Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS009091A
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00:01 Hi, I'm Hillary Macias with the Maranatha Minute.
00:03 While Maranatha is most known for our projects overseas, 00:07 we actually coordinate quite a few projects 00:09 in North America. 00:10 There are plenty of churches, schools, summer camps 00:13 and retreat centers that need help 00:15 in renovating their existing structures 00:17 or building new ones. 00:19 One of the more recent North America projects 00:22 took place in British Columbia, Canada at Camp Hope. 00:25 Seventy volunteers arrived 00:27 at the summer camp and conference center 00:29 to frame cabins, paint, landscape, 00:32 and help with electrical work. 00:34 The team ranged in age 00:35 from 7 years old to 82 years young. 00:38 These North America projects are a great way for people 00:41 to get involved in service 00:43 without having to travel too far from home. 00:46 You can hear all the ways 00:47 Maranatha Volunteers are making a difference 00:49 in North America and beyond 00:52 by coming to this year's convention 00:53 in Sacramento, California, 00:55 September 20 - 21. 00:57 Visit our website for more information. 01:24 2019 marks the 50th year 01:26 of Maranatha Volunteers Internationals Mission 01:29 to provide urgently needed structures 01:31 around the world. 01:40 It is one of the most active supporting ministries 01:43 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 01:45 having worked in nearly 90 countries 01:47 around the world. 01:52 What's more, 01:53 it has mobilized thousands of people 01:55 on short term mission trips, 01:57 experiences that have changed countless lives 02:00 and inspired a culture of service 02:01 in the Adventist Church. 02:08 When you look at the constant activity 02:10 of Maranatha Missions today, 02:12 it's hard to remember a time 02:13 when the work was just starting, 02:15 and the workers were few, 02:19 when Maranatha was still an idea, 02:22 and not yet a movement. 02:30 Today, we'll take a look back 02:32 at the humble beginnings of our organization, 02:35 and some of the key people whose tireless work 02:37 and passion for service charted a course 02:40 that would result in a movement 02:41 greater than they could have even imagined. 02:48 1969, 02:50 the average cost of a new house $15,550, 02:56 a new car $3,270, gas was 35 cents a gallon. 03:03 There were Vietnam War protests 03:04 as the US enlisted a lot of rebates to draft. 03:08 It was the year, a man first walked on the moon. 03:13 Another significant event was taking shape in 1969. 03:18 It began when John and Ida Mae Freeman 03:21 visited the Eight Mile Rock Church 03:22 in Freeport Grand Bahama while on vacation, 03:27 they found a church half built unoccupied. 03:32 John saw situation that 03:33 with a little imagination could be corrected. 03:37 With the Eight Mile Rock pastor and members, 03:40 he organized what we might call a church bay, 03:44 except instead of local church members 03:46 coming to help finish the church, 03:48 he would enlist church members from the United States 03:51 and they came all volunteers 03:55 on the very first Maranatha project. 03:58 When we went down there 03:59 on our first project in Eight Mile Rock 04:03 after Maranatha started, we took 26 young people with us 04:09 and when we started out, we worked on this project, 04:12 they picked us up, took us out all day, 04:14 they brought us lunch at noon, 04:17 then after about second or third day, 04:19 the local pastor came to us. 04:20 He said, "You know, 04:22 I have a confession to make to you." 04:23 I said, "What's that?" 04:25 He says, "When you folk wrote down here 04:28 and said you were coming down to finish this job, 04:31 we had to put you up, 04:33 we had to feed you and so forth. 04:34 We just figured a bunch of you Americans 04:37 coming down here to live off a bus 04:39 for Christmas vacation." 04:40 And he says, 04:42 "When we see how hard you are working 04:43 and none of our people are out there helping you." 04:46 He says, "I have a confession to make." 04:48 And we finished that church in two weeks time. 04:52 This was the birth of Maranatha Flights International, 04:55 a growing group of mission minded 04:57 Seventh-day Adventists, 04:59 taking the concept of a barn raising 05:01 and applying it to churches. 05:05 John, an Adventist, liked the word Maranatha, 05:09 an Aramaic word that means Jesus is coming. 05:13 Flights made sense 05:15 because early on the projects required people 05:17 to fly by private aircraft to the location 05:21 and international was appropriate 05:23 because the mission was most often outside the US. 05:28 Projects multiplied 05:30 and the Freeman's enlisted experienced contractors 05:33 and inexperienced church members 05:35 to bring their passion for service 05:37 directly to the mission field. 05:40 As the ministry grew, key people joined the mission, 05:44 people who would make a lasting impact 05:46 on the direction of Maranatha. 05:49 Dad had some gifts to begin with. 05:52 He had imagination. 05:53 He was always been really creative, and ideas, 05:58 but he needed other people to help carry them out. 06:01 How it played out, I think was just like, 06:04 wow, somebody had a hand in this other than just us. 06:08 Other people started coming in and it just kind of grew 06:11 and I think Dad became very grateful for that. 06:16 People like Don Kirkman, for years, 06:18 architect and board member Don Kirkman, 06:21 had been designing and building churches in Mexico 06:24 with his business partner, David Hansel. 06:27 Then in 1972, they learned about a Maranatha project 06:31 in the Northwest Territories of Canada. 06:34 Don decided to go to Yellowknife 06:36 and he also brought a contractor and friend, 06:38 Van Vanden Heuvel along for the ride. 06:41 Van was a contractor 06:43 and owned a successful plumbing business in Arizona. 06:46 Typically, he would have been too busy to go, 06:49 but he had been recovering 06:50 from a broken leg and was restless. 06:53 Van decided to join Don 06:54 and a large group of volunteers bound for the project 06:57 known as Yellowknife. 07:00 Maranatha was in its infancy, 07:03 but word spread across North America 07:05 and 140 volunteers in 23 private airplanes 07:09 demonstrated that lay people 07:11 could find a place in the church's mission. 07:14 Well, I think Yellowknife played a very important part 07:17 in Maranatha 07:19 because I think it more or less 07:24 sent a signal to the world church 07:26 that it was good for the church, 07:30 good for the people. 07:32 Leon Slikkers, another businessman 07:34 and friend of John Freeman, 07:36 began taking his family to the mission field. 07:40 My earliest memories of Maranatha being talked about 07:42 was when my father communicated 07:45 that we were going to be flying in his airplane 07:49 to Yellowknife Northwest Territories. 07:52 Tom Slikkers recalled the wonder of seeing a church 07:55 go up so quickly. 07:57 Even as a kid, 07:59 it was pretty amazing to me 08:00 to see the scale of the building, 08:02 the size of what was being undertaken, 08:06 to be able to watch that kind of come up 08:08 and then have church in it, you know. 08:11 Two Saturdays into the deal, that was pretty incredible. 08:17 Leon Slikkers joined the board of Maranatha, 08:20 helping shape the organization and structure. 08:23 Don Kirkman began volunteering his architect skills 08:26 to design Maranatha structures. 08:29 For Van Vanden Heuvel, 08:31 Yellowknife ignited a life transformation. 08:34 He couldn't wait to do it again, 08:36 and convinced his wife Fay 08:38 to join them at a project not too far from home 08:41 at the Holbrook Indian School in Arizona 08:44 and it changed their life. 08:46 It was amazing to me that people that had come 08:48 from all across the country to Holbrook to help 08:53 and that went over quite well. 08:57 But then before I knew it, 08:58 he had signed up to go to Honduras. 09:02 Van sold his business and eventually his home. 09:06 Van and Fay began volunteering for Maranatha full time. 09:11 They went on to be instrumental 09:13 in developing Maranatha's mission and vision 09:15 for the next several decades. 09:17 We didn't have the slightest idea 09:19 what we were doing 09:20 but with God showing us the way, 09:23 we went ahead and were successful, 09:26 not because of something that we have done, 09:28 but because what He is doing through us. 09:32 Ida Mae Freeman saw the hand of God 09:34 in this grassroots ministry. 09:36 I knew this was something that, that we couldn't do ourselves, 09:41 I knew that it was something 09:43 that God had put into John's mind to do, 09:46 and that's why I felt that 09:48 I should encourage him in everything he do 09:50 because other than that, it wasn't going to succeed. 09:54 But, if He was with us, 09:57 I knew He was with us and I knew it 09:59 was something that the Lord wanted us to do 10:02 and not for any glory of our own 10:04 but for encouraging our family, our children 10:10 and we really started the whole thing 10:13 for young people. 10:14 It was because our girls were at that age 10:18 and it was something that they were excited about it. 10:22 It was fun to see them get excited 10:25 about helping other people. 10:30 I'd say, Lord, help us 10:32 to finish the work that needs to be done. 10:35 Every job is a miracle. 10:38 There is no way that we can build these churches 10:42 without You helping us. 10:44 And so we need all the help we can get. 10:47 We know we have to finish the work. 10:49 You've asked us to go out and spread the gospel. 10:52 There's nothing that I can do. 10:54 It's your program, Lord, it's not what I'm doing. 10:58 This attitude of faith 11:00 continues to drive the mission of Maranatha today. 11:03 Since that first vision, Maranatha has built churches, 11:07 schools, clinics, homes, 11:10 and water wells in nearly 90 countries. 11:15 The decision to go 11:16 is always predicated on need and faith. 11:19 And since the inception of Maranatha, 11:21 the hand of God has touched people 11:23 to support this vital mission. 11:28 Well, really, I think the thing that Maranatha has done 11:31 for more than any people, 11:34 in spite of all these people that would continually tell me, 11:38 "This is the most foolish thing we've ever heard of." 11:41 I said, "You do not know what this does 11:43 to the people going on these projects." 11:46 I say, "It changes their life." 11:48 And we've found this to be true over and over and over again. 11:52 When these people come back from these projects, 11:55 they are so enthused over it. 11:57 They help out more in church than they ever did before. 12:01 It changes life of people 12:03 and that's what this is all about. 12:05 The Lord is about to come, 12:07 we need to all change our lives, 12:08 we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 12:10 That's what Maranatha is doing with these people today 12:13 going on these projects. 12:19 The faith and commitment of Maranatha's founders 12:22 created a strong foundation for the organization. 12:26 But it's people like you 12:28 that helped to push our work into the future. 12:32 If you haven't already, 12:33 consider becoming a part of the Maranatha family. 12:37 Visit our website 12:38 to discover all the ways you can be involved. 12:42 When we come back, we'll travel to the Caribbean 12:44 where church members on the island of Dominica 12:47 are drawing strength from God in the midst of disaster, 12:50 and Maranatha is helping to give them hope. 13:04 Each year more than 2200 people travel all over the world 13:08 to serve with Maranatha, 13:10 the ways they serve and the locations they help 13:13 are as varied as the people 13:14 that participate on these projects. 13:17 Maybe you're wondering 13:18 how missions can be part of your life. 13:20 Let's take a minute 13:21 and look at one of the ways you can get involved. 13:24 Can mission trips be a family experience? 13:27 At Maranatha, the answer is yes. 13:31 Maranatha family projects are mission trips 13:34 designed with families in mind. 13:36 Worship, work, and even play 13:39 is aimed toward family togetherness. 13:41 There are no age limits, 13:43 and everyone is welcome to join from 2 to 82. 13:48 Maranatha offers family projects 13:51 two to three times a year 13:52 during Christmas and the summer. 13:56 Get more details 13:57 on all of Maranatha's volunteer opportunities 13:59 at maranatha.org. 14:15 These women spend 560 minutes a day fetching water. 14:23 Water is life. 14:26 But your life shouldn't revolve around water. 14:34 We're raising money for water wells. 14:38 Make a donation. 14:43 Give women the gift of time, 14:47 health, family. 14:53 Sponsor a well. 14:56 Give water, give life. 15:05 In September of 2017, 15:08 tragedy struck the Caribbean 15:09 as hurricane Maria swept across the region. 15:14 Thousands were left homeless and hopeless 15:17 including residents on the island of Dominica. 15:21 In the days following the disaster, 15:23 people were longing for community, 15:25 a center to heal 15:27 from the effects of the hurricane. 15:29 For the Seventh-day Adventist community, 15:30 there were few places to go 15:32 as the majority of the churches were destroyed. 15:36 Today, thanks to the generous support 15:38 of Maranatha donors and volunteers, 15:40 one community of faith has received new hope 15:43 through the reconstruction of their church. 15:50 It was a category five hurricane, 15:53 the highest category possible. 15:55 On September 18, 2017, 15:58 Hurricane Maria struck the island of Dominica, 16:01 leaving catastrophic devastation in her wake. 16:04 After battling the storm overnight, 16:06 residents awoke to a new reality. 16:09 A country known for its natural beauty 16:11 was stripped of trees. 16:13 50,000 of its 73,000 residents were displaced 16:18 and an estimated 85 to 90% of the structures on Dominica 16:23 were damaged or destroyed. 16:25 I walked down and everywhere I am going, 16:27 it's just Wow. 16:31 We're not going to come out from this. 16:33 That's what I felt. 16:35 Jeff Letang is a plumber and lives with his family 16:38 in the northern part of the island. 16:40 They were a part of the fortunate minority, 16:42 and their house sustained little damage in the storm. 16:46 The same was not true for their spiritual home. 16:50 When I woke up in the morning, in anticipation, 16:53 I ran to the back door. 16:56 And I opened and I looked, 16:58 and I saw everywhere I could never seen before. 17:02 And I saw, when I looked for the church, 17:05 all I saw was the front part of the balcony, 17:09 and I went, whoa, I screamed out 17:11 and woke up my entire family, "Maria, Marshchapel Church." 17:16 I just couldn't take it. 17:17 I had to, I just let it out, 17:20 and when the other members came here, 17:22 and they saw what it was like, nothing's there, 17:26 the church is merged in flood. 17:28 Jeff and his family attend 17:29 the Beryl Seventh-day Adventist Church, 17:31 and he's been a part of the congregation 17:33 all of his life. 17:34 His home sits across the valley from the church. 17:37 He remembers when Maranatha Volunteers came 17:39 and built the church in 1989. 17:42 The beautiful structure created a sense of pride 17:44 for their congregation. 17:46 But now, it was just a memory. 17:49 We couldn't believe it because we really thought 17:52 that it could have withstood the wind to some extent, 17:54 but the wind made mincemeat of that. 17:58 So it was really emotional 17:59 and we're already asking ourselves, 18:02 where we are we going to go? 18:03 What are we going to do? 18:04 How we're going to build that one building. 18:06 That's all, it was heart wrenching. 18:10 The situation wasn't unique to the Beryl members, 18:13 28 of the 34 Adventist churches on the island 18:16 were damaged or destroyed, 18:18 leaving members scrambling 18:19 to meet in any place they could. 18:22 Although their church was gone, 18:24 members continue to meet first in the pastor's home 18:27 and then with the Pennville congregation, 18:29 a group planted by the Beryl Church. 18:31 Worshipping together was challenging, 18:33 but Jeff and others saw it as a necessity, 18:36 especially in the days following the hurricane. 18:38 God is important to me. 18:41 He's the source of my strength. 18:43 I have learned not to depend on nobody else, but God. 18:47 And when I come here, 18:49 I find joy in worshiping Him, giving Him praise. 18:53 I find strength in the fellowship 18:54 with the other men, we meet, we talk, 18:56 we express ourselves, 18:57 we tell ourselves what's happening. 18:59 We encourage each other. 19:00 And without this church, 19:02 I don't think I have much to help support me through. 19:07 For many, attending church was a hardship. 19:10 The new location was far from members homes 19:12 and not everyone had transportation. 19:15 The congregation began to raise funds 19:17 to help transport members to church. 19:19 But attendance was still sporadic. 19:22 Everyone attends, but not regularly. 19:26 You have some people, you see them this week, 19:28 some next week, 19:29 sometimes two weeks, you don't see any, 19:30 that first particular individual 19:32 and then you see them coming. 19:34 So I think it's certainly disrupting church attendance. 19:38 Members were struggling to rebuild their homes 19:40 and carve out new lives amid the devastation. 19:43 Rebuilding their church 19:45 seemed out of the realm of possibility. 19:47 Despite the grim situation, Jeff refused to lose hope. 19:51 Our God is the God of the impossibility. 19:54 I learned that pretty much in the storm. 19:56 God has moved upon the hearts of people elsewhere, 19:59 and they have really blessed us with assistance, 20:03 for this we'll ever be grateful. 20:06 And it has taught me to rely upon God. 20:08 So even if things seems to be bleak, 20:10 and things are not as it ought to be, 20:13 I'm not complaining. 20:15 Two months after the hurricane, 20:17 Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders 20:18 reached out to Maranatha 20:20 for help rebuilding structures in Dominica. 20:23 Maranatha committed to reconstructing 20:25 a few church buildings. 20:26 First on the list was Beryl. 20:30 Construction on the new church started in May of 2018, 20:34 and several volunteer teams traveled to Dominica 20:36 to help erect the structure and build the walls. 20:39 In the beginning of March 2019, 20:41 the building was almost ready to dedicate, 20:44 but not without a few finishing touches 20:46 from a special set of volunteers. 21:02 Some of the funding donated to construct the church 21:04 was given in honor of John and Ida Mae Freeman, 21:07 who founded Maranatha in 1969. 21:10 The Caribbean had special significance 21:12 for John and Ida Mae 21:13 who died in 2017, and 2018, respectively. 21:17 The Beryl Church seemed a fitting memorial 21:20 to the couple who dedicated much of their lives 21:22 to spreading the gospel 21:23 through the construction of urgently needed buildings. 21:27 Family members of the Freeman's 21:28 not only donated to the project, 21:30 but also traveled to Dominica to finish the building 21:33 and dedicate the new sanctuary. 21:35 The group included four of John and Ida Mae's daughters. 21:39 I've told my sisters, this would be amazing. 21:42 Mom and dad would wanna be so proud 21:44 that all of us girls were here 21:46 because through our lives, we were busy living life, 21:48 and we weren't all as involved 21:50 as they would have liked us to spend. 21:53 So having us all here, helping them build it. 21:56 It's very emotional. 21:59 We were just so pleased when we saw the church, 22:02 and we saw the architecture, 22:06 we saw the love, and the time, 22:08 and the interest that was put 22:09 into making this just a beautiful sanctuary. 22:13 I think that this will really be a congregation 22:17 that appreciates what Maranatha has done, 22:20 and it's been a blessing for me 22:23 to just see that this has grown over the last 50 years. 22:27 And you know, when it first started, 22:30 we didn't know how long this would go on. 22:32 It's just blossomed from there. 22:34 And it's very heart warming. 22:35 It's very meaningful to us, 22:37 as children to see what a legacy that he left. 22:42 On March 9th, nearly 50 years 22:44 after the Freeman's first Maranatha mission trip, 22:47 more than 300 people 22:48 packed into the church for the dedication. 22:51 Church leaders and members alike express their gratitude 22:54 for the gift of a new sanctuary. 22:56 The reconstruction of this church 22:58 symbolizes a new start for Adventist on the island 23:01 Having a church rebuild 23:03 is like the nation is rebuilt also 23:08 and more for us, 23:12 it means that the Church of God is taking the new step 23:19 to continue the mission we have here in this island. 23:24 Witnessing a new building rise from the devastation 23:27 is already making an impact in the community. 23:31 There are lots of persons who build in a church. 23:35 And they are friends of the Adventist Church, 23:38 people we have been speaking 23:40 with and just having a new church erected. 23:44 It would be an incentive for them 23:47 to come to see the church 23:49 and since it's so well constructed, 23:52 it's so beautiful. 23:53 I think that in itself can want people 23:55 just to make the church ideal church. 23:58 So I think that's an incentive in that. 23:59 It will motivate people to want to be part 24:04 of the fellowship and membership here. 24:06 Church being so special would add to that. 24:10 The completion of this church represents an impossible dream 24:14 and a complete answer to prayer. 24:17 I just can't express my gratitude. 24:21 I will be eternally grateful to Maranatha and I know, 24:25 the Beryl Church will always be remembering Maranatha 24:29 for that wonderful and spectacular gift. 24:33 I think I have not seen all those that you have built. 24:35 I think it's one of the best. 24:36 And we are thankful that you looked at us 24:39 and found us worthy of receiving 24:42 such a wonderful gift from you all. 24:52 The Beryl Church is just one of the congregations 24:55 Maranatha is helping in Dominica. 24:58 Currently, we're constructing a new community center 25:01 for the Wesley congregation, 25:02 enabling them to continue 25:03 their previously active outreach activities. 25:08 We're also building structures for several other congregations 25:11 who no longer have a proper place to worship. 25:14 You can help with the reconstruction effort 25:16 by making a donation. 25:18 Your generous support 25:19 is what makes restoration possible in Dominica. 25:22 Make a gift at maranatha.org 25:25 or call the number on your screen. 25:39 From July 8 to 22, 25:41 help Maranatha with a major renovation project 25:43 in Pennsylvania at Pine Forge Academy. 25:47 The work will involve masonry, painting, 25:49 replacing awnings and windows, and rebuilding a staircase. 25:53 Pine Forge Academy is a boarding school 25:55 for grades 9 through 12. 25:56 It was established in 1946 25:59 and sits on historical property with connections 26:00 to William Penn, George Washington 26:03 and the Underground Railroad. 26:05 Come help with this project located at a historical site. 26:09 Then from July 22 to August 4, 26:11 we're looking for volunteers 26:12 to join Maranatha's annual Young Adult Project. 26:15 This group will be working at the Kuitine School in Kenya 26:18 to build retaining walls and other block work 26:20 remaining on the campus. 26:22 At the end of the project, join us on a safari excursion 26:25 in the world famous Amboseli National Park 26:28 with amazing views of Mount Kilimanjaro. 26:30 The Young Adult Project is specially designed 26:32 for volunteers ages 18 to 35 years old. 26:35 Learn more about these trips on our website. 26:42 Over the last 50 years, 26:44 Maranatha has grown from a group 26:45 of mission minded family and friends to a movement 26:48 that mobilizes more than 2200 volunteers 26:51 in numerous countries each year. 26:58 In five decades, God has blessed our work, 27:01 allowing us to respond to more urgent needs 27:03 around the world. 27:08 We respond through the construction of churches, 27:10 moving congregations out of sheds 27:12 and into beautiful sanctuaries. 27:19 We respond through the construction of schools, 27:22 expanding opportunities for children 27:24 to learn about their world and the God who created it. 27:30 We respond through the drilling of wells, 27:32 bringing life sustaining water to those who lack it. 27:41 We respond through service, 27:44 providing opportunities for people to share Jesus 27:46 or maybe find Him for themselves. 27:52 The scale may have changed 27:54 but the mission remains the same, 27:56 to transform lives. |
Revised 2019-07-12