But I did Kenya
and India back to back,
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and so when I was leaving
from Kenya on our excursion,
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I fell asleep in the jeep
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and turned my
knee in some weird way,
00:07:28.11\00:07:30.28
and I woke up
and it was swollen,
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I was in pain.
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And so I was ending
off that trip in pain.
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And at the end of that trip,
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I got word that church member
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about my age had passed away.
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And so I get to
India, and from the flight,
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my knee's like
swollen, and huge, and in pain.
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So I'm like limping to India.
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Then I got a really bad cold.
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One of those ones that
like takes away your appetite.
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I was trying to take Codeine,
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that made me
nauseous, didn't work.
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So I basically wasn't sleeping.
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So I was up
coughing every night,
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and then I gave it to my
dear sweet roommate, Joan.
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And she had the same cough.
00:08:05.01\00:08:06.72
And then we went to the beach,
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and I got salt water in my eyes.
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And I mistakenly rinsed out
my eyes with their tap water.
00:08:10.52\00:08:13.69
So then I had an eye infection.
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I walked into the night,
there's just gunk everywhere.
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And then I get word
that another little lady
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in our church, she passes away.
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And there was just so
much back to back to back,
00:08:23.16\00:08:26.37
and then I go to the
doctor over there in India,
00:08:26.40\00:08:27.90
and he says you're
going to need knee surgery
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in 5 to 10 years,
totally knee replacement.
00:08:29.54\00:08:31.87
So it was just devastating.
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Everything's like I felt
like I couldn't get ahead,
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like everything was happening
right after each other.
00:08:34.81\00:08:38.78
Mary survived her time in India,
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but found herself in a slump.
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The excitement she
started her year with had waned.
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She was thinking about
canceling her next trip.
00:08:46.59\00:08:48.92
However, only days
after arriving home,
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she saw something that
would change her course.
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I had done an interview
on 3ABN Today back in October
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towards the
beginning of my awesome year
00:09:01.00\00:09:02.74
of short-term missions.
00:09:02.77\00:09:04.24
And so I was all
excited, I was all on fire.
00:09:04.27\00:09:07.41
I still had a
renter, I hadn't gone broke,
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I hadn't gotten sick,
nothing bad had happened.
00:09:09.94\00:09:12.48
I was like, you
know, on this high.
00:09:12.51\00:09:14.98
And so I was
like really excited,
00:09:15.02\00:09:16.35
and on fire, and
everything in this interview.
00:09:16.38\00:09:18.62
And CA Murray
asked me a question.
00:09:18.65\00:09:20.29
I'm thinking, I'm
waiting, like, "What did I say?"
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You still just
have this global feeling
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of we're all God's children,
we're all in this together,
00:09:24.83\00:09:27.73
and we all want
to finish the work.
00:09:27.76\00:09:29.50
And it just
gives you that urgency
00:09:29.53\00:09:31.93
to, "Let's hurry
up, let's get this done.
00:09:31.97\00:09:34.17
Let's go home."
00:09:34.20\00:09:35.54
And then I hear myself
and I'm like, "Who is that?"
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I really said that.
00:09:39.14\00:09:40.48
I wouldn't believe
it, had I not seen it.
00:09:40.51\00:09:42.58
I'm like, "I really said that."
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I'm like all on
fire and all positive.
00:09:43.98\00:09:46.82
And then I realized, I said,
"Okay, that's the same person."
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But more
importantly, that's the same God
00:09:50.59\00:09:53.32
that I was
talking about in October.
00:09:53.36\00:09:54.79
He's the same God in October,
He's the same God in February,
00:09:54.82\00:09:57.26
He's same God in November,
00:09:57.29\00:09:58.63
He'll be the same
God for an eternity.
00:09:58.66\00:10:00.60
So why am I so down?
00:10:00.63\00:10:03.06
Because God is the
same, He hasn't changed,
00:10:03.10\00:10:05.63
even everything
around me may have,
00:10:05.67\00:10:07.44
you know, gone topsy-turvy
for a period of time.
00:10:07.47\00:10:10.77
Witnessing her prior energy
00:10:10.81\00:10:12.34
from this
interview from the past
00:10:12.37\00:10:14.04
inspired Mary to finish her
00:10:14.08\00:10:15.64
year of short-term
missions, culminating in Bolivia
00:10:15.68\00:10:18.21
for Maranatha's teens only
mission trip ultimate workout.
00:10:18.25\00:10:22.68
The day after returning,
she was back in her classroom
00:10:22.72\00:10:25.29
getting ready for
the new school year.
00:10:25.32\00:10:26.82
Oh, yes, I would do this again,
definitely in a heartbeat.
00:10:30.03\00:10:33.80
It's just changed my
life so much. So much.
00:10:33.83\00:10:37.03
My sister said that, you know,
00:10:37.07\00:10:38.87
she could
definitely see a change.
00:10:38.90\00:10:42.50
I don't need to be at
someplace exciting or exotic
00:10:42.54\00:10:46.31
to be perfectly
content doing the Lord's work.
00:10:46.34\00:10:50.58
I can be at some
remote place in California
00:10:50.61\00:10:53.05
or I can be
somewhere in Costa Rica,
00:10:53.08\00:10:55.15
and it really doesn't matter.
00:10:55.18\00:10:56.69
It's not so much the place,
00:10:56.72\00:10:58.52
but it's the
camaraderie with the saints.
00:10:58.55\00:11:00.82
So wherever I'm
going to find like-minded,
00:11:00.86\00:11:03.22
mission-minded people,
that's where I want to be.
00:11:03.26\00:11:06.46
Doesn't matter if I've
already been to that country,
00:11:06.49\00:11:08.90
doesn't matter that
there's no beach in that country
00:11:08.93\00:11:11.20
or that place is dry and
arid, and it's winter there,
00:11:11.23\00:11:14.00
while I could be
at home having summer.
00:11:14.04\00:11:16.17
It doesn't really matter
00:11:16.20\00:11:17.54
if it has all my
favorite components
00:11:17.57\00:11:18.91
as long as it has people
00:11:18.94\00:11:20.91
that are all about
my favorite person.
00:11:20.94\00:11:22.54
Mary's year of
missions changed her life.
00:11:26.28\00:11:29.38
God showed her, He is faithful
even in the darkest moments.
00:11:29.42\00:11:33.86
Maybe you're not ready
to commit an entire year
00:11:33.89\00:11:36.76
to service like Mary did,
00:11:36.79\00:11:38.23
but Maranatha has
dozens of projects
00:11:38.26\00:11:40.50
that could use your help.
00:11:40.53\00:11:42.13
Visit maranatha.org to
see how you can get involved.
00:11:42.16\00:11:45.50
Each year more
than 2,200 people travel
00:11:57.25\00:12:00.05
all over the world
to serve with Maranatha,
00:12:00.08\00:12:02.95
the ways they serve
and the locations they help
00:12:02.98\00:12:05.75
are as varied as the people
00:12:05.79\00:12:07.29
that participate
on these projects.
00:12:07.32\00:12:09.56
Maybe you're wondering
00:12:09.59\00:12:10.93
how missions can
be part of your life.
00:12:10.96\00:12:13.16
Let's take a minute
and look at one of the ways
00:12:13.19\00:12:15.33
you can get involved.
00:12:15.36\00:12:17.20
Can mission trips
be a family experience?
00:12:17.23\00:12:20.34
At Maranatha, the answer is yes.
00:12:20.37\00:12:23.54
Maranatha family
projects are mission trips
00:12:23.57\00:12:26.47
designed with families in mind.
00:12:26.51\00:12:28.78
Worship, work, and even play
00:12:28.81\00:12:31.48
is aimed toward
family togetherness.
00:12:31.51\00:12:34.42
There are no age limits,
00:12:34.45\00:12:35.82
and everyone is
welcome to join from 2 to 82.
00:12:35.85\00:12:41.49
Maranatha offers family projects
00:12:41.52\00:12:43.69
two to three times a year
00:12:43.73\00:12:45.23
during Christmas and the summer.
00:12:45.26\00:12:48.60
Get more details
00:12:48.63\00:12:49.96
on all of Maranatha's volunteer
opportunities at maranatha.org.
00:12:50.00\00:12:53.60
Bolivia,
00:13:01.61\00:13:03.81
located in the
heart of South America
00:13:03.85\00:13:06.38
is a captivating country
00:13:06.41\00:13:08.02
brimming with
breathtaking landscapes,
00:13:08.05\00:13:11.55
colorful culture
and welcoming people.
00:13:11.59\00:13:15.92
Here everyone is a missionary,
inviting neighbors to church
00:13:15.96\00:13:19.59
and creating
community for people to belong.
00:13:19.63\00:13:22.70
Their primary
challenge, churches.
00:13:22.73\00:13:25.97
There are not
enough churches in Bolivia
00:13:26.00\00:13:28.30
and people are
meeting in broken buildings,
00:13:28.34\00:13:30.67
people's homes and dusty sheds.
00:13:30.71\00:13:32.97
Starting in 2018,
00:13:36.38\00:13:38.01
we'll be taking the
mission of Maranatha
00:13:38.05\00:13:40.02
to every part of Bolivia.
00:13:40.05\00:13:41.78
Join the
movement, make a donation
00:13:45.15\00:13:47.32
or volunteer on
an upcoming project.
00:13:47.36\00:13:49.59
How long would you be
willing to wait for a church?
00:13:58.37\00:14:01.70
A year, 5,
00:14:01.74\00:14:04.74
10 years?
00:14:04.77\00:14:06.47
Maranatha has more than
100,000 requests for churches.
00:14:06.51\00:14:10.88
Many of these requests
represent congregations
00:14:10.91\00:14:13.35
who have been praying
for long spans of time.
00:14:13.38\00:14:16.42
And sometimes God uses Maranatha
00:14:16.45\00:14:18.69
to answer their prayers.
00:14:18.72\00:14:20.06
This is the story
of Canoa Quebrada,
00:14:26.49\00:14:29.56
a small tourist
village in northeast Brazil.
00:14:29.60\00:14:33.80
Canoa Quebrada
gained fame in the 1970s
00:14:33.84\00:14:38.04
when it was
discovered by hippies.
00:14:38.07\00:14:41.24
It was a remote
place with great beauty.
00:14:41.28\00:14:46.05
Inhabited only
by an Indian tribe
00:14:46.08\00:14:48.22
and some fishermen,
00:14:48.25\00:14:50.35
today Canoa
Quebrada receives people
00:14:50.39\00:14:53.02
from all over the world.
00:14:53.05\00:14:55.29
The money brought by tourists
has changed the landscape,
00:14:55.32\00:14:59.09
but it has done
a little to change
00:14:59.13\00:15:00.56
the living
conditions of the local people.
00:15:00.60\00:15:02.36
When Francisco Gomes de
Lima arrived here 27 years ago,
00:15:49.61\00:15:53.28
everything
looked quite different
00:15:53.31\00:15:54.75
from what we see today.
00:15:54.78\00:15:56.12
Francisco is a baker
and move to Canoa Quebrada
00:16:11.87\00:16:14.90
to make bread for tourists.
00:16:14.94\00:16:16.91
Looking back, he now
realizes he was brought to share
00:16:16.94\00:16:20.44
the bread of life.
00:16:20.48\00:16:21.81
But his life was never easy.
00:16:25.45\00:16:27.15
Now at 86 years
old, he remembers
00:16:27.18\00:16:29.35
how his spiritual journey
began after times of trouble.
00:16:29.38\00:16:32.32
An intense experience
with God transformed his life
00:16:45.27\00:16:48.67
offering him a new path.
00:16:48.70\00:16:51.74
Francisco was
always seeking the truth,
00:16:51.77\00:16:53.88
and God led him through
several other ministries
00:16:53.91\00:16:56.28
until he was
introduced to Adventistism.
00:16:56.31\00:16:58.31
His search for truth
led him to a completely
00:17:08.72\00:17:11.06
new spiritual
experience with God.
00:17:11.09\00:17:14.60
But since there
was no other place
00:17:14.63\00:17:16.33
in Canoa Quebrada
00:17:16.36\00:17:17.70
where Francisco could
worship every Sabbath,
00:17:17.73\00:17:20.34
he transformed his
home into a house of prayer.
00:17:20.37\00:17:22.87
For the first two years,
00:17:45.43\00:17:46.76
Francisco opened his
humble home every Sabbath,
00:17:46.80\00:17:49.40
until 18 years ago
a donor gave the land
00:17:49.43\00:17:52.63
where a church could be built.
00:17:52.67\00:17:54.74
The few resources gathered
by this community of faith
00:17:54.77\00:17:57.81
were barely enough to
build a small dark room.
00:17:57.84\00:18:01.34
Yet, as can Canoa Quebrada
became a tourist destination,
00:18:01.38\00:18:05.15
the humble building was at odds
00:18:05.18\00:18:07.08
with the new
development in town.
00:18:07.12\00:18:09.52
And one by one,
members left the church
00:18:09.55\00:18:12.35
except Francisco and his wife.
00:18:12.39\00:18:14.06
The one advantage the
church has is its location.
00:18:41.52\00:18:45.52
It is situated on the
way to a major attraction,
00:18:45.55\00:18:48.06
the sunset dunes.
00:18:48.09\00:18:50.49
With many people
passing by each day,
00:18:50.53\00:18:53.50
the church has the potential
to reach not only locals
00:18:53.53\00:18:56.43
but also tourists.
00:18:56.46\00:18:57.80
Since a piece of land
was bought in Canoa Quebrada
00:19:51.19\00:19:53.82
with the purpose of having
a real church built there,
00:19:53.86\00:19:56.73
Francisco has been
faithful in working
00:19:56.76\00:19:59.23
and waiting for the
promise to be completed.
00:19:59.26\00:20:02.73
But his dream
is based in a faith
00:20:02.76\00:20:04.87
that defies the odds.
00:20:04.90\00:20:06.37
Working in other
parts of the state,
00:20:17.31\00:20:19.61
Pastor Josuae
has seen the impact
00:20:19.65\00:20:21.42
that Maranatha has had
in communities like this,
00:20:21.45\00:20:24.45
and agrees that the conditions
really require an organization
00:20:24.49\00:20:27.59
like Maranatha
to step in to help.
00:20:27.62\00:20:29.59
Brazil invited
Maranatha to help,
00:21:06.59\00:21:08.76
and Maranatha
established a partnership
00:21:08.80\00:21:10.80
with the local administration
00:21:10.83\00:21:12.17
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:21:12.20\00:21:13.64
A plan was crafted and approved.
00:21:16.67\00:21:18.97
And after 18 years of waiting,
00:21:19.01\00:21:21.21
their dream was
finally coming true.
00:21:21.24\00:21:23.24
While waiting for
the first volunteers
00:21:40.90\00:21:42.53
and construction crew to
arrive, Francisco reflected.
00:21:42.56\00:21:45.47
Eighteen years of
waiting had been a long test
00:22:03.18\00:22:06.15
of patience and faithfulness.
00:22:06.19\00:22:08.72
But his patience
was finally rewarded
00:22:08.76\00:22:11.09
as two groups of volunteers
arrived in Canoa Quebrada.
00:22:11.13\00:22:14.23
Every block laid
in the new building
00:22:38.02\00:22:40.26
was a confirmation
00:22:40.29\00:22:41.62
that his faith was
placed in solid ground.
00:22:41.66\00:22:43.99
One group after the
other worked hard under the sun
00:22:53.60\00:22:56.60
and the high
temperatures of Canoa Quebrada.
00:22:56.64\00:22:59.67
And unlike the tourists,
00:22:59.71\00:23:01.18
they were working
towards a higher goal.
00:23:01.21\00:23:04.21
As the day of the
dedication was getting close,
00:23:04.25\00:23:06.35
Francisco could
not hide his joy.
00:23:06.38\00:23:08.35
The church in Canoa Quebrada
00:23:25.53\00:23:27.24
is just one of the
nearly 1,000 churches
00:23:27.27\00:23:30.31
built by Maranatha in Brazil.
00:23:30.34\00:23:33.24
Everywhere we build,
there are people like Francisco
00:23:33.27\00:23:36.28
waiting for a miracle.
00:23:36.31\00:23:38.61
Each structure is an
answer to years of intense
00:23:38.65\00:23:41.48
and faithful prayer.
00:23:41.52\00:23:43.55
You can be the hands of God,
00:23:43.59\00:23:45.52
making dreams like
this become a reality
00:23:45.55\00:23:48.02
for more people in
Brazil or anywhere in the world
00:23:48.06\00:23:50.89
where Maranatha
is invited to serve.
00:23:50.93\00:23:53.33
Visit our website and learn
00:23:53.36\00:23:55.03
how you can become a
part of stories like this one.
00:23:55.06\00:23:58.57
There is someone
praying for your help today.
00:23:58.60\00:24:01.97
Join Maranatha now.
00:24:02.00\00:24:03.81
From July 8 to 22,
00:24:15.52\00:24:17.42
help Maranatha with a
major renovation project
00:24:17.45\00:24:19.95
in Pennsylvania at
Pine Forge Academy.
00:24:19.99\00:24:23.02
The work will
involve masonry, painting,
00:24:23.06\00:24:25.29
replacing awnings and windows,
and rebuilding a staircase.
00:24:25.33\00:24:29.10
Pine Forge Academy
is a boarding school
00:24:29.13\00:24:30.97
for grades 9 through 12.
00:24:31.00\00:24:32.53
It was established in 1946
and sits on historical property
00:24:32.57\00:24:36.34
with
connections to William Penn,
00:24:36.37\00:24:38.41
George Washington and
the Underground Railroad.
00:24:38.44\00:24:41.31
Come help us with this project
located at a historical site.
00:24:41.34\00:24:45.28
Then from
December 23 to January 5,
00:24:45.31\00:24:47.92
spend Christmas and New
Year's on a mission trip.
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.82
The ultimate
workout alumni project
00:24:50.85\00:24:52.72
is going to La Paz, Bolivia,
00:24:52.75\00:24:54.29
to help build a new church
for a congregation in need.
00:24:54.32\00:24:57.63
Volunteers on this
project will be digging ditches,
00:24:57.66\00:25:00.10
mixing cement, and pouring
a foundation for the building.
00:25:00.13\00:25:03.37
We'll also organize
00:25:03.40\00:25:04.73
plenty of community
outreach activities.
00:25:04.77\00:25:07.10
This project is
aimed at volunteers
00:25:07.14\00:25:08.87
who have been on
the Ultimate Workout,
00:25:08.90\00:25:10.37
but everyone is welcome to join.
00:25:10.41\00:25:12.17
Check these
projects out on our website.
00:25:12.21\00:25:14.04
These women spend 560
minutes a day fetching water.
00:25:26.05\00:25:30.43
Water is life.
00:25:33.93\00:25:36.90
But your life
shouldn't revolve around water.
00:25:36.93\00:25:39.57
We're raising
money for water wells.
00:25:45.27\00:25:48.88
Make a donation.
00:25:48.91\00:25:50.25
Give women the gift of time,
00:25:54.25\00:25:58.02
health, family.
00:25:58.05\00:26:00.69
Sponsor a well.
00:26:03.73\00:26:07.13
Give water, give life.
00:26:07.16\00:26:09.20
Anyone can build a church,
00:26:26.78\00:26:28.48
simply give just $10 each month,
00:26:28.52\00:26:31.05
and your donation along
with thousands of others
00:26:31.09\00:26:33.96
will fund a new place
of worship every month.
00:26:33.99\00:26:38.49
The potential for
change is all around you.
00:26:38.53\00:26:41.66
All you have to do is look.
00:26:41.70\00:26:43.67
Fulfilling Maranatha's mission
around the world requires
00:26:55.04\00:26:57.75
a lot of faith.
00:26:57.78\00:26:59.11
Faith that donors will
invest their hard-earned dollars
00:27:03.02\00:27:05.69
through Maranatha to
build urgently needed buildings.
00:27:05.72\00:27:08.36
Faith that volunteers
00:27:14.20\00:27:15.53
will leave the
comforts of their homes behind
00:27:15.56\00:27:17.63
to embrace the
unfamiliar and serve people
00:27:17.67\00:27:20.10
they've never met.
00:27:20.14\00:27:21.47
It may be a journey
filled with unknowns.
00:27:28.81\00:27:30.88
Placing the
future in God's hands
00:27:35.68\00:27:37.65
doesn't
guarantee smooth sailing,
00:27:37.69\00:27:40.42
but it does ensure a friend
00:27:40.46\00:27:41.99
who will stand with
you every step of the way.
00:27:42.02\00:27:44.69
Jesus' name I pray, amen. Amen.
00:27:44.73\00:27:47.03