Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS009121A
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00:01 Union College's school song
00:02 maybe about slinging the ink and push in the pen. 00:04 But this week is all about swinging the hammer. 00:07 About 90 Maranatha Volunteers 00:09 are on campus in Lincoln, Nebraska 00:11 to renovate the women's dormitory. 00:13 The work includes demolition, painting, and carpentry. 00:16 The project will also require much electrical work. 00:19 And fortunately, this team has plenty of skilled workers. 00:23 Among the volunteers is Larry Road Sr. 00:25 He was the electrician 00:27 who wired this same dorm 00:28 when it was first built. 00:29 Now he is almost 90 years old and back to help. 00:33 Another Maranatha volunteer 00:34 Mick Ray owns Empire Electric in Lincoln. 00:38 He has encouraged his staff of trained electricians 00:40 to join the project for as many days as possible. 00:43 It's the generosity of volunteers 00:45 like Larry and Mick 00:47 who make each Maranatha mission trip 00:48 a success and a blessing to everyone involved. 00:52 Hear more about our projects in North America 00:54 at our Annual Mission Maranatha Event 00:55 in Sacramento, California, September 19 to 21. 00:58 Check out our website. 01:31 At first glance, the small campus 01:34 looks like a typical boarding school in Kenya. 01:37 There are kids in uniform attending assembly, 01:40 class and eating in the dining commons. 01:44 There are kids living in dormitories, 01:46 doing their laundry and chores 01:48 and playing outdoors. 01:51 But the Kajiado Adventist School 01:53 and Rescue Center is no ordinary campus. 01:57 Kajiado is home to 150 girls 01:59 who have endured or escaped 02:01 female genital mutilation or FGM. 02:05 This is an illegal ritual done to girls 02:08 as young as six years old 02:09 in preparation for their arranged marriage 02:12 at the age of nine. 02:15 Kajiado was established nearly 20 years ago 02:17 as a ministry 02:19 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 02:23 It is a haven for Maasai girls 02:25 who have run away from their families 02:27 in search of safety and education. 02:30 Sarah Daniel is the school director. 02:33 She has been working at Kajiado for the past 10 years 02:36 and she has personally helped to rescue many girls 02:38 from abusive situations 02:40 and watch them grow into strong, 02:42 healthy, educated women of faith. 02:47 More than 2000 gals have been assisted through this center. 02:52 And we thank God for their beautiful future. 02:55 We have 20 who are in colleges and universities 02:59 and one them graduated last year. 03:01 And we are happy for that. 03:03 When I walk around 03:04 and I look at within their community, 03:07 I have teachers, I have people who are working in the offices. 03:11 And they are testimony of these 03:13 because they went through these 03:15 and now they are living a better life 03:20 after being assisted. 03:22 So we are really happy for that. 03:24 And we are not ready to stop this. 03:26 Until we see that every gal will be safe 03:30 and every gal will be given an opportunity. 03:35 It is a worthy goal. 03:37 Yet at Kajiado, the momentum is being thwarted 03:39 by a simple problem, space. 03:43 Because of the growing number 03:45 the dormitory that we have 03:48 is only supposed to handle a capacity 03:50 of not more than 80 gals. 03:55 But currently, as we speak, 03:57 the population in our dormitory is 150 gals. 04:03 Girls have to sleep two or three to a mattress. 04:06 Sometimes they push two bunks together 04:08 to create a larger space, 04:10 but not necessarily more comfort. 04:13 The cramped quarters means 04:14 that Sarah is unable to accept more girls in need of help. 04:19 Beyond the sleeping situation, 04:20 the school is in need of upgrades. 04:23 These are the only toilets available 04:25 for the 150 girls at Kajiado. 04:28 As for showers, 04:30 most of the students bathe outside 04:31 using buckets of water and darkness for privacy. 04:36 In addition to the girls, 04:37 there are about two dozen boys 04:39 who board at the school. 04:41 The coed atmosphere helps the girls 04:43 to develop a healthy relationship 04:44 with males. 04:46 The boys stay in the old school library, 04:48 which means that books had to be shoved 04:50 into a small nook. 04:53 The dedicated staff also need better housing. 04:56 It's so small in term of space. 05:00 And it cannot accommodate more than one person 05:02 and even a high we sleeping there, 05:04 it is not spacious for me. 05:07 So we need a spacious room 05:10 for us to live in comfortably. 05:15 And finally, the school needs a new well. 05:18 The current well is not producing enough 05:20 and the school is having to spend precious resources 05:23 on buying water. 05:26 Since learning of Kajiado's needs 05:28 Maranatha has agreed to help 05:30 with a number of projects on campus, 05:32 including the construction of new dormitories, 05:35 bathrooms, and showers, administrative offices, 05:39 and the drilling of a new well. 05:43 The work is being completed in part by volunteers. 05:46 Two previous groups completed one dormitory 05:49 and bathroom block. 05:50 And in March, Maranatha organized 05:52 a mission trip to Kajiado 05:54 for a team to build a second girls' dormitory. 05:58 The opportunity drew a small 05:59 but motivated group of 26 volunteers, 06:02 each with a different reason for joining the project. 06:06 Kristi Richardson was in the category 06:08 of first time volunteers. 06:10 It was a strange label to have considering her background. 06:14 Her parents Carl and Sue Kruger 06:16 had been part of the organization 06:17 for more than 40 years as board members, 06:20 donors, and volunteers. 06:22 I was an educator, I was a teacher. 06:25 And because I was on academic calendar 06:27 and I was given these are the times 06:29 when you've had vacation, 06:30 it never quite lined up. 06:31 I mean, I would have loved to it. 06:33 It would take Kristi's retirement 06:34 from teaching 06:35 to open the door to volunteering with Maranatha. 06:38 The Kruger family organized a mission trip 06:40 to work at the Gucha School in Kenya. 06:44 Sadly, neither Kristi or Sue ever made it to Kenya. 06:48 Kristi's husband had a major health issue, 06:50 forcing her to cancel her trip. 06:52 And her mother Sue had cancer 06:54 which kept her from the project. 06:56 Sue passed away shortly after. 06:59 Less than a year later, 07:00 Kristi heard about the Kajiado mission trip. 07:02 I still had tickets from the project 07:05 I was unable to go on. 07:07 And when my mother passed away, 07:10 as a memorial, we specified this project. 07:13 So I thought that would be really good 07:14 to come to honor her memory. 07:18 While Kristi's reasons 07:20 for going were specifically rooted in personal history, 07:23 Eddie and Dwanna Falconer were drawn 07:25 by a more vague calling to the mission field. 07:28 Well, my wife and I, we have one thing in common 07:31 and it is travel. 07:33 Several things in common, 07:34 but travel is one of those things 07:35 that we have in common. 07:37 And so we took a trip last year, 07:40 as part of our vacation and we traveled to Europe. 07:44 But it was mostly leisure. 07:46 We felt somewhat guilty 07:47 when we got back even though it was, 07:50 we enjoyed it, but something was missing. 07:52 The last time we went away, 07:53 we just felt like it was great. 07:56 But something was missing. 07:57 And we felt that was because it was just all about us. 08:00 We needed to do something 08:02 where we combined service and travel. 08:05 And we thought of Maranatha. 08:07 This is my first mission trip and my first time 08:11 laboring with brick and mortar. 08:15 I chose the Kenya mission trip 08:18 because the Rescue Center 08:20 and the Kajiado School just really struck me 08:22 in a really deep and personal place 08:24 and I just want to serve 08:26 and do whatever was needed 08:28 for the young ladies that go to the school. 08:32 But while Dwanna was certain of her choice, 08:34 Eddie was apprehensive. 08:36 As a self-employed businessman, 08:38 Eddie was worried. 08:41 There's always that fear 08:43 of finance come into the question 08:45 where you figure, okay, three weeks off the job. 08:47 I'm self-employed, 08:49 how much money am I gonna lose? 08:51 And then you realize, well, 08:54 God can take care of us. 08:56 And that's where we made a decision 08:58 and she began to make the plans and everything 09:00 just kind of fell in place from there. 09:02 Kristi, Dwanna, and Eddie 09:04 were joined by 23 other volunteers 09:06 with a diversity of backgrounds. 09:09 Volunteers who grew up in the mission field 09:12 and consider it home. 09:13 Volunteers who have found purpose in service 09:16 and now make Maranatha a regular part of their lives. 09:19 Volunteers who came seeking a new experience, 09:22 adventure, and purpose in their lives 09:25 regardless of their background and missions, 09:28 no one could anticipate the highly emotional experience 09:31 of serving such a special group of students 09:33 at such a special place. 09:37 When we come back, 09:39 watch a very special mission trip unfold 09:41 through the eyes of the volunteers. 10:04 Anyone can build a church, 10:06 simply give just $10 each month 10:08 and your donation along with thousands of others 10:11 will fund a new place of worship every month. 10:16 The potential for change is all around you. 10:19 All you have to do is look. 10:28 On the first day 10:29 of the Maranatha Kenya Project in Kajiado, 10:32 the campus was buzzing in preparation 10:34 for the volunteers arrival 10:35 as welcomes are a big deal in Kenya. 10:39 The first morning we arrived on our buses 10:42 the students were lined up, 10:44 the gates opened 10:45 and here's hundreds of girls 10:47 and a few boys in their matching outfits 10:50 and they were marching in time up 10:52 to make two lines to welcome us in. 10:55 Their hearts just full of joy and singing 10:58 and so happy to see us. 11:29 When we first got here that first day, 11:32 and I saw all of those children lined up, 11:36 and they seem so excited, 11:38 I felt we're in for a real treat at this place. 11:44 I wanted to cry, 11:45 where there was so much mixed emotion 11:46 when I saw the kids singing, 11:48 then I saw everybody just kind of lined up, 11:51 I felt very small. 11:53 'Cause this was way bigger than I am, you know, 11:56 so I was just grateful when I got here, 11:58 you know, all the emotions were there. 12:08 And that was just the first few minutes. 12:10 Little that Eddie know, 12:12 it was only the beginning 12:13 of what would be a transformational week 12:15 in many ways. 12:18 First, there was the work. 12:20 While many of the volunteers were veterans at laying block, 12:23 for others, the construction site 12:25 was a brand new experience. 12:27 And so laying brick is actually my first time doing this. 12:33 Not going very well so far, 12:35 I'm having a hard time getting the hang of it. 12:37 But I'll get it. 12:50 The trick is to get just the right amount of mortar 12:54 without it all falling off the sides like that. 13:04 If we just lay very still, 13:07 very quietly. 13:12 For those who would prefer work other than masonry, 13:14 there were plenty of other tasks 13:18 like teaching a health class. 13:19 Everybody like you, you're such a nice one. 13:22 Now look at you. You got germs all over you. 13:27 Painting, 13:30 organizing, 13:34 cleaning, 13:39 even shopping. 13:43 Renee Harry is a first time volunteer from New York. 13:47 On the day she wasn't on the construction site, 13:49 she helped with one of the outreach activities 13:51 on campus. 13:53 Maranatha, and I think just on the strength 13:56 of people wanting to help, 13:58 everyone sort of collected items 14:01 and clothing, shoes, anything they think 14:05 that would be beneficial to the girls and the boys here, 14:09 they collected all those items before they came. 14:12 And we sort of set up a little shopping area for them, 14:16 where they, the girls could come in 14:18 and choose items that they liked. 14:21 And then, you know, they would be able 14:22 to walk away with an item. 14:23 Thank you. 14:25 Thank you for bringing for us these gifts 14:27 and come back again. 14:29 May God bless you. 14:31 The clothing outreach was just one of the ways 14:33 the volunteers got to interact with the girls 14:36 and hear their stories. 14:38 Over the week, what they found were young women 14:40 seeking mentorship and friendship. 14:43 Once the girls leave home, 14:45 and the tradition of childhood marriage, 14:47 they're rejected by their parents. 14:49 Often they can never go back to their villages. 14:52 So what the girls want, 14:54 what they crave is genuine connection. 15:00 Jane Sines is a longtime volunteer 15:02 who recently returned to Maranatha mission trips 15:04 after a bit of a break. 15:07 In the last couple projects, 15:08 she'd been little worried 15:09 about how she'd fit into the bigger picture 15:11 as an older participant. 15:14 But with each experience, 15:15 she's found a way to be long and fulfill a need 15:18 that she would have never imagined. 15:21 I first started interacting with the girls here, 15:24 they were really kind of hesitant, 15:26 but the more I put my arms around them 15:28 and just hugged them, 15:30 and just stood by them and held their hands, 15:33 they just seem to start glowing, 15:36 and just more and more. 15:37 And now when I would come more recently to the campus, 15:41 they would just come running and wanting to hug me 15:45 and, you know, I just 15:47 and they started call me, 15:49 "Grandma, grandma, grandma come here, grandma, grandma," 15:53 and it was just a thrill. 15:57 On the first Saturday night, 15:58 the school organized a social for everyone. 16:00 The event immediately broke down any walls 16:03 that existed between the girls and the volunteers. 16:07 We, you know, celebrated the end of Sabbath, 16:09 sang some songs. 16:10 And then we got into the activity songs, 16:13 action songs, 16:15 and they were singing a song in which they came 16:16 and got us again out. 16:18 And were teaching us to do their Maasai, 16:21 think, I can't do it too well yet. 16:25 And so they had a fabulous time, 16:26 we had a fabulous time. 16:30 And that's why things like Saturday night, 16:32 to model the behavior, and to show them 16:34 that we in Christian love can have a really great time, 16:37 and laugh, and sing, and jump around 16:41 was really a wonderful thing to do. 17:21 When I got here, 17:23 I was not quite sure what the real story was. 17:26 But after about the second day, 17:29 especially the night 17:31 when they had that get together, 17:32 I had a chance to really speak 17:35 with some of the girls one-on-one. 17:36 And they were sharing 17:37 a little bit of their experience. 17:40 But one of the most profound thing 17:41 that happened to me, me and my wife, 17:45 two girls were just walking past hand in hand. 17:49 And I waved to them and they smiled back at me. 17:51 When they smiled, the other one tug 17:52 then the other one shirt and say, 17:54 "Come on, let's go over there." 17:55 They came over and we want to take pictures of them. 17:59 Within about 15 minutes, 18:01 they were calling us mom and dad. 18:05 And... 18:11 that took my heart. 18:13 That really did because here is, 18:17 they've never seen me before. 18:20 And I don't know what all the experiences 18:24 in their young life 18:25 that they have been through, 18:27 but they were so already to identify with us 18:30 as part of their own family 18:31 and to accommodate us and calling us mom and dad. 18:35 It really melted my heart, 18:38 it really did. 18:41 When we come back, 18:42 volunteers witness a miracle for Kajiado and more. 18:56 From July 19 to 28, 18:58 join Maranatha in rural New York 19:01 at Union Springs Academy. 19:02 We need your help in renovating the boys' dorm. 19:05 Work will include removing old floors 19:07 and installing new flooring, replacing light fixtures, 19:10 refurbishing furniture, landscaping and more. 19:13 Everyone is welcome to join this mission experience 19:16 and in exchange for your help, 19:17 you'll receive free room and board, 19:19 just be sure to register first. 19:21 Then from October 16 to 27, 19:23 we urgently need more volunteers 19:25 for our mission trip to Bolivia, 19:27 where we'll be constructing classrooms 19:29 at the Entre Rios School. 19:31 We'll also need help with roofing 19:32 and pouring sidewalks. 19:34 Depending on the size of the volunteer team, 19:36 we may also organize outreach activities 19:38 in the surrounding community. 19:39 The Entre Rios School was once a thriving campus 19:42 with more than 400 students. 19:44 Now competition from government schools 19:46 has caused enrollment to decline. 19:48 Updated facilities will go a long way 19:49 in drawing more students 19:51 to the Seventh-day Adventist campus. 19:52 Learn more about these projects and others 19:54 by visiting our website. 19:59 Maranatha is committed to helping 20:01 the Kajiado Adventist School and Rescue Center 20:04 by providing new dormitories, 20:06 staff housing, and more. 20:08 But a crucial element of campus success 20:11 is dependent on water, 20:13 new bathrooms, showers, 20:15 and thriving gardens require a strong water source. 20:19 Something that the campus currently does not have. 20:22 The existing well is failing. 20:24 And the school has had to purchase water 20:26 for basic needs. 20:28 Unfortunately, hydrogeology reports reveal 20:31 that the chances of finding a good water source 20:34 on campus is dismal. 20:36 The decision was made 20:37 to drill a well over by the church 20:40 where based on geographic studies, 20:45 it was determined to be the best location 20:47 even though there was an awful lot of reason 20:51 to be skeptical. 20:53 It was determined that if there was gonna be water 20:56 on this property, 20:58 that's the location where we would find it. 21:04 The day actually of the drilling, 21:08 all of the children came out as well as volunteers 21:11 and all staff came out to the drilling site. 21:15 And we had sort of a worship experience. 21:19 And a lot of prayer 21:20 before we actually kind of started everything up. 21:34 The crew anticipated they would be drilling for days 21:37 as any water would be deep in the ground 21:39 if there was water at all. 21:42 But the next day, 21:43 the entire campus was met with a miracle. 21:47 Just around 11 am, there came the operator, Gerald 21:52 came running over to where we were working, 21:55 you could tell he was beside himself. 21:58 He was, he couldn't believe it. 22:00 He was just like, "I can't believe it. 22:03 I just had to come tell you people, we got water." 22:07 When I first heard that there was water. 22:12 And we were all running to the well. 22:15 My heart was just beating. 22:18 And my whole soul was just rejoicing 22:21 that we had water at this school, 22:24 they needed it so badly. 22:27 And it was just an overwhelming experience 22:30 to know that God hears you, 22:33 hears these kids 22:35 and knows what their needs are. 22:39 And as just provided it so abundantly. 22:44 I've never seen this done. 22:46 I've read about this, 22:48 but to be an eye-witness 22:51 to see this happen before your eyes, 22:53 to be able to experience the emotions 22:57 and to experience a miracle, 23:00 it took my breath away. 23:02 It was profound, it was amazing. 23:20 The miracle of water 23:21 felt like the pinnacle of the mission trip. 23:24 Yet just a couple days later, 23:26 the volunteers had another climactic event, 23:29 the dormitory. 23:32 After six days of construction 23:34 with a relatively small team of volunteers, 23:36 the Kajiado Adventist School and Rescue Center 23:39 celebrated the opening of a new dormitory. 23:45 Probably, the highlight is the girls coming 23:48 to get us out of chairs 23:50 and bring us up to the dorm. 23:53 And going in with us and we walk into the dorm. 23:58 I had two girls with me 23:59 and they said, "This is my bunk. 24:01 This is my bunk." 24:03 That was kind of special. 24:06 Oh, they were so excited 24:09 that they were gonna have a bed of their own. 24:13 I had to jump up and down with my gals 24:16 during the dedication 24:18 of our second dormitory. 24:21 Having in mind now that all my gals 24:24 will be occupied in the new dormitory, 24:27 they will have the new beddings, 24:29 the new mattresses, 24:31 their wears and some of them were telling me, 24:33 you know, in my life, 24:34 I've never covered myself with this. 24:36 I'm just used to a blanket. 24:39 The heart was so filled, and I just thought wow, 24:41 I wish I could be here the first night 24:43 that they are able to lay in the beds 24:44 and just be here is to my heart like a girl slumber party 24:47 in the dorms because it's so amazing, 24:50 so amazing. 24:52 When the dorm was finished, 24:53 the objective of the mission trip 24:55 was completed too, 24:56 new building, new dorm, new beds, 25:00 the physical goals had been met. 25:03 As for the spiritual goals, 25:05 the transformational experience with the volunteers. 25:08 The blessings were as ample as the water 25:11 that rushed from the new well. 25:15 For Jane, her time at Kajiado has been surprising 25:18 given her long history in the mission field. 25:21 For years, she and her husband 25:23 were long and short term missionaries 25:25 that served in 40 different countries. 25:28 After her husband died, 25:29 Jane never thought she'd returned to the field. 25:32 But now she's been on two Maranatha mission trips. 25:35 And she says they have changed her life. 25:38 I don't know if it's because I know the story 25:42 of why the school was started, 25:45 and how it's saving these young girls' lives 25:49 and just giving them life. 25:52 But this has been absolutely 25:55 the most incredible mission experience 25:57 of my entire 80 plus years. 26:01 Kristi's first mission trip 26:03 has been a wonderful way 26:04 to connect with a cause 26:05 that was close to her mother's heart 26:07 and understand why her parents 26:09 not only supported Maranatha financially, 26:11 but also served on mission trips. 26:15 What we get back from giving on the ground 26:18 is huge. 26:20 And then I think that enables us 26:21 then as people to go back into our community 26:23 and share with them the needs 26:25 and what goes on here. 26:27 This is a form of worship. 26:29 It's not enough to just, I can write a check anytime. 26:32 That would be fine. 26:33 And that would help other people. 26:34 But for me to come 26:36 and really give an experience that 26:37 is that true Christian in action. 26:41 Dwanna and Eddie came in search of vacations 26:43 with a purpose, 26:44 a way to see and serve the world. 26:47 What they found was transformative. 26:50 It was a transformation that started 26:51 on the very first day. 26:53 Eddie recalls the first night. 26:55 And my wife kind of heard me sobbing that night, 26:58 which is, you know, you just got me, 27:01 you got me right here, really did, 27:02 and to see what Maranatha is doing. 27:08 It changed my perspective as a Christian. 27:10 It really did. 27:12 But I remember something very profound. 27:14 And as I'm contemplating it, Jesus had said at one point, 27:19 "Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." 27:23 So now, I'm understanding that to me, 27:26 what we can do now for His kingdom 27:29 is far more important 27:31 than just watching for Him to come. 27:35 Thank you Maranatha for the new dorm. 27:40 You have done a good work to us. 27:43 May God bless you. |
Revised 2019-07-22