Hi, I'm Hilary Macias with the Maranatha Minute. 00:00:01.36\00:00:03.13 In Côte d'Ivoire, also known as Ivory Coast, 00:00:03.16\00:00:05.80 Maranatha is preparing to launch a new effort 00:00:05.83\00:00:08.00 for churches, schools and water wells in the country. 00:00:08.04\00:00:10.67 The projects will take place in and around the city of Abidjan. 00:00:10.71\00:00:14.28 Maranatha's staff has already started 00:00:14.31\00:00:15.88 the work of surveying potential church sites. 00:00:15.91\00:00:18.61 Maranatha is also planning to build schools in the city, 00:00:18.65\00:00:21.58 as there's only one Seventh-day Adventist school in Abidjan. 00:00:21.62\00:00:24.42 The existing school 00:00:24.45\00:00:25.79 called Marcory Adventist College 00:00:25.82\00:00:27.42 serves nearly 900 secondary students. 00:00:27.46\00:00:30.06 The majority are not part of the Adventist Church, 00:00:30.09\00:00:32.86 and the school has been an effective way 00:00:32.89\00:00:34.40 to share the Adventist message. 00:00:34.43\00:00:37.03 There are nearly 9,000 Seventh-day Adventists 00:00:37.07\00:00:39.17 in Côte d'Ivoire. 00:00:39.20\00:00:40.54 Local leadership is confident 00:00:40.57\00:00:41.90 that the construction of new churches and schools 00:00:41.94\00:00:44.01 will serve as a catalyst 00:00:44.04\00:00:45.37 for major membership growth in the country. 00:00:45.41\00:00:47.74 Learn more about Maranatha's plans 00:00:47.78\00:00:49.34 for Côte d'Ivoire. 00:00:49.38\00:00:50.71 Mission Maranatha our 2019 convention 00:00:50.75\00:00:53.11 September 20 to 21, 00:00:53.15\00:00:54.68 with a special 50th anniversary dinner 00:00:54.72\00:00:56.99 on September 19. 00:00:57.02\00:00:58.55 Check out our website. 00:00:58.59\00:00:59.92 Tens of thousands of volunteers mobilized. 00:01:27.62\00:01:30.59 Eleven thousand structures built. 00:01:32.05\00:01:34.26 Nearly 90 countries impacted. 00:01:36.49\00:01:38.79 These numbers represent the breadth of Maranatha's work 00:01:41.26\00:01:44.30 over the last 50 years. 00:01:44.33\00:01:46.07 Maranatha has grown to become a leading resource 00:01:57.38\00:01:59.81 for Adventist Church leaders around the world, 00:01:59.85\00:02:02.05 needing help building 10, 100 or even 1,000 churches, 00:02:02.08\00:02:06.89 schools, or water wells. 00:02:06.92\00:02:08.69 While such a broad scope of projects 00:02:12.69\00:02:14.56 is not unusual for Maranatha's work today. 00:02:14.60\00:02:17.77 Fifty years ago, 00:02:17.80\00:02:19.13 the numbers would have been daunting 00:02:19.17\00:02:20.64 to the fledgling group of lay people 00:02:20.67\00:02:22.54 who are embarking on a relatively new concept 00:02:22.57\00:02:25.27 of short term mission trips with Maranatha. 00:02:25.31\00:02:27.74 In today's episode, we'll learn about a watershed moment 00:02:31.01\00:02:34.28 in the organization's history, 00:02:34.32\00:02:35.68 where we were challenged to take a leap of faith 00:02:35.72\00:02:38.29 that would make a difference for eternity. 00:02:38.32\00:02:40.69 As the 21st century approached, 00:02:58.44\00:03:00.71 incredible change was taking place 00:03:00.74\00:03:02.74 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:03:02.78\00:03:06.98 The seeds of faith that had been sown 00:03:07.02\00:03:08.62 by missionaries 00:03:08.65\00:03:09.98 during the previous decades were sprouting and multiplying. 00:03:10.02\00:03:13.56 The Adventist faith community was growing faster 00:03:13.59\00:03:16.26 than churches could be built. 00:03:16.29\00:03:17.63 Maranatha Flights International 00:03:19.79\00:03:21.73 known for its short-term mission projects 00:03:21.76\00:03:24.00 to build churches and schools was changing too. 00:03:24.03\00:03:28.30 After 12 years of steady growth and increasing activity, 00:03:28.34\00:03:31.61 founder John Freeman still working full-time 00:03:31.64\00:03:34.48 in his photography business 00:03:34.51\00:03:36.91 encouraged Maranatha's board to hire a staff. 00:03:36.95\00:03:40.55 The search began 00:03:40.58\00:03:42.65 and John called a young professional 00:03:42.68\00:03:44.45 working in Denver, Colorado, 00:03:44.49\00:03:46.55 who also happened to be a former Air Force pilot. 00:03:46.59\00:03:50.13 He said, "We've received your resume 00:03:50.16\00:03:51.53 and we want to interview you." 00:03:51.56\00:03:53.90 I said, 00:03:53.93\00:03:55.56 "Okay, well, that's interesting. 00:03:55.60\00:03:57.20 I live in Denver, Colorado, so you know, I'm available." 00:03:57.23\00:04:01.47 He said, "No, I would like you to come to Michigan. 00:04:01.50\00:04:04.27 That's where our headquarters is, 00:04:04.31\00:04:05.64 so if you could come to Michigan." 00:04:05.67\00:04:08.54 I said, "Well, I can work 00:04:08.58\00:04:09.91 with the president of my company 00:04:09.94\00:04:11.41 and try to get some time off. 00:04:11.45\00:04:12.78 You just send me a ticket." 00:04:12.81\00:04:14.22 He says, "Oh, no." 00:04:14.25\00:04:16.55 He said, "We're a volunteer organization, 00:04:16.58\00:04:18.22 you'll need to pay your way." 00:04:18.25\00:04:20.62 Well, I wasn't familiar with this approach to life 00:04:20.66\00:04:24.39 at that point. 00:04:24.43\00:04:25.76 So I said, "Well, 00:04:25.79\00:04:27.60 I don't ever go to Michigan 00:04:27.63\00:04:29.83 at this particular point in time." 00:04:29.86\00:04:32.67 I said, but I tell you what? 00:04:32.70\00:04:34.04 I says, "If I ever 00:04:34.07\00:04:37.07 have opportunity to be in Michigan, 00:04:37.11\00:04:38.81 I'll give you a call. 00:04:38.84\00:04:40.18 Thank you very much." 00:04:40.21\00:04:41.84 End of conversation. 00:04:41.88\00:04:44.11 Well, now here's the interesting thing 00:04:44.15\00:04:47.22 from my view. 00:04:47.25\00:04:49.45 I went to my office that day, 00:04:49.48\00:04:52.02 and the president of the company 00:04:52.05\00:04:53.39 called me in and says, 00:04:53.42\00:04:54.76 "I need you to go to Michigan." 00:04:54.79\00:04:57.49 No, that had never happened. 00:04:57.53\00:04:59.79 And that's when I started to think, 00:04:59.83\00:05:01.26 okay, what's going on here? 00:05:01.30\00:05:03.50 Don Noble was one of several candidates 00:05:03.53\00:05:05.53 who interviewed and the job was offered to him. 00:05:05.57\00:05:08.77 Don has to meet with the board 00:05:08.80\00:05:10.24 so he could be certain he fully understood Maranatha 00:05:10.27\00:05:13.58 and whether this was God's calling. 00:05:13.61\00:05:15.84 A couple of the board members took me aside and said, 00:05:15.88\00:05:18.41 "If I was a young man like you," 00:05:18.45\00:05:20.88 because at that time I was a young man. 00:05:20.92\00:05:22.98 "If I was a young man like you, 00:05:23.02\00:05:25.15 then I wanted to make a difference 00:05:25.19\00:05:27.52 in the world." 00:05:27.56\00:05:29.52 He said, "We can tell you that this is a place 00:05:29.56\00:05:31.79 that you could be used by God 00:05:31.83\00:05:33.83 to make a difference in the world," 00:05:33.86\00:05:35.80 and I like that. 00:05:35.83\00:05:38.23 Calvin Krueger was one of those board members. 00:05:38.27\00:05:41.00 He has been volunteering with Maranatha 00:05:41.04\00:05:43.30 for more than 40 of its 50 years 00:05:43.34\00:05:45.71 and serving on the board for just as long. 00:05:45.74\00:05:48.88 Something happened there. 00:05:48.91\00:05:50.91 There's a compulsion there 00:05:50.95\00:05:53.85 and that's why Maranatha is where it is, 00:05:53.88\00:05:56.89 with the help of the Holy Spirit. 00:05:56.92\00:05:59.62 Don Noble became 00:05:59.65\00:06:00.99 the president of Maranatha Flights International 00:06:01.02\00:06:03.22 in 1983. 00:06:03.26\00:06:05.46 Those that hire Don 00:06:05.49\00:06:06.86 told him his job description was essentially this, 00:06:06.90\00:06:10.17 make Maranatha fly and he did. 00:06:10.20\00:06:14.00 It wasn't long before Don moved to the Maranatha office 00:06:14.04\00:06:16.94 from John Freeman's basement 00:06:16.97\00:06:18.54 onto the main street in Berrien Springs, Michigan. 00:06:18.57\00:06:22.44 Another change was happening. 00:06:22.48\00:06:24.51 More often, the projects were further away 00:06:24.55\00:06:26.88 from the United States, 00:06:26.92\00:06:28.32 requiring volunteers to use commercial airliners. 00:06:28.35\00:06:31.79 And too often, the name Maranatha Flights International 00:06:31.82\00:06:35.12 caused people to mistake it for a travel agency. 00:06:35.16\00:06:38.99 A very interesting thing started to happen. 00:06:39.03\00:06:41.03 We started doing some projects with an organization 00:06:41.06\00:06:43.87 called Volunteers International. 00:06:43.90\00:06:46.07 That was started by a gentleman 00:06:46.10\00:06:49.44 who became a friend of mine, still is, 00:06:49.47\00:06:51.17 Robert Bainum, 00:06:51.21\00:06:52.71 and we did quite a few projects together 00:06:52.74\00:06:55.14 until finally we came to the point we said, 00:06:55.18\00:06:57.11 "Why don't we just merge operations." 00:06:57.15\00:07:00.98 We're each paying for different expenses 00:07:01.02\00:07:03.92 that are getting doubled up, so let's just combine them. 00:07:03.95\00:07:06.79 In 1989, Maranatha Flights International 00:07:06.82\00:07:10.19 and Volunteers International 00:07:10.23\00:07:12.26 became Maranatha Volunteers International. 00:07:12.29\00:07:16.06 One of the best compliments 00:07:16.10\00:07:17.73 I think I've ever had from Maranatha 00:07:17.77\00:07:20.07 was it they call me a founder 00:07:20.10\00:07:22.17 because I gave part 00:07:22.20\00:07:24.94 of my Volunteers International name, 00:07:24.97\00:07:30.11 which I really wanted. 00:07:30.15\00:07:32.31 And, so I've been flattered really. 00:07:32.35\00:07:37.45 Even before the organizations merged, 00:07:37.49\00:07:39.85 Robert Bainum volunteered regularly with Maranatha. 00:07:39.89\00:07:43.83 He was also a board member. 00:07:43.86\00:07:46.33 He would travel with Don 00:07:46.36\00:07:47.70 from time to time to evaluate projects. 00:07:47.73\00:07:50.67 In 1991, 00:07:50.70\00:07:52.10 Don and Robert traveled to the Dominican Republic, 00:07:52.13\00:07:54.94 at the invitation of church letters 00:07:54.97\00:07:57.04 would come to trust Maranatha. 00:07:57.07\00:07:59.71 The visit would be a game changer 00:07:59.74\00:08:01.81 for the 23 year old organization. 00:08:01.84\00:08:05.25 They went through the needs, 00:08:05.28\00:08:09.05 for about two hours 00:08:09.08\00:08:10.65 they showed the slides 00:08:10.69\00:08:12.15 of congregations meeting in shacks, 00:08:12.19\00:08:16.42 under trees. 00:08:16.46\00:08:18.59 There was a great need, 00:08:18.63\00:08:20.40 and convinced me 00:08:20.43\00:08:22.20 they needed churches really badly. 00:08:22.23\00:08:24.97 And they said, you know, 00:08:25.00\00:08:26.33 we need 25, 30 projects. 00:08:26.37\00:08:30.57 And, you know, you hear these numbers, 00:08:30.61\00:08:32.87 that's, those are big numbers, right? 00:08:32.91\00:08:36.04 And so we looked at a few of them 00:08:36.08\00:08:39.55 and we went back to the airport. 00:08:39.58\00:08:42.72 We go to the airport, and Robert turned to me, 00:08:42.75\00:08:45.25 he says, "So, Don, what are you gonna do?" 00:08:45.29\00:08:50.19 And I says, "What do you mean, what am I gonna do?" 00:08:50.23\00:08:53.06 Well, how many churches you're gonna build? 00:08:53.09\00:08:55.36 And Don says... 00:08:59.00\00:09:02.00 Well, they asked for, say 25 projects. 00:09:02.04\00:09:05.87 And I said, "Well, you know, 00:09:05.91\00:09:07.24 we'll probably do what we usually do." 00:09:07.28\00:09:09.11 You know, we do a few projects in one place, 00:09:09.14\00:09:11.08 and a few projects in another place... 00:09:11.11\00:09:12.58 And then we, next year, 00:09:12.61\00:09:14.18 we'll build them a church or two. 00:09:14.22\00:09:15.85 And I shoot, 00:09:15.88\00:09:19.09 "Hey, you didn't listen to what they said." 00:09:19.12\00:09:21.56 And he says, 00:09:21.59\00:09:22.92 "You're not listening to them, 00:09:22.96\00:09:25.03 you're not listening." 00:09:25.06\00:09:26.43 He says, "They asked for 25 and they need 25. 00:09:26.46\00:09:30.33 Why don't you do all 25? Why don't you do more? 00:09:30.37\00:09:32.90 What's stopping you from doing them all?" 00:09:32.93\00:09:35.00 Wow. 00:09:35.04\00:09:36.44 I wasn't thinking that big. 00:09:36.47\00:09:38.74 I wasn't thinking it was possible. 00:09:38.77\00:09:41.34 But ding, ding, ding, 00:09:41.38\00:09:43.88 the thought came to me, 00:09:43.91\00:09:45.25 maybe that's what we're supposed to do. 00:09:45.28\00:09:47.72 Don brought the idea to the staff. 00:09:47.75\00:09:50.45 Now six people who caught the vision 00:09:50.49\00:09:53.36 and then he brought it to the board who agreed. 00:09:53.39\00:09:56.66 It was time to take a leap of faith 00:09:56.69\00:09:59.23 and Santo Domingo 92 was launched. 00:09:59.26\00:10:01.96 We did not know what we voted. 00:10:02.00\00:10:05.27 We had no idea 00:10:05.30\00:10:06.97 what it meant to do something like that. 00:10:07.00\00:10:08.80 It was more complicated and difficult than we realized. 00:10:08.84\00:10:11.44 We thought, "Oh, how bad, how tough can this be?" 00:10:11.47\00:10:14.34 We've done these projects before 00:10:14.38\00:10:16.44 but when you bring 1,200 volunteers, 00:10:16.48\00:10:19.48 and you run this thing for 10 weeks, 00:10:19.51\00:10:23.75 and you're doing 25 churches 00:10:23.79\00:10:26.09 scattered all over a large area, 00:10:26.12\00:10:28.39 the logistics start getting away from you 00:10:28.42\00:10:30.93 real quick. 00:10:30.96\00:10:32.29 He had to stretch himself, 00:10:32.33\00:10:34.36 and you stretch the organization. 00:10:34.40\00:10:37.73 There were plenty of roadblocks along the way. 00:10:37.77\00:10:40.54 But the Goliath of Santo Domingo 92 00:10:40.57\00:10:43.41 was put into the hands of God 00:10:43.44\00:10:45.71 and the small David of Maranatha 00:10:45.74\00:10:48.04 with its tiny staff, 00:10:48.08\00:10:49.51 bullied by 1,200 volunteers prevailed. 00:10:49.54\00:10:54.88 Fast forward, at the end of that 10 weeks, 00:10:54.92\00:10:57.19 on the last Friday afternoon, 00:10:57.22\00:11:00.29 we finished the 25th church. 00:11:00.32\00:11:02.72 And the next day we dedicated the whole thing 00:11:02.76\00:11:05.06 and they had a big baptism. 00:11:05.09\00:11:07.06 And the General Conference president was there 00:11:07.10\00:11:08.63 and the Division president was there and they baptized. 00:11:08.66\00:11:10.83 I don't know a few thousand people 00:11:10.87\00:11:12.20 and they had 15,000, 20,000 people in a big stadium 00:11:12.23\00:11:14.90 and I'm suddenly going, wow, 00:11:14.94\00:11:17.41 what just happened here? 00:11:17.44\00:11:19.04 What happened? 00:11:19.07\00:11:20.41 Well, quite a few things happened 00:11:20.44\00:11:21.98 for the Maranatha organization. 00:11:22.01\00:11:25.25 Everybody's looking at us differently. 00:11:25.28\00:11:27.32 The next week, 00:11:27.35\00:11:29.38 we get a request for 50 projects in Mexico. 00:11:29.42\00:11:32.92 Well, if they can do 25, 00:11:32.95\00:11:34.29 pretty sure they can do 50 over here. 00:11:34.32\00:11:36.32 So that's the numbers started changing. 00:11:36.36\00:11:39.69 The expectations started changing. 00:11:39.73\00:11:43.10 The volunteers started to trust us, 00:11:43.13\00:11:45.67 the relationship with the church 00:11:45.70\00:11:47.77 improved dramatically. 00:11:47.80\00:11:49.97 And what did it do for the church 00:11:50.01\00:11:51.64 in Dominican Republic? 00:11:51.67\00:11:53.07 Totally changed the way 00:11:53.11\00:11:54.44 they were viewed by their country, 00:11:54.48\00:11:57.71 by the press, 00:11:57.75\00:11:59.45 by the leadership of the government, 00:11:59.48\00:12:01.45 by the people, 00:12:01.48\00:12:02.82 and all of a sudden they started growing massively. 00:12:02.85\00:12:05.95 And I can't say it was all that project, 00:12:05.99\00:12:08.86 but I believe God used that project 00:12:08.89\00:12:12.49 at least in a major way toward that. 00:12:12.53\00:12:15.50 That was a whole new day for Maranatha, 00:12:15.53\00:12:18.63 to even dream that way 00:12:18.67\00:12:20.47 was not possible prior to that moment. 00:12:20.50\00:12:25.27 And from there, 00:12:25.31\00:12:27.61 it has just been a multiplier. 00:12:27.64\00:12:30.31 Maranatha discovered can do that and then it is... 00:12:30.35\00:12:34.75 Well, it's pretty well been vertical growth 00:12:36.62\00:12:40.69 for many years. 00:12:40.72\00:12:44.46 From a big view, those churches, 00:12:44.49\00:12:47.50 almost every one of them 00:12:47.53\00:12:49.76 spawned a number of other churches, 00:12:49.80\00:12:51.67 one of them was it 00:12:51.70\00:12:53.67 like 24 churches have come out of that one church. 00:12:53.70\00:12:57.11 And I can remember it was a church 00:12:57.14\00:12:58.51 that I almost said no. 00:12:58.54\00:13:00.24 Well, they took us to it. 00:13:00.28\00:13:01.78 And so I know and here's the thread 00:13:01.81\00:13:05.48 that runs through it all. 00:13:05.51\00:13:06.85 I'm fully and 100% confident 00:13:08.05\00:13:10.19 that God is guiding it 00:13:10.22\00:13:11.79 even when He doesn't sky ride it. 00:13:11.82\00:13:14.49 He doesn't send you an email or a text, 00:13:14.52\00:13:16.76 but He's guiding this thing 00:13:16.79\00:13:18.83 and even down to which church you build, 00:13:18.86\00:13:23.30 which school you construct, 00:13:23.33\00:13:27.14 which volunteers get together on a site, 00:13:27.17\00:13:29.80 He's in charge of all that. 00:13:29.84\00:13:31.64 And that's why it works 00:13:31.67\00:13:33.04 because we just aren't smart enough 00:13:33.07\00:13:35.21 to put all that stuff together. 00:13:35.24\00:13:37.28 But looking back at Santo Domingo 00:13:37.31\00:13:39.08 and seeing from 20 some years later, 00:13:39.11\00:13:44.09 the impact is huge. 00:13:44.12\00:13:46.76 There, it's had a big impact on the volunteers, 00:13:46.79\00:13:49.72 and it's changed the organization too. 00:13:49.76\00:13:52.53 Today, it is normal for Maranatha 00:13:55.30\00:13:57.37 to commit to 50, 100, or even 1,000 churches 00:13:57.40\00:14:01.80 in regions of the world 00:14:01.84\00:14:03.17 where the faith community is growing rapidly. 00:14:03.20\00:14:06.44 And it is the Ministry 00:14:06.47\00:14:07.81 of Maranatha Volunteers International 00:14:07.84\00:14:10.11 that Adventist leadership comes 00:14:10.15\00:14:11.68 to when it needs to improve church 00:14:11.71\00:14:14.58 and school infrastructure. 00:14:14.62\00:14:16.12 Please pray for Maranatha 00:14:17.42\00:14:19.32 as we continue to move forward in faith 00:14:19.35\00:14:22.16 anticipating Jesus' soon return. 00:14:22.19\00:14:24.86 I believe that Maranatha has provided more than schools 00:14:27.20\00:14:33.40 and more than churches, 00:14:33.44\00:14:35.17 they provided 00:14:35.20\00:14:37.44 the development of thousands of individuals 00:14:37.47\00:14:42.18 that went on these projects 00:14:42.21\00:14:45.01 and that changed their life 00:14:45.05\00:14:47.62 and their witness for God 00:14:47.65\00:14:50.25 everywhere they went after that. 00:14:50.29\00:14:53.76 The best is yet to come. 00:14:53.79\00:14:55.36 Unbelievable growth, 00:15:00.43\00:15:02.40 that's the only way to describe 00:15:02.43\00:15:04.00 what has happened to Maranatha 00:15:04.03\00:15:05.50 since the Santo Domingo 92 project. 00:15:05.53\00:15:08.60 This movement is continuing to grow 00:15:08.64\00:15:10.84 and we need your help 00:15:10.87\00:15:12.21 to meet an increasing demand for churches, 00:15:12.24\00:15:14.64 schools and water wells. 00:15:14.68\00:15:17.95 Visit our website to make a financial contribution 00:15:17.98\00:15:20.95 or to see a list of all our upcoming projects. 00:15:20.98\00:15:24.35 When we come back, 00:15:24.39\00:15:25.72 we'll head to an aging school in India 00:15:25.75\00:15:27.99 and see how Maranatha 00:15:28.02\00:15:29.36 is breathing new life into their campus. 00:15:29.39\00:15:31.39 For more than a decade 00:15:45.64\00:15:47.11 Maranatha Mission Stories has taken you around the world, 00:15:47.14\00:15:50.55 showing you the need 00:15:50.58\00:15:51.91 and challenging you to get involved. 00:15:51.95\00:15:55.42 Now, we're introducing new ways for you to stay informed 00:15:55.45\00:15:58.75 and inspired about the mission. 00:15:58.79\00:16:01.86 Watch your favorite episode of Maranatha Mission Stories 00:16:01.89\00:16:04.89 as well as other Maranatha videos 00:16:04.93\00:16:06.83 on your Apple TV. 00:16:06.86\00:16:09.56 Visit the App Store, 00:16:09.60\00:16:10.93 search for the Maranatha channel and hit install. 00:16:10.97\00:16:16.30 You'll have access to all of our latest video content, 00:16:16.34\00:16:19.61 and you can watch anytime. 00:16:19.64\00:16:21.54 Our videos are available on demand 24 hours a day. 00:16:21.58\00:16:25.85 Our content can also be viewed on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 00:16:25.88\00:16:31.02 The Maranatha Channel bringing mission adventures 00:16:31.05\00:16:34.19 to your living room. 00:16:34.22\00:16:35.56 For more than 20 years 00:16:42.90\00:16:44.43 Maranatha has been working in India, 00:16:44.47\00:16:46.57 constructing more than 1,700 churches 00:16:46.60\00:16:49.54 all over the country. 00:16:49.57\00:16:51.07 But beyond providing places of worship, 00:16:51.11\00:16:53.41 building schools is also a major part of our work. 00:16:53.44\00:16:56.85 For more than 80 years, 00:17:03.42\00:17:05.09 thousands of students have passed 00:17:05.12\00:17:06.76 through the campus of the Khunti Adventist School, 00:17:06.79\00:17:11.49 located in eastern India, 00:17:11.53\00:17:13.06 which started out as a thatched roof mud hut 00:17:13.09\00:17:15.43 has grown to an expansive 37 acre campus 00:17:15.46\00:17:18.93 with multiple buildings 00:17:18.97\00:17:20.34 and more than 1,300 students. 00:17:20.37\00:17:24.24 Yet Khunti isn't only for Adventist children. 00:17:24.27\00:17:28.08 The school draws students 00:17:28.11\00:17:29.44 from all religious and secular backgrounds. 00:17:29.48\00:17:32.88 Reaching people with the gospel in this part of India 00:17:32.91\00:17:35.72 is especially challenging. 00:17:35.75\00:17:38.05 The area includes 00:17:38.09\00:17:39.42 some of the most sacred sites of the Hindu faith, 00:17:39.45\00:17:42.26 including what is considered the holiest city, Varanasi. 00:17:42.29\00:17:45.73 An effective method of spreading the gospel 00:17:48.33\00:17:50.23 in this region 00:17:50.27\00:17:51.60 includes offering quality education 00:17:51.63\00:17:53.77 in Adventist schools. 00:17:53.80\00:17:55.64 The majority of students 00:17:55.67\00:17:57.01 who attend the Khunti School are not Adventist. 00:17:57.04\00:18:00.41 Parents send their children 00:18:00.44\00:18:01.78 because of the quality education they receive 00:18:01.81\00:18:04.25 and the moral values that are conveyed 00:18:04.28\00:18:06.35 in and out of the classroom. 00:18:06.38\00:18:10.69 Over the years, more and more families 00:18:10.72\00:18:12.79 were choosing Khunti for their children. 00:18:12.82\00:18:15.82 But as enrollment grew, 00:18:15.86\00:18:17.19 it became difficult for the school 00:18:17.23\00:18:18.86 to keep up with the demand. 00:18:18.89\00:18:20.53 To ease overcrowding, 00:18:20.56\00:18:21.90 the school converted old staff housing 00:18:21.93\00:18:24.03 into additional classrooms, 00:18:24.07\00:18:26.63 but the move scattered elementary students 00:18:26.67\00:18:28.70 all over campus. 00:18:28.74\00:18:30.64 What's more, 00:18:30.67\00:18:32.01 the infrastructure was showing its age. 00:18:32.04\00:18:36.38 When I used to enter this school, 00:18:36.41\00:18:37.91 I used to see all those old structures, 00:18:37.95\00:18:40.88 windows falling down, doors falling down, 00:18:40.92\00:18:43.15 walls crumbling down 00:18:43.18\00:18:45.29 and gave a very pathetic picture of the whole school. 00:18:45.32\00:18:50.89 And I could guess 00:18:50.93\00:18:52.33 how children must be feeling sitting in old, 00:18:52.36\00:18:56.33 means, all broken, floor broken, 00:18:56.36\00:18:59.33 roof falling and that kind of classroom, 00:18:59.37\00:19:01.94 so whether their morale is lifted up or brought down. 00:19:01.97\00:19:07.01 And that's why I felt that these buildings in this school 00:19:07.04\00:19:11.55 has to be removed 00:19:11.58\00:19:13.85 and new ones have to come in their places 00:19:13.88\00:19:16.08 but then resources are always limited. 00:19:16.12\00:19:20.16 They don't have proper place to sit 00:19:20.19\00:19:23.16 because during rainy season roof leaks, 00:19:23.19\00:19:26.19 so we have to push their desk this side, that side, 00:19:26.23\00:19:29.33 so they find very difficult. 00:19:29.36\00:19:31.03 During summer season roofs are very low. 00:19:31.07\00:19:35.47 It is tin roof so they feel very hot, 00:19:35.50\00:19:39.67 so they are uncomfortable. 00:19:39.71\00:19:42.94 The student population soon outgrew 00:19:42.98\00:19:45.15 all of the meeting places on campus. 00:19:45.18\00:19:48.12 They held assemblies in the cafeteria 00:19:48.15\00:19:50.05 but there wasn't enough space for everyone to sit, 00:19:50.09\00:19:52.59 forcing latecomers to stand in the back. 00:19:52.62\00:19:56.36 Students and staff began praying 00:19:56.39\00:19:58.43 that God would provide a solution 00:19:58.46\00:20:00.53 and they reached out to Maranatha for help. 00:20:00.56\00:20:03.30 After evaluating the needs, 00:20:03.33\00:20:05.03 Maranatha committed to building 00:20:05.07\00:20:06.57 a large Elementary Education Center 00:20:06.60\00:20:08.77 on the Khunti campus. 00:20:08.80\00:20:11.54 In April of 2018, 00:20:11.57\00:20:13.51 a small group of school staff, Maranatha staff, 00:20:13.54\00:20:16.51 and community leaders met to pray 00:20:16.54\00:20:18.68 and conduct a ceremonial ground breaking of the new building. 00:20:18.71\00:20:23.28 Work of the site began immediately. 00:20:23.32\00:20:26.05 The Christmas Family Project 00:20:26.09\00:20:27.52 was the first of several volunteer groups 00:20:27.56\00:20:29.46 to work on the large structure. 00:20:29.49\00:20:32.09 When they arrived on campus, 00:20:32.13\00:20:33.56 volunteers immediately recognized 00:20:33.60\00:20:35.70 the dire need for new classrooms. 00:20:35.73\00:20:39.20 Here learning environment right now 00:20:39.23\00:20:41.60 is not as good as it could be. 00:20:41.64\00:20:44.91 And I think that the fact that some Christians 00:20:44.94\00:20:48.08 and followers of Christ decided to come and do this for them, 00:20:48.11\00:20:50.88 shows how much Jesus actually loves them. 00:20:50.91\00:20:55.48 And I think that will make an amazing impact on them 00:20:55.52\00:20:57.62 and not just on this generation, 00:20:57.65\00:20:58.99 but on future generations to come. 00:20:59.02\00:21:01.56 In mere months, an empty plot on the campus 00:21:01.59\00:21:04.69 was transformed into a beautiful structure 00:21:04.73\00:21:07.26 and the building was ready to dedicate. 00:21:07.30\00:21:10.23 Adventist Church leaders from all over India, 00:21:10.27\00:21:12.73 as well as Maranatha leadership attended the opening ceremony. 00:21:12.77\00:21:17.67 Along with students and guests, 00:21:17.71\00:21:19.44 more than a 1,000 people gathered 00:21:19.47\00:21:21.38 for the ribbon cutting. 00:21:21.41\00:21:23.78 We are very much impressed 00:21:23.81\00:21:26.05 with the Maranatha building 00:21:26.08\00:21:28.75 that has been just today inaugurated. 00:21:28.78\00:21:31.75 And today, it was excited moment 00:21:31.79\00:21:34.99 that the students are so happy 00:21:35.02\00:21:37.36 to receive this building and we praise God. 00:21:37.39\00:21:41.06 And we have got 12 rooms 00:21:41.10\00:21:44.70 and its beautiful auditorium. 00:21:44.73\00:21:47.94 And we know that these students 00:21:47.97\00:21:52.01 who are eager 00:21:52.04\00:21:53.91 and they long to see this building. 00:21:53.94\00:21:56.11 They didn't have enough classrooms 00:21:56.14\00:22:00.72 and didn't have the auditorium 00:22:00.75\00:22:03.25 and it will be a history for the church 00:22:03.28\00:22:07.49 to have such a beautiful building 00:22:07.52\00:22:09.99 that has been given by Maranatha, 00:22:10.03\00:22:12.19 and we are happy of these volunteers 00:22:12.23\00:22:14.53 and the donors 00:22:14.56\00:22:15.90 who have given this beautiful building. 00:22:15.93\00:22:20.97 The new building has also gained the interest 00:22:21.00\00:22:23.10 of passersby 00:22:23.14\00:22:24.47 who were curious about the construction 00:22:24.51\00:22:25.84 of the large facility. 00:22:25.87\00:22:28.41 The community here, 00:22:28.44\00:22:29.94 they have been first wondering 00:22:29.98\00:22:31.61 as to what this building is, 00:22:31.65\00:22:33.15 but when they saw lately the sign it is written, 00:22:33.18\00:22:36.89 Sue Krueger Elementary Education Center. 00:22:36.92\00:22:40.06 They knew that this is something great. 00:22:40.09\00:22:42.42 And we told them that this is the elementary section 00:22:42.46\00:22:45.96 where your children are going to study here 00:22:45.99\00:22:48.03 and they were so excited and said 00:22:48.06\00:22:49.76 and they are going to send more of their... 00:22:49.80\00:22:51.67 And now this will be from the community 00:22:51.70\00:22:53.64 from far when they look at it. 00:22:53.67\00:22:55.37 There is an elementary education center in our school 00:22:55.40\00:22:58.57 and more students of the little ones 00:22:58.61\00:23:00.88 will be here with us. 00:23:00.91\00:23:04.28 The new structure contains 12 classrooms, 00:23:04.31\00:23:06.68 allowing elementary grades to be housed together. 00:23:06.72\00:23:10.79 In the center of the building is a large open area 00:23:10.82\00:23:13.46 that can accommodate assemblies and chapels. 00:23:13.49\00:23:15.96 On Sabbath, the space can be used for church. 00:23:15.99\00:23:20.00 With more space, the school will be able 00:23:20.03\00:23:22.20 to accept more children next year. 00:23:22.23\00:23:25.20 That's one of the only English speaking schools in the area. 00:23:25.23\00:23:28.17 Families are eager for their children 00:23:28.20\00:23:29.94 to attend Khunti 00:23:29.97\00:23:31.31 where they also learn about Jesus and the Bible. 00:23:31.34\00:23:34.94 Overall the goal for the students 00:23:34.98\00:23:37.75 is that they learn about Jesus. 00:23:37.78\00:23:41.18 We have been talking about to them in the class, 00:23:41.22\00:23:44.85 and in turn, few of them, you know, at the end, 00:23:44.89\00:23:48.46 as they rise up from one class to the another, 00:23:48.49\00:23:53.16 they will see the glory of God from the teachers coming out. 00:23:53.19\00:23:58.00 And the goal is to prepare them for the heavenly kingdom. 00:23:58.03\00:24:01.10 We are so much thankful for the Maranatha donors, 00:24:04.11\00:24:08.81 the volunteers, 00:24:08.84\00:24:10.18 those who have been coming 00:24:10.21\00:24:11.55 and visiting our campus and working, you know, 00:24:11.58\00:24:14.22 and they have a great impact on our children. 00:24:14.25\00:24:17.25 And we like to thank all the volunteers 00:24:17.29\00:24:20.19 those who came all the way 00:24:20.22\00:24:22.02 from different parts of the country 00:24:22.06\00:24:25.03 and to the world and to this place 00:24:25.06\00:24:27.86 to just to serve our school and the students of our school. 00:24:27.90\00:24:32.13 Thank you so much. 00:24:32.17\00:24:34.47 Thanks to the generous support of Maranatha donors 00:24:34.50\00:24:37.17 as well as the hard work of more than 100 volunteers, 00:24:37.21\00:24:40.38 students at the Khunti Adventist School 00:24:40.41\00:24:42.58 have beautiful new classrooms. 00:24:42.61\00:24:45.48 Maranatha needs your continued support 00:24:45.51\00:24:47.68 to provide more opportunities 00:24:47.72\00:24:49.42 for Christian education in India. 00:24:49.45\00:24:51.59 Consider making a gift 00:24:51.62\00:24:53.02 to help us build more schools in India. 00:24:53.05\00:24:55.42 To give, visit maranatha.org 00:24:55.46\00:24:58.09 or call the number on your screen. 00:24:58.13\00:24:59.93 From July 8 to 22, help Maranatha 00:25:11.11\00:25:13.84 with a major renovation project in Pennsylvania 00:25:13.88\00:25:16.68 at Pine Forge Academy. 00:25:16.71\00:25:18.61 The work will involve masonry, painting, 00:25:18.65\00:25:20.98 replacing awnings, and windows, and rebuilding a staircase. 00:25:21.02\00:25:24.75 Pine Forge Academy is a boarding school 00:25:24.79\00:25:26.62 for grades 9 through 12. 00:25:26.65\00:25:28.22 It was established in 1946 and sits on historical property 00:25:28.26\00:25:32.06 with connections to William Penn, 00:25:32.09\00:25:33.90 George Washington and the Underground Railroad. 00:25:33.93\00:25:37.07 Come help with this project located at a historical site. 00:25:37.10\00:25:41.04 If you're looking for adventure in Africa, 00:25:41.07\00:25:43.14 join Maranatha for a mission trip to Zambia 00:25:43.17\00:25:45.87 from October 24 to November 3. 00:25:45.91\00:25:48.41 Help us complete the new Kabwe Adventist School 00:25:48.44\00:25:51.11 by painting the newly constructed classrooms. 00:25:51.15\00:25:53.92 This new campus will serve 350 elementary students 00:25:53.95\00:25:57.19 with room for growth. 00:25:57.22\00:25:59.15 Afterwards, join us on an excursion 00:25:59.19\00:26:01.22 to the world famous Victoria Falls 00:26:01.26\00:26:03.12 and a safari. 00:26:03.16\00:26:04.63 Learn more about these mission trips 00:26:04.66\00:26:06.19 and others by visiting our website at maranatha.org. 00:26:06.23\00:26:09.76 The numbers may be bigger, 00:26:20.48\00:26:22.08 the impact may have increased but one thing remains constant. 00:26:22.11\00:26:27.02 God guides our work. 00:26:27.05\00:26:28.62 He guides us to every congregation 00:26:38.46\00:26:40.50 who has been praying for a new place of worship, 00:26:40.53\00:26:43.03 to every father hoping for their children 00:26:49.10\00:26:51.57 to have a better future, 00:26:51.61\00:26:52.94 to every mother looking for clean water for their family, 00:26:56.88\00:27:00.12 to every volunteer searching for transformation 00:27:03.69\00:27:06.96 through service. 00:27:06.99\00:27:08.32 This is our mission 00:27:28.31\00:27:32.48 and through Christ, 00:27:32.51\00:27:33.85 we will continue to think big for the kingdom. 00:27:33.88\00:27:36.79