Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS009045A
|
00:01 For many people,
00:02 summer is synonymous with camp. 00:04 And over the last month, 00:05 Maranatha Volunteers have been helping 00:07 two camp and retreat centers 00:09 prepare for their busy summer season. 00:12 For almost two decades, 00:13 Maranatha has assisted a Camp MiVoden in Idaho. 00:16 And this year was no different. 00:19 Volunteers tackle tasks 00:20 such as building an equestrian shed, 00:22 rebuilding a dock, and working on landscaping. 00:25 At Big Lake Youth Camp in Oregon, 00:28 volunteers worked on two cabins, building decks, 00:31 installing insulation, ceilings, and flooring, 00:34 and assembling bunk beds, and desks. 00:36 These are just two of the seven camps 00:38 Maranatha has assisted this year. 00:41 The work of these volunteers 00:42 saves facilities thousands of dollars, 00:44 and gives campers safe environments to have fun 00:48 and learn more about Christ. 00:50 See why people are inspired to serve in the mission field 00:52 by watching Maranatha Mission Stories. 00:55 Watch anytime on your phone or tablet 00:57 by downloading the Maranatha Channel app. 01:27 For almost 50 years, 01:29 God has used Maranatha Volunteers International 01:31 to answer the prayers of thousands of people 01:34 around the world. 01:37 From North America to Africa, 01:42 Asia to South America, 01:45 the urgent need for churches, schools, 01:47 and water wells has moved the hearts of volunteers 01:50 and donors who go above and beyond to help others. 02:00 Their precious time and resources invested 02:03 in mission projects are the key to producing permanent change 02:06 with eternal significance for the people who serve 02:09 and the communities reached. 02:12 And their service comes in many forms. 02:17 Take Maranatha volunteer, Mary Johnson, 02:19 a high school Spanish teacher from Antioch, California, 02:22 who was inspired to take her commitment 02:24 to missions to the next level. 02:29 What is your regular 9 to 5? 02:31 My regular, I'm a teacher by trade, 02:32 high school teacher by trade. 02:34 Okay. 02:35 Except for this school year, I'm taking a year off to do 02:37 as many short-term mission trips as I can. 02:40 God bless your heart. 02:42 I didn't really think it was that unique 02:45 because not that I've ever heard of anyone 02:47 taking off a year to do short-term missions, but I... 02:51 In 2017, Maranatha volunteer, Mary Johnson, 02:54 left her full-time job 02:55 as a high school Spanish teacher 02:57 to devote a year of her life to short-term missions. 03:00 She is no stranger to the mission field. 03:02 Her first experience came as a college student 03:04 when she served on a Maranatha mission trip 03:06 to Mexico. 03:08 It was here that she realized her career calling. 03:12 Oh, my goodness, I just had a real conversation 03:15 in Spanish in Mexico with a real Mexican. 03:18 This is great. 03:19 This is what I'm going to do for my career. 03:21 After teaching for more than a decade 03:23 and continuing to serve on short-term mission trips, 03:25 Mary sensed God was calling her to serve 03:28 in an even greater capacity. 03:31 And I was, kind of, just waiting like, 03:33 I was kind of feeling antsy or burnt out 03:36 from doing the same thing year after year. 03:39 But I hadn't felt like the cloud was moving, 03:42 like the Lord was leading me to do anything different yet. 03:44 And I was just like, "Okay, Lord, you know, 03:46 whenever, just let me know, 03:47 I'm ready for something different." 03:49 And one day as I was walking from my condo to my car, 03:54 I just felt like the Lord was saying like, "When?" 03:56 Like, "Now it's time to do something different." 03:59 Initially, Mary asked her school district 04:01 to grant her sabbatical leave with partial pay, 04:03 which was denied. 04:06 However, they did grant a year of unpaid leave, 04:09 meaning her job would be waiting for her 04:10 when she returned. 04:14 The only thing I was nervous about was the finances, 04:17 because they weren't all there to begin with. 04:21 I remember Kathleen, I said, "I need about 40 grand 04:23 to really make this work," 04:25 which I didn't have at the beginning of the year. 04:27 And I told my sister, I said, "Okay, let's pray. 04:29 I need about 40 grand, let's make this happen." 04:31 My sister's like, "Well, you know what? 04:33 It's going to. It's going to come in installments." 04:35 When I would run into people, 04:37 the first thing they always think, 04:40 "Oh, you must have a lot of money. 04:42 Or how did you..." 04:43 They may not say that, but they may say 04:45 "Oh, wow, how did you afford that?" 04:46 They must be thinking, you know, 04:48 I have money saved up, 04:49 maybe I'm a lawyer or something like that. 04:50 I have this money. I'm like... 04:52 I always respond with, "I'm broke." 04:55 Despite financial uncertainty, Mary found that God provided 04:58 for her every step of the way. 05:01 What I live by, if it's God's will, 05:02 it's God's will. 05:03 If He wants it to happen, He'll send the money. 05:06 If He doesn't, then it's not going to come. 05:08 And I've seen it work both ways. 05:11 Like, for example, the Kenya trip I did, 05:14 my sister was going to come with me. 05:16 And she had, you know, put money for it. 05:19 And then she felt impressed that she shouldn't go, 05:22 and so she just transferred all the money over to me, 05:24 for me to be able to go to Kenya. 05:27 And that was really neat 05:29 because I know she really wanted to go, 05:31 but the Lord just wasn't leading that direction. 05:33 And she was able to recognize that 05:35 and not fight it. 05:36 And just say, "Okay, so I'm just going 05:38 to transfer it to my sister." 05:40 Mary also adjusted her lifestyle 05:42 to make ends meet without her normal income, 05:44 and that included selling her condo 05:46 and moving in with her parents. 05:49 I used to go out to eat, you know, or things like that. 05:52 I used to do a lot more shopping. 05:54 I used to buy clothes, pretty much, 05:56 at least twice a year I spent a few hundred dollars 05:58 on each season, spring and summer, 06:01 fall and winter. 06:02 And I just didn't do that last year. 06:04 People donated stuff 06:06 for mission trips or for garage sales. 06:08 If it fit me, I'm like, "Hey, I'm going to use this." 06:11 As Mary made her way through her year of missions, 06:14 trip by trip, she experienced many blessings along the way. 06:19 I would say my favorite moments are doing children's ministry. 06:25 Just, you know, singing with the kids 06:27 like those simple songs like Jesus Love is Bubbling Over 06:31 and Jesus Loves Me. 06:33 It just really reminds you of what really matters. 06:37 Because, I mean, just keep it simple. 06:39 You know what more do I need to know, 06:41 Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. 06:44 And the kids are so excited about it. 06:47 Mary's year of short-term missions 06:48 brought her immense joy. 06:50 But there was also a strong adversity 06:52 she faced at the midway point. 06:54 The worst moment was my second trip to India 06:58 when... 07:00 It was actually one of the worst, 07:01 some of the worst moments in my entire life. 07:03 Everything went wrong on that trip, 07:05 I went from a really, really spiritual high, 07:08 and the Kenya trip, it was amazing. 07:10 I learned a lot 07:11 of my spiritual lessons on that trip 07:13 and then actually prepared me for the all time low 07:15 that would happen on the India trip. 07:17 But I did Kenya and India back to back, 07:20 and so when I was leaving from Kenya on our excursion, 07:24 I fell asleep in the jeep 07:28 and turned my knee in some weird way, 07:30 and I woke up and it was swollen, 07:31 I was in pain. 07:33 And so I was ending off that trip in pain. 07:35 And at the end of that trip, 07:36 I got word that church member 07:39 about my age had passed away. 07:41 And so I get to India, and from the flight, 07:45 my knee's like swollen, and huge, and in pain. 07:48 So I'm like limping to India. 07:50 Then I got a really bad cold. 07:52 One of those ones that like takes away your appetite. 07:55 I was trying to take Codeine, 07:57 that made me nauseous, didn't work. 07:59 So I basically wasn't sleeping. 08:00 So I was up coughing every night, 08:02 and then I gave it to my dear sweet roommate, Joan. 08:05 And she had the same cough. 08:06 And then we went to the beach, 08:08 and I got salt water in my eyes. 08:10 And I mistakenly rinsed out my eyes with their tap water. 08:13 So then I had an eye infection. 08:16 I walked into the night, there's just gunk everywhere. 08:18 And then I get word that another little lady 08:20 in our church, she passes away. 08:23 And there was just so much back to back to back, 08:26 and then I go to the doctor over there in India, 08:27 and he says you're going to need knee surgery 08:29 in 5 to 10 years, totally knee replacement. 08:31 So it was just devastating. 08:33 Everything's like I felt like I couldn't get ahead, 08:34 like everything was happening right after each other. 08:38 Mary survived her time in India, 08:40 but found herself in a slump. 08:43 The excitement she started her year with had waned. 08:46 She was thinking about canceling her next trip. 08:48 However, only days after arriving home, 08:51 she saw something that would change her course. 08:57 I had done an interview on 3ABN Today back in October 09:01 towards the beginning of my awesome year 09:02 of short-term missions. 09:04 And so I was all excited, I was all on fire. 09:07 I still had a renter, I hadn't gone broke, 09:09 I hadn't gotten sick, nothing bad had happened. 09:12 I was like, you know, on this high. 09:15 And so I was like really excited, 09:16 and on fire, and everything in this interview. 09:18 And CA Murray asked me a question. 09:20 I'm thinking, I'm waiting, like, "What did I say?" 09:22 You still just have this global feeling 09:24 of we're all God's children, we're all in this together, 09:27 and we all want to finish the work. 09:29 And it just gives you that urgency 09:31 to, "Let's hurry up, let's get this done. 09:34 Let's go home." 09:35 And then I hear myself and I'm like, "Who is that?" 09:39 I really said that. 09:40 I wouldn't believe it, had I not seen it. 09:42 I'm like, "I really said that." 09:43 I'm like all on fire and all positive. 09:46 And then I realized, I said, "Okay, that's the same person." 09:50 But more importantly, that's the same God 09:53 that I was talking about in October. 09:54 He's the same God in October, He's the same God in February, 09:57 He's same God in November, 09:58 He'll be the same God for an eternity. 10:00 So why am I so down? 10:03 Because God is the same, He hasn't changed, 10:05 even everything around me may have, 10:07 you know, gone topsy-turvy for a period of time. 10:10 Witnessing her prior energy 10:12 from this interview from the past 10:14 inspired Mary to finish her 10:15 year of short-term missions, culminating in Bolivia 10:18 for Maranatha's teens only mission trip ultimate workout. 10:22 The day after returning, she was back in her classroom 10:25 getting ready for the new school year. 10:30 Oh, yes, I would do this again, definitely in a heartbeat. 10:33 It's just changed my life so much. So much. 10:37 My sister said that, you know, 10:38 she could definitely see a change. 10:42 I don't need to be at someplace exciting or exotic 10:46 to be perfectly content doing the Lord's work. 10:50 I can be at some remote place in California 10:53 or I can be somewhere in Costa Rica, 10:55 and it really doesn't matter. 10:56 It's not so much the place, 10:58 but it's the camaraderie with the saints. 11:00 So wherever I'm going to find like-minded, 11:03 mission-minded people, that's where I want to be. 11:06 Doesn't matter if I've already been to that country, 11:08 doesn't matter that there's no beach in that country 11:11 or that place is dry and arid, and it's winter there, 11:14 while I could be at home having summer. 11:16 It doesn't really matter 11:17 if it has all my favorite components 11:18 as long as it has people 11:20 that are all about my favorite person. 11:26 Mary's year of missions changed her life. 11:29 God showed her, He is faithful even in the darkest moments. 11:33 Maybe you're not ready to commit an entire year 11:36 to service like Mary did, 11:38 but Maranatha has dozens of projects 11:40 that could use your help. 11:42 Visit maranatha.org to see how you can get involved. 11:57 Each year more than 2,200 people travel 12:00 all over the world to serve with Maranatha, 12:02 the ways they serve and the locations they help 12:05 are as varied as the people 12:07 that participate on these projects. 12:09 Maybe you're wondering 12:10 how missions can be part of your life. 12:13 Let's take a minute and look at one of the ways 12:15 you can get involved. 12:17 Can mission trips be a family experience? 12:20 At Maranatha, the answer is yes. 12:23 Maranatha family projects are mission trips 12:26 designed with families in mind. 12:28 Worship, work, and even play 12:31 is aimed toward family togetherness. 12:34 There are no age limits, 12:35 and everyone is welcome to join from 2 to 82. 12:41 Maranatha offers family projects 12:43 two to three times a year 12:45 during Christmas and the summer. 12:48 Get more details 12:50 on all of Maranatha's volunteer opportunities at maranatha.org. 13:01 Bolivia, 13:03 located in the heart of South America 13:06 is a captivating country 13:08 brimming with breathtaking landscapes, 13:11 colorful culture and welcoming people. 13:15 Here everyone is a missionary, inviting neighbors to church 13:19 and creating community for people to belong. 13:22 Their primary challenge, churches. 13:26 There are not enough churches in Bolivia 13:28 and people are meeting in broken buildings, 13:30 people's homes and dusty sheds. 13:36 Starting in 2018, 13:38 we'll be taking the mission of Maranatha 13:40 to every part of Bolivia. 13:45 Join the movement, make a donation 13:47 or volunteer on an upcoming project. 13:58 How long would you be willing to wait for a church? 14:01 A year, 5, 14:04 10 years? 14:06 Maranatha has more than 100,000 requests for churches. 14:10 Many of these requests represent congregations 14:13 who have been praying for long spans of time. 14:16 And sometimes God uses Maranatha 14:18 to answer their prayers. 14:26 This is the story of Canoa Quebrada, 14:29 a small tourist village in northeast Brazil. 14:33 Canoa Quebrada gained fame in the 1970s 14:38 when it was discovered by hippies. 14:41 It was a remote place with great beauty. 14:46 Inhabited only by an Indian tribe 14:48 and some fishermen, 14:50 today Canoa Quebrada receives people 14:53 from all over the world. 14:55 The money brought by tourists has changed the landscape, 14:59 but it has done a little to change 15:00 the living conditions of the local people. 15:49 When Francisco Gomes de Lima arrived here 27 years ago, 15:53 everything looked quite different 15:54 from what we see today. 16:11 Francisco is a baker and move to Canoa Quebrada 16:14 to make bread for tourists. 16:16 Looking back, he now realizes he was brought to share 16:20 the bread of life. 16:25 But his life was never easy. 16:27 Now at 86 years old, he remembers 16:29 how his spiritual journey began after times of trouble. 16:45 An intense experience with God transformed his life 16:48 offering him a new path. 16:51 Francisco was always seeking the truth, 16:53 and God led him through several other ministries 16:56 until he was introduced to Adventistism. 17:08 His search for truth led him to a completely 17:11 new spiritual experience with God. 17:14 But since there was no other place 17:16 in Canoa Quebrada 17:17 where Francisco could worship every Sabbath, 17:20 he transformed his home into a house of prayer. 17:45 For the first two years, 17:46 Francisco opened his humble home every Sabbath, 17:49 until 18 years ago a donor gave the land 17:52 where a church could be built. 17:54 The few resources gathered by this community of faith 17:57 were barely enough to build a small dark room. 18:01 Yet, as can Canoa Quebrada became a tourist destination, 18:05 the humble building was at odds 18:07 with the new development in town. 18:09 And one by one, members left the church 18:12 except Francisco and his wife. 18:41 The one advantage the church has is its location. 18:45 It is situated on the way to a major attraction, 18:48 the sunset dunes. 18:50 With many people passing by each day, 18:53 the church has the potential to reach not only locals 18:56 but also tourists. 19:51 Since a piece of land was bought in Canoa Quebrada 19:53 with the purpose of having a real church built there, 19:56 Francisco has been faithful in working 19:59 and waiting for the promise to be completed. 20:02 But his dream is based in a faith 20:04 that defies the odds. 20:17 Working in other parts of the state, 20:19 Pastor Josuae has seen the impact 20:21 that Maranatha has had in communities like this, 20:24 and agrees that the conditions really require an organization 20:27 like Maranatha to step in to help. 21:06 Brazil invited Maranatha to help, 21:08 and Maranatha established a partnership 21:10 with the local administration 21:12 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 21:16 A plan was crafted and approved. 21:19 And after 18 years of waiting, 21:21 their dream was finally coming true. 21:40 While waiting for the first volunteers 21:42 and construction crew to arrive, Francisco reflected. 22:03 Eighteen years of waiting had been a long test 22:06 of patience and faithfulness. 22:08 But his patience was finally rewarded 22:11 as two groups of volunteers arrived in Canoa Quebrada. 22:38 Every block laid in the new building 22:40 was a confirmation 22:41 that his faith was placed in solid ground. 22:53 One group after the other worked hard under the sun 22:56 and the high temperatures of Canoa Quebrada. 22:59 And unlike the tourists, 23:01 they were working towards a higher goal. 23:04 As the day of the dedication was getting close, 23:06 Francisco could not hide his joy. 23:25 The church in Canoa Quebrada 23:27 is just one of the nearly 1,000 churches 23:30 built by Maranatha in Brazil. 23:33 Everywhere we build, there are people like Francisco 23:36 waiting for a miracle. 23:38 Each structure is an answer to years of intense 23:41 and faithful prayer. 23:43 You can be the hands of God, 23:45 making dreams like this become a reality 23:48 for more people in Brazil or anywhere in the world 23:50 where Maranatha is invited to serve. 23:53 Visit our website and learn 23:55 how you can become a part of stories like this one. 23:58 There is someone praying for your help today. 24:02 Join Maranatha now. 24:15 From July 8 to 22, 24:17 help Maranatha with a major renovation project 24:19 in Pennsylvania at Pine Forge Academy. 24:23 The work will involve masonry, painting, 24:25 replacing awnings and windows, and rebuilding a staircase. 24:29 Pine Forge Academy is a boarding school 24:31 for grades 9 through 12. 24:32 It was established in 1946 and sits on historical property 24:36 with connections to William Penn, 24:38 George Washington and the Underground Railroad. 24:41 Come help us with this project located at a historical site. 24:45 Then from December 23 to January 5, 24:47 spend Christmas and New Year's on a mission trip. 24:50 The ultimate workout alumni project 24:52 is going to La Paz, Bolivia, 24:54 to help build a new church for a congregation in need. 24:57 Volunteers on this project will be digging ditches, 25:00 mixing cement, and pouring a foundation for the building. 25:03 We'll also organize 25:04 plenty of community outreach activities. 25:07 This project is aimed at volunteers 25:08 who have been on the Ultimate Workout, 25:10 but everyone is welcome to join. 25:12 Check these projects out on our website. 25:26 These women spend 560 minutes a day fetching water. 25:33 Water is life. 25:36 But your life shouldn't revolve around water. 25:45 We're raising money for water wells. 25:48 Make a donation. 25:54 Give women the gift of time, 25:58 health, family. 26:03 Sponsor a well. 26:07 Give water, give life. 26:26 Anyone can build a church, 26:28 simply give just $10 each month, 26:31 and your donation along with thousands of others 26:33 will fund a new place of worship every month. 26:38 The potential for change is all around you. 26:41 All you have to do is look. 26:55 Fulfilling Maranatha's mission around the world requires 26:57 a lot of faith. 27:03 Faith that donors will invest their hard-earned dollars 27:05 through Maranatha to build urgently needed buildings. 27:14 Faith that volunteers 27:15 will leave the comforts of their homes behind 27:17 to embrace the unfamiliar and serve people 27:20 they've never met. 27:28 It may be a journey filled with unknowns. 27:35 Placing the future in God's hands 27:37 doesn't guarantee smooth sailing, 27:40 but it does ensure a friend 27:42 who will stand with you every step of the way. 27:44 Jesus' name I pray, amen. Amen. |
Revised 2019-07-29