Hi, I'm Hilary Macias
with the Maranatha Minute.
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.53
In January, a team
of Maranatha Volunteers
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gathered in Cote d'Ivoire
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to build the Abbebroukoi
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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With only 18 people,
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the volunteer team
was on the smaller side.
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But the group persevered
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and finished the
block work on the building,
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leaving Abbebroukoi
a new place of worship.
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The Abbebroukoi
congregation formerly met
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in an unfinished structure
that resembled a patio.
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The poor meeting space
drew negative attention
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and made
evangelism more challenging,
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especially
considering the community
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is not Christian.
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The new church
will not only offer
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an inviting place for worship,
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it will also provide
credibility for the members
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who are eager to
share their faith.
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The
congregation is also starting
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a primary
school on the property,
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as there are no
kindergarten programs
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in the area.
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Watch a video about the
mission in Cote d'Ivoire
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on your phone or tablet
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by downloading the
free Maranatha channel app
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available in the App
Store and Google Play.
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2019 marks the 50th year
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of Maranatha Volunteers
Internationals Mission
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to provide
urgently needed structures
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around the world.
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It is one of the most
active supporting ministries
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of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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having worked in
nearly 90 countries
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around the world.
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What's more, it has
mobilized thousands of people
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on short term mission trips,
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experiences that have
changed countless lives
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and inspired a
culture of service
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in the Adventist Church.
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When you look at
the constant activity
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of Maranatha Missions today,
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it's hard to remember a time
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when the work was just starting,
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and the workers were few.
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When Maranatha
was still an idea,
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and not yet a movement.
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Today, we'll take a look back
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at the humble
beginnings of our organization,
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and some of the key
people whose tireless work
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and passion for service
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charted a course that
would result in a movement
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greater than they
could have even imagined.
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1969,
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the average cost of
a new house $15,550,
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a new car $3,270, gas
was 35 cents a gallon.
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There were Vietnam War protests
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as the US enlisted a
lot of rebates to draft.
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It was the year, a man
first walked on the moon.
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Another significant
event was taking shape in 1969.
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It began when John
and Ida Mae Freeman
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visited the
Eight Mile Rock Church
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in Freeport Grand
Bahama while on vacation.
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They found a church
half built unoccupied.
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John saw situation that
with a little imagination
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could be corrected.
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With the Eight Mile
Rock pastor and members,
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he organized what we
might call a church bay,
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except instead of
local church members
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coming to help
finish the church,
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he would enlist church
members from the United States
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and they came all volunteers
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on the very first
Maranatha project.
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When we went down
there on our first project
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in Eight Mile Rock
after Maranatha started,
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we took 26 young people with us
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and when we started out,
we worked on this project,
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they picked us up,
took us out all day,
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they brought us lunch at noon,
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then after about
second or third day,
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the local pastor came to us.
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He said, "You know,
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I have a
confession to make to you."
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I said, "What's that?"
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He says, "When you
folk wrote down here
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and said you were
coming down to finish this job,
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we had to put you up,
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we had to feed you and so forth.
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We just figured a bunch of
you Americans coming down here
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to live off of us
for Christmas vacation."
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And he says, "When we
see how hard you are working
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and none of our people
are out there helping you."
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He says, "I have a
confession to make."
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And we finished that
church in two weeks time.
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This was the birth
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of Maranatha
Flights International,
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a growing group
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of mission minded
Seventh-day Adventists,
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taking the
concept of a barn raising
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and applying it to churches.
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John, an Adventist,
liked the word Maranatha,
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an Aramaic word that
means Jesus is coming.
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Flights made sense
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because early on the
projects required people
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to fly by private
aircraft to the location
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and
international was appropriate
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because the mission was
most often outside the US.
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Projects multiplied
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and the Freeman's
enlisted experienced contractors
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and inexperienced church members
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to bring their
passion for service
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directly to the mission field.
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As the ministry grew, key
people joined the mission,
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people who would
make a lasting impact
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on the direction of Maranatha.
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Dad had some
gifts to begin with.
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He had imagination.
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He was always been
really creative, and ideas,
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but he needed other
people to help carry them out.
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How it played out,
I think was just like,
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wow, somebody had a hand
in this other than just us.
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Other people started coming
in and it just kind of grew
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and I think Dad became
very grateful for that.
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People like Don
Kirkman, for years,
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architect and
board member Don Kirkman
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had been designing and
building churches in Mexico
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with his business
partner, David Hansel.
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Then in 1972,
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they learned about
a Maranatha project
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in the Northwest
Territories of Canada.
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Don decided to go to Yellowknife
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and he also brought
a contractor and friend
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Van Vanden Heuvel
along for the ride.
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Van was a contractor
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and owned a
successful plumbing business
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in Arizona.
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Typically, he would
have been too busy to go,
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but he had been
recovering from a broken leg
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and was restless.
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Van decided to join Don
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and a large group of volunteers
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bound for the
project known as Yellowknife.
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Maranatha was in its infancy,
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but word spread
across North America
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and 140 volunteers
in 23 private airplanes
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demonstrated that lay
people could find a place
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in the church's mission.
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Well, I think Yellowknife
played a very important part
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in Maranatha
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because I think it more or less
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sent a signal
to the world church
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that it was good for the church,
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good for the people.
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Leon Slikkers,
another businessman
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and friend of John Freeman,
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began taking his
family to the mission field.
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My earliest memories of
Maranatha being talked about
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was when my father communicated
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that we were going to
be flying in his airplane
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to Yellowknife
Northwest Territories.
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Tom Slikkers recalled
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the wonder of seeing a
church go up so quickly.
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Even as a kid,
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it was pretty amazing to me
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to see the
scale of the building,
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the size of what
was being undertaken,
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to be able to watch
that kind of come up
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and then have
church in it, you know.
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Two Saturdays into the deal,
that was pretty incredible.
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Leon Slikkers joined
the board of Maranatha,
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helping shape the
organization and structure.
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Don Kirkman began volunteering
his architect skills
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to design Maranatha structures.
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For Van Vanden Heuvel,
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Yellowknife ignited
a life transformation.
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He couldn't wait to do it again,
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and convinced his wife
Fay to join them at a project
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not too far from home
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at the Holbrook
Indian School in Arizona
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and it changed their life.
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It was amazing to me
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that people that had come
from all across the country
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to Holbrook to help and
that went over quite well.
00:08:50.59\00:08:56.97
But then before I knew it,
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he had signed up
to go to Honduras.
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Van sold his business
and eventually his home.
00:09:02.70\00:09:06.71
Van and Fay began volunteering
for Maranatha full time.
00:09:06.74\00:09:11.38
They went on to be instrumental
00:09:11.41\00:09:13.11
in developing
Maranatha's mission
00:09:13.15\00:09:14.88
and vision for the
next several decades.
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We didn't have
the slightest idea
00:09:17.69\00:09:19.22
what we were doing
00:09:19.25\00:09:20.89
but with God showing us the way,
00:09:20.92\00:09:23.99
we went ahead
and were successful,
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not because of
something that we have done,
00:09:26.73\00:09:28.46
but because what He
is doing through us.
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Ida Mae Freeman
saw the hand of God
00:09:32.20\00:09:34.54
in this grassroots ministry.
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I knew this was something that,
that we couldn't do ourselves,
00:09:36.84\00:09:41.78
I knew that it was
something that God had put
00:09:41.81\00:09:44.51
into John's mind to do,
00:09:44.55\00:09:46.21
and that's why I felt
that I should encourage him
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in everything he do
because other than that,
00:09:49.78\00:09:52.25
it wasn't going to succeed.
00:09:52.29\00:09:54.82
But, if He was with us,
00:09:54.86\00:09:56.86
I knew He was with us
and I knew it was something
00:09:56.89\00:10:00.10
that the Lord wanted us to do
00:10:00.13\00:10:02.36
and not for any glory of our own
00:10:02.40\00:10:04.63
but for encouraging our family,
00:10:04.67\00:10:09.00
our children
00:10:09.04\00:10:10.37
and we really started
00:10:10.41\00:10:12.74
the whole thing
for young people.
00:10:12.77\00:10:14.64
It was because our
girls were at that age
00:10:14.68\00:10:18.81
and it was something
00:10:18.85\00:10:21.08
that they were excited about it.
00:10:21.12\00:10:23.22
It was fun to
see them get excited
00:10:23.25\00:10:25.59
about helping other people.
00:10:25.62\00:10:30.46
I'd say, Lord, help
us to finish the work
00:10:30.49\00:10:33.83
that needs to be done.
00:10:33.86\00:10:35.80
Every job is a miracle.
00:10:35.83\00:10:38.50
There is no way
00:10:38.53\00:10:39.87
that we can build these churches
00:10:39.90\00:10:42.37
without You helping us.
00:10:42.40\00:10:44.41
And so we need all
the help we can get.
00:10:44.44\00:10:47.58
We know we have
to finish the work.
00:10:47.61\00:10:49.54
You've asked us to go
out and spread the gospel.
00:10:49.58\00:10:52.51
There's nothing that I can do.
00:10:52.55\00:10:54.45
It's your program,
Lord, it's not what I'm doing.
00:10:54.48\00:10:58.59
This attitude of faith
00:10:58.62\00:11:00.12
continues to drive the
mission of Maranatha today.
00:11:00.16\00:11:03.56
Since that first vision,
Maranatha has built churches,
00:11:03.59\00:11:07.50
schools, clinics, homes,
00:11:07.53\00:11:10.27
and water wells in
nearly 90 countries.
00:11:10.30\00:11:15.07
The decision to go
00:11:15.10\00:11:16.44
is always
predicated on need and faith.
00:11:16.47\00:11:19.21
And since the
inception of Maranatha,
00:11:19.24\00:11:21.61
the hand of God
has touched people
00:11:21.64\00:11:23.51
to support this vital mission.
00:11:23.55\00:11:25.31
Well, really, I think the
thing that Maranatha has done
00:11:28.58\00:11:31.59
for more than any people,
00:11:31.62\00:11:34.39
in spite of all these people
that would continually tell me,
00:11:34.42\00:11:38.36
"This is the most foolish
thing we've ever heard of."
00:11:38.39\00:11:41.50
I said, "You do not know
what this does to the people
00:11:41.53\00:11:44.17
going on these projects."
00:11:44.20\00:11:45.97
I say, "It changes their life."
00:11:46.00\00:11:48.37
And we've found this to be true
over and over and over again.
00:11:48.40\00:11:52.81
When these people come
back from these projects,
00:11:52.84\00:11:55.34
they are so enthused over it.
00:11:55.38\00:11:57.51
They help out more in church
than they ever did before.
00:11:57.55\00:12:01.55
It changes life of people
00:12:01.58\00:12:03.69
and that's what
this is all about.
00:12:03.72\00:12:05.75
The Lord is about to come,
00:12:05.79\00:12:07.12
we need to all change our lives,
00:12:07.16\00:12:08.79
we need an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
00:12:08.82\00:12:10.86
That's what Maranatha is
doing with these people today
00:12:10.89\00:12:13.70
going on these projects.
00:12:13.73\00:12:15.36
The faith and commitment
of Maranatha's founders
00:12:19.70\00:12:22.10
created a strong
foundation for the organization.
00:12:22.14\00:12:26.71
But it's people like you
that helped to push our work
00:12:26.74\00:12:29.58
into the future.
00:12:29.61\00:12:32.41
If you haven't already,
00:12:32.45\00:12:33.78
consider becoming a
part of the Maranatha family.
00:12:33.82\00:12:37.45
Visit our website
00:12:37.49\00:12:38.82
to discover all the
ways you can be involved.
00:12:38.85\00:12:42.06
When we come back,
00:12:42.09\00:12:43.43
we'll travel to the Caribbean
00:12:43.46\00:12:44.79
where church members
on the island of Dominica
00:12:44.83\00:12:47.06
are drawing strength from
God in the midst of disaster,
00:12:47.10\00:12:50.27
and Maranatha is
helping to give them hope.
00:12:50.30\00:12:52.87
For more than a decade,
00:13:08.18\00:13:09.78
Maranatha mission stories
is taking you around the world,
00:13:09.82\00:13:13.19
showing you the
need and challenging you
00:13:13.22\00:13:14.99
to get involved.
00:13:15.02\00:13:17.99
Now we're introducing new
ways for you to stay informed
00:13:18.03\00:13:21.33
and inspired about the mission.
00:13:21.36\00:13:24.43
Watch your favorite episode
of Maranatha mission stories,
00:13:24.47\00:13:27.47
as well as
other Maranatha videos
00:13:27.50\00:13:29.37
on your Apple TV.
00:13:29.40\00:13:32.11
Visit the App Store,
00:13:32.14\00:13:33.48
search for the Maranatha channel
00:13:33.51\00:13:35.41
and hit install.
00:13:35.44\00:13:38.85
You'll have access
00:13:38.88\00:13:40.22
to all of our
latest video content,
00:13:40.25\00:13:42.12
and you can watch anytime.
00:13:42.15\00:13:44.15
Our videos are available
on demand 24 hours a day.
00:13:44.19\00:13:48.59
Our content can also be viewed
on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
00:13:48.62\00:13:53.66
The Maranatha channel,
00:13:53.70\00:13:55.16
bringing mission
adventures to your living room.
00:13:55.20\00:13:57.93
These women spend
00:14:15.55\00:14:16.89
560 minutes a
day fetching water.
00:14:16.92\00:14:20.12
Water is life.
00:14:23.39\00:14:26.46
But your life
shouldn't revolve around water.
00:14:26.49\00:14:29.16
We're raising
money for water wells.
00:14:34.80\00:14:38.34
Make a donation.
00:14:38.37\00:14:39.71
Give women the gift of time,
00:14:43.61\00:14:47.45
health, family.
00:14:47.48\00:14:53.29
Sponsor a well.
00:14:53.32\00:14:56.73
Give water, give life.
00:14:56.76\00:14:58.83
In September of 2017,
00:15:05.70\00:15:08.00
tragedy struck the Caribbean
00:15:08.04\00:15:09.70
as Hurricane Maria
swept across the region.
00:15:09.74\00:15:14.54
Thousands were left
homeless and hopeless
00:15:14.58\00:15:17.11
including residents on
the island of Dominica.
00:15:17.15\00:15:21.72
In the days
following the disaster,
00:15:21.75\00:15:23.59
people were
longing for community,
00:15:23.62\00:15:25.69
a center to heal
00:15:25.72\00:15:27.06
from the effects
of the hurricane.
00:15:27.09\00:15:29.02
For the Seventh-day
Adventist community,
00:15:29.06\00:15:30.93
there were few places to go
00:15:30.96\00:15:32.56
as the majority of the
churches were destroyed.
00:15:32.59\00:15:36.43
Today, thanks to
the generous support
00:15:36.46\00:15:38.47
of Maranatha
donors and volunteers,
00:15:38.50\00:15:40.60
one community of
faith has received new hope
00:15:40.64\00:15:43.34
through the
reconstruction of their church.
00:15:43.37\00:15:45.37
It was a
category five hurricane,
00:15:50.91\00:15:53.55
the highest category possible.
00:15:53.58\00:15:55.75
On September 18, 2017,
00:15:55.78\00:15:58.52
Hurricane Maria struck
the island of Dominica,
00:15:58.55\00:16:01.02
leaving catastrophic devastation
00:16:01.06\00:16:02.99
in her wake.
00:16:03.02\00:16:04.36
After battling
the storm overnight,
00:16:04.39\00:16:06.06
residents awoke
to a new reality.
00:16:06.09\00:16:09.03
A country known
for its natural beauty
00:16:09.06\00:16:11.73
was stripped of trees,
00:16:11.77\00:16:13.80
50,000 of its 73,000
residents were displaced
00:16:13.84\00:16:18.24
and an estimated 85
to 90% of the structures
00:16:18.27\00:16:22.21
on Dominica were
damaged or destroyed.
00:16:22.24\00:16:25.01
I walked down
00:16:25.05\00:16:26.38
and everywhere I am
going, it's just wow.
00:16:26.41\00:16:29.62
Wow.
00:16:29.65\00:16:31.72
We're not going to
come out from this.
00:16:31.75\00:16:33.79
That's what I felt.
00:16:33.82\00:16:35.72
Jeff Letang is a plumber
and lives with his family
00:16:35.76\00:16:38.49
in the northern
part of the island.
00:16:38.53\00:16:40.13
They were a part of
the fortunate minority,
00:16:40.16\00:16:42.40
and their house sustained
little damage in the storm.
00:16:42.43\00:16:46.23
The same was not true
for their spiritual home.
00:16:46.27\00:16:50.14
When I woke up in the morning,
00:16:50.17\00:16:52.04
in anticipation, I
ran to the back door.
00:16:52.07\00:16:56.08
And I opened and I looked,
00:16:56.11\00:16:58.55
and I saw everywhere I
could never seen before.
00:16:58.58\00:17:02.92
And I saw, when I
looked for the church,
00:17:02.95\00:17:05.25
all I saw was the
front part of the balcony,
00:17:05.29\00:17:09.12
and I went, whoa, I screamed out
00:17:09.16\00:17:11.73
and woke up my entire family,
"Maria, Marsh chapel Church."
00:17:11.76\00:17:16.03
I just couldn't take it.
00:17:16.06\00:17:17.40
I had to, I just let it out,
00:17:17.43\00:17:20.57
and when the
other members came here,
00:17:20.60\00:17:22.40
and they saw what it
was like, nothing's there,
00:17:22.44\00:17:26.47
the church is merged in flood.
00:17:26.51\00:17:28.24
Jeff and his family attend
00:17:28.28\00:17:29.61
the Beryl
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:17:29.64\00:17:31.55
and he's been a
part of the congregation
00:17:31.58\00:17:33.25
all of his life.
00:17:33.28\00:17:34.62
His home sits across
the valley from the church.
00:17:34.65\00:17:37.59
He remembers when
Maranatha Volunteers came
00:17:37.62\00:17:39.85
and built the church in 1989.
00:17:39.89\00:17:42.06
The beautiful structure
created a sense of pride
00:17:42.09\00:17:44.69
for their congregation.
00:17:44.73\00:17:46.36
But now, it was just a memory.
00:17:46.39\00:17:49.36
We couldn't believe it
because we really thought
00:17:49.40\00:17:51.00
that it could have withstood
the wind to some extent,
00:17:51.03\00:17:54.34
but the wind made
mincemeat of that.
00:17:54.37\00:17:58.14
So it was really emotional
00:17:58.17\00:17:59.51
and we're
already asking ourselves,
00:17:59.54\00:18:02.08
where we are we going to go?
00:18:02.11\00:18:03.45
What are we going to do?
00:18:03.48\00:18:04.81
How we're going to
build that one building.
00:18:04.85\00:18:06.18
That's all, it
was heart wrenching.
00:18:06.21\00:18:10.45
The situation wasn't
unique to the Beryl members,
00:18:10.49\00:18:13.39
28 of the 34
Adventist churches on the island
00:18:13.42\00:18:16.66
were damaged or destroyed,
00:18:16.69\00:18:18.43
leaving members scrambling
00:18:18.46\00:18:19.79
to meet in any place they could.
00:18:19.83\00:18:22.56
Although their church was gone,
00:18:22.60\00:18:23.97
members continue to meet
first in the pastor's home
00:18:24.00\00:18:26.57
and then
00:18:26.60\00:18:27.94
with the Pennville congregation,
00:18:27.97\00:18:29.30
a group planted
by the Beryl Church.
00:18:29.34\00:18:31.41
Worshiping
together was challenging,
00:18:31.44\00:18:33.31
but Jeff and others
saw it as a necessity,
00:18:33.34\00:18:36.14
especially in the days
following the hurricane.
00:18:36.18\00:18:38.88
God is important to me.
00:18:38.91\00:18:41.18
He's the source of my strength.
00:18:41.22\00:18:43.45
I have learned not to
depend on nobody else, but God.
00:18:43.49\00:18:47.09
And when I come here,
00:18:47.12\00:18:49.42
I find joy in worshiping Him,
00:18:49.46\00:18:51.53
giving Him praise.
00:18:51.56\00:18:52.99
I find strength
in the fellowship
00:18:53.03\00:18:54.36
with the other brethren,
00:18:54.40\00:18:55.73
we meet, we talk,
we express ourselves,
00:18:55.76\00:18:57.13
we tell
ourselves what's happening.
00:18:57.17\00:18:59.13
We encourage each other.
00:18:59.17\00:19:00.57
And without this church,
00:19:00.60\00:19:01.97
I don't think
00:19:02.00\00:19:03.34
I have much to
help support me through.
00:19:03.37\00:19:07.24
For many, attending
church was a hardship.
00:19:07.28\00:19:10.01
The new location was
far from members homes
00:19:10.05\00:19:12.68
and not everyone
had transportation.
00:19:12.71\00:19:15.08
The congregation
began to raise funds
00:19:15.12\00:19:17.05
to help transport
members to church.
00:19:17.09\00:19:19.22
But attendance
was still sporadic.
00:19:19.25\00:19:22.39
Everyone attends,
but not regularly.
00:19:22.42\00:19:26.59
You have some people,
you see them this week,
00:19:26.63\00:19:28.20
some next week,
sometimes two weeks,
00:19:28.23\00:19:29.56
you don't see any,
00:19:29.60\00:19:30.93
that first particular individual
00:19:30.97\00:19:32.30
and then you see them coming.
00:19:32.33\00:19:34.04
So I think it's
certainly disrupting
00:19:34.07\00:19:37.07
church attendance.
00:19:37.11\00:19:38.54
Members were struggling
to rebuild their homes
00:19:38.57\00:19:40.74
and carve out new
lives amid the devastation.
00:19:40.78\00:19:43.88
Rebuilding their church
00:19:43.91\00:19:45.25
seemed out of the
realm of possibility.
00:19:45.28\00:19:47.82
Despite the grim situation,
Jeff refused to lose hope.
00:19:47.85\00:19:51.55
Our God is the God
of the impossibility.
00:19:51.59\00:19:53.25
I learned that
pretty much in the storm.
00:19:53.29\00:19:56.42
God has moved upon the
hearts of people elsewhere,
00:19:56.46\00:19:59.46
and they have really
blessed us with assistance.
00:19:59.49\00:20:03.63
For this we'll ever be grateful.
00:20:03.67\00:20:05.93
And it has taught
me to rely upon God.
00:20:05.97\00:20:08.20
So even if things
seems to be bleak,
00:20:08.24\00:20:10.41
and things are
not as it ought to be,
00:20:10.44\00:20:13.48
I'm not complaining.
00:20:13.51\00:20:15.58
Two months after the hurricane,
00:20:15.61\00:20:17.05
Seventh-day
Adventist Church leaders
00:20:17.08\00:20:18.81
reached out to Maranatha
00:20:18.85\00:20:20.22
for help rebuilding
structures in Dominica.
00:20:20.25\00:20:23.35
Maranatha
committed to reconstructing
00:20:23.39\00:20:25.05
a few church buildings.
00:20:25.09\00:20:26.42
First on the list was Beryl.
00:20:26.45\00:20:30.56
Construction on the new
church started in May of 2018,
00:20:30.59\00:20:33.90
and several volunteer
teams traveled to Dominica
00:20:33.93\00:20:36.60
to help erect the
structure and build the walls.
00:20:36.63\00:20:39.50
In the beginning of March 2019,
00:20:39.53\00:20:41.67
the building was
almost ready to dedicate,
00:20:41.70\00:20:44.31
but not without a
few finishing touches
00:20:44.34\00:20:46.41
from a special
set of volunteers.
00:20:46.44\00:20:48.64
Some of the funding
donated to construct the church
00:21:02.02\00:21:04.36
was given in honor of
John and Ida Mae Freeman,
00:21:04.39\00:21:07.30
who founded Maranatha in 1969.
00:21:07.33\00:21:10.07
The Caribbean had
special significance
00:21:10.10\00:21:12.10
for John and Ida Mae
00:21:12.13\00:21:13.47
who died in 2017,
and 2018, respectively.
00:21:13.50\00:21:17.81
The Beryl Church
seemed a fitting memorial
00:21:17.84\00:21:20.11
to the couple who
dedicated much of their lives
00:21:20.14\00:21:22.44
to spreading the gospel
through the construction
00:21:22.48\00:21:24.68
of urgently needed buildings.
00:21:24.71\00:21:26.98
Family members of the Freeman's
00:21:27.02\00:21:28.48
not only donated to the project,
00:21:28.52\00:21:30.29
but also traveled to
Dominica to finish the building
00:21:30.32\00:21:33.25
and dedicate the new sanctuary.
00:21:33.29\00:21:34.92
The group included
00:21:34.96\00:21:36.29
four of John and
Ida Mae's daughters.
00:21:36.32\00:21:39.13
I've told my sisters,
this would be amazing.
00:21:39.16\00:21:42.53
Mom and dad
would wanna be so proud
00:21:42.56\00:21:44.33
that all of us girls were here
00:21:44.37\00:21:46.40
because through our
lives, we were busy living life,
00:21:46.43\00:21:48.94
and we weren't all as involved
00:21:48.97\00:21:50.87
as they would
have liked us to spend.
00:21:50.91\00:21:52.91
So having us all
here, helping them build it.
00:21:52.94\00:21:56.85
It's very emotional.
00:21:56.88\00:21:59.21
We were just so
pleased when we saw the church,
00:21:59.25\00:22:02.22
and we saw the architecture,
we saw the love, and the time,
00:22:02.25\00:22:08.62
and the interest that was put
00:22:08.66\00:22:09.99
into making this just
a beautiful sanctuary.
00:22:10.03\00:22:13.73
I think that this will really be
00:22:13.76\00:22:16.03
a congregation that appreciates
what Maranatha has done,
00:22:16.06\00:22:20.30
and it's been a blessing for me
00:22:20.34\00:22:23.14
to just see that this has
grown over the last 50 years.
00:22:23.17\00:22:27.74
And you know,
when it first started,
00:22:27.78\00:22:30.45
we didn't know how
long this would go on.
00:22:30.48\00:22:32.75
It's just blossomed from there,
and it's very heart warming.
00:22:32.78\00:22:35.75
It's very meaningful to us,
00:22:35.78\00:22:37.42
as children to see
what a legacy that he left.
00:22:37.45\00:22:42.49
On March 9th, nearly 50 years
00:22:42.52\00:22:44.73
after the Freeman's
first Maranatha mission trip,
00:22:44.76\00:22:47.26
more than 300 people
00:22:47.30\00:22:48.83
packed into the
church for the dedication.
00:22:48.86\00:22:51.13
Church leaders and members
alike expressed their gratitude
00:22:51.17\00:22:54.10
for the gift of a new sanctuary.
00:22:54.14\00:22:56.27
The
reconstruction of this church
00:22:56.30\00:22:58.04
symbolizes a new start
for Adventist on the island.
00:22:58.07\00:23:01.34
Having a church rebuild
00:23:01.38\00:23:03.85
is like the
nation is rebuilt also
00:23:03.88\00:23:08.12
and more for us,
00:23:08.15\00:23:12.39
it means that the Church of God
00:23:12.42\00:23:15.92
is taking the new step
00:23:15.96\00:23:18.99
to continue the mission
we have here in this island.
00:23:19.03\00:23:24.70
Witnessing a new building
rise from the devastation
00:23:24.73\00:23:27.74
is already making an
impact in the community.
00:23:27.77\00:23:31.17
There are lots of
persons who build in a church.
00:23:31.21\00:23:35.88
And they are friends
of the Adventist Church,
00:23:35.91\00:23:38.25
people we have
been speaking with
00:23:38.28\00:23:40.12
and just having a
new church erected.
00:23:40.15\00:23:44.49
It would be an
incentive for them
00:23:44.52\00:23:47.32
to come to see the church
00:23:47.36\00:23:49.89
and since it's
so well constructed,
00:23:49.92\00:23:52.26
it's so beautiful where I think
00:23:52.29\00:23:54.10
that in itself can want people
00:23:54.13\00:23:55.46
just to make the
church ideal church.
00:23:55.50\00:23:58.47
So I think that's
an incentive in that.
00:23:58.50\00:24:00.10
It will motivate people
00:24:00.14\00:24:01.67
to want to be part
00:24:01.70\00:24:04.17
of the fellowship
and membership here.
00:24:04.21\00:24:06.98
Church being so
special would add to that.
00:24:07.01\00:24:11.01
The completion of this church
represents an impossible dream
00:24:11.05\00:24:14.75
and a complete answer to prayer.
00:24:14.78\00:24:17.99
I just can't
express my gratitude.
00:24:18.02\00:24:21.52
I will be eternally
grateful to Maranatha
00:24:21.56\00:24:24.49
and I know, the Beryl Church
00:24:24.53\00:24:25.89
will always be
remembering Maranatha
00:24:25.93\00:24:29.66
for that wonderful
and spectacular gift.
00:24:29.70\00:24:33.34
I think I have not seen
all those that you have built.
00:24:33.37\00:24:35.27
I think it's one of the best.
00:24:35.30\00:24:36.84
And we are thankful
that you looked at us
00:24:36.87\00:24:39.77
and found us worthy
00:24:39.81\00:24:41.91
of receiving
such a wonderful gift
00:24:41.94\00:24:43.48
from you all.
00:24:43.51\00:24:44.85
The Beryl Church
00:24:52.69\00:24:54.02
is just one of the congregations
00:24:54.06\00:24:55.42
Maranatha is
helping in Dominica.
00:24:55.46\00:24:58.66
Currently, we're constructing
a new community center
00:24:58.69\00:25:01.06
for the Wesley congregation,
00:25:01.10\00:25:02.46
enabling them to continue
00:25:02.50\00:25:03.83
their previously
active outreach activities.
00:25:03.87\00:25:08.14
We're also building structures
for several other congregations
00:25:08.17\00:25:11.07
who no longer have a
proper place to worship.
00:25:11.11\00:25:14.08
You can help with
the reconstruction effort
00:25:14.11\00:25:16.18
by making a donation.
00:25:16.21\00:25:18.31
Your generous support
00:25:18.35\00:25:19.68
is what makes
restoration possible
00:25:19.71\00:25:21.75
in Dominica.
00:25:21.78\00:25:23.12
Make a gift at maranatha.org
00:25:23.15\00:25:25.09
or call the
number on your screen.
00:25:25.12\00:25:26.82
Are you an adult
00:25:39.37\00:25:40.70
who still wants
to go to summer camp?
00:25:40.74\00:25:42.34
Well, here's your
chance from May 12-19,
00:25:42.37\00:25:45.51
Maranatha is
looking for volunteers
00:25:45.54\00:25:47.48
to help with renovations
00:25:47.51\00:25:48.84
at Leoni Meadows
Camp and Retreat Center
00:25:48.88\00:25:50.58
in California.
00:25:50.61\00:25:52.01
From construction to carpentry,
to painting and landscaping,
00:25:52.05\00:25:55.48
there are a number
of ways for you to help.
00:25:55.52\00:25:57.99
While there, you can also
enjoy the beautiful landscape
00:25:58.02\00:26:00.76
of the Sierra foothills,
00:26:00.79\00:26:02.19
and maybe even take a
ride on the camp train.
00:26:02.22\00:26:05.06
As with all
projects in North America,
00:26:05.09\00:26:07.00
your food and
lodging is provided
00:26:07.03\00:26:08.76
in exchange for your service.
00:26:08.80\00:26:10.83
If you're a teenager
00:26:10.87\00:26:12.20
looking for the
ultimate summer camp experience,
00:26:12.23\00:26:14.44
check out this
year's Ultimate Workout.
00:26:14.47\00:26:16.94
We're headed to
Peru from July 16 to 26.
00:26:16.97\00:26:19.87
And we need volunteers
to help with construction,
00:26:19.91\00:26:22.44
medical and dental clinics
00:26:22.48\00:26:23.81
and community outreach programs.
00:26:23.85\00:26:25.81
This project is only
for high school students
00:26:25.85\00:26:27.88
ages 14-18.
00:26:27.92\00:26:29.25
So if you qualify,
00:26:29.28\00:26:30.62
be sure to register and join us
00:26:30.65\00:26:32.02
for our 30th year
of mission adventure.
00:26:32.05\00:26:34.42
Learn more about these
projects on our website.
00:26:34.46\00:26:36.83
Over the last 50 years,
00:26:42.43\00:26:44.03
Maranatha has grown
00:26:44.07\00:26:45.40
from a group of
mission minded family
00:26:45.43\00:26:47.04
and friends to a movement
00:26:47.07\00:26:48.54
that mobilizes more
than 2,200 volunteers
00:26:48.57\00:26:52.01
in numerous countries each year.
00:26:52.04\00:26:54.01
In five decades, God
has blessed our work,
00:26:58.41\00:27:01.48
allowing us to
respond to more urgent needs
00:27:01.52\00:27:04.05
around the world.
00:27:04.09\00:27:05.42
We respond
00:27:08.06\00:27:09.39
through the
construction of churches,
00:27:09.42\00:27:10.86
moving
congregations out of sheds
00:27:10.89\00:27:12.89
and into beautiful sanctuaries.
00:27:12.93\00:27:14.83
We respond
00:27:18.83\00:27:20.17
through the
construction of schools,
00:27:20.20\00:27:22.64
expanding
opportunities for children
00:27:22.67\00:27:24.74
to learn about their world
and the God who created it.
00:27:24.77\00:27:30.08
We respond through
the drilling of wells,
00:27:30.11\00:27:32.31
bringing life sustaining
water to those who lack it.
00:27:32.35\00:27:35.15
We respond through service,
00:27:41.56\00:27:43.96
providing opportunities
for people to share Jesus
00:27:43.99\00:27:46.86
or maybe find
Him for themselves.
00:27:46.90\00:27:49.20
The scale may have changed
00:27:52.73\00:27:54.54
but the mission
remains the same,
00:27:54.57\00:27:56.77
to transform lives.
00:27:56.81\00:27:58.74