Hi, I'm Hilary Macias
with the Maranatha Minute.
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.23
The West Houston Seventh-day
Adventist Church team
00:00:03.26\00:00:05.70
wrapped up their
mission trip to Panama,
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where they built the
Brisas del Rio Church.
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Fifty-seven volunteers
worked on raising the walls
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of the church building.
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They also
organized a dental clinic
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and a children's
ministry program.
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The Brisas del Rio group
started meeting three years ago
00:00:18.41\00:00:21.65
and met in a home for worship.
00:00:21.68\00:00:23.59
They eventually rented a space
00:00:23.62\00:00:25.22
but now with 35
baptized members,
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they are excited to
finally have a real church
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for their growing congregation.
00:00:30.49\00:00:32.49
This will be the
last construction
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and volunteer project in Panama
for this most recent effort.
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Maranatha's first
major effort in Panama
00:00:37.57\00:00:39.70
took place in the mid 1990s
00:00:39.73\00:00:41.70
and involved the construction
of churches and schools.
00:00:41.74\00:00:44.84
It was a catalyst
for significant growth
00:00:44.87\00:00:47.04
for the church in Panama.
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Learn more about all
of Maranatha's efforts
00:00:48.84\00:00:50.85
around the world by
coming to Mission Maranatha,
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September 19-21 in
Sacramento, California.
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Register online for this
event, and we'll see you there.
00:00:56.65\00:00:59.19
Popular culture
would have you believe
00:01:21.38\00:01:23.18
that the teenage
years were a time
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to celebrate
aimlessness, wandering
00:01:25.05\00:01:27.68
or foolhardy decisions.
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But in this episode of
Maranatha Mission Stories,
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we're focusing on
another side of youth,
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teens who are breaking
the mould by daring to serve
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and connect with the
world in meaningful ways.
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First, in honor of Maranatha's
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50th anniversary,
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we'll take a look at a program
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that's been
bringing teenagers closer
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to Christ for nearly 30 years.
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In the 1980s,
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the United States witnessed
a seismic cultural shift,
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as the nation
emerged from the turmoil
00:02:11.53\00:02:13.46
of the previous decade.
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In response to the
counterculture movement
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of the 1970s,
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young Americans
began embracing monetary
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and professional success.
00:02:22.87\00:02:24.27
The yuppie became
somewhat of an icon of the '80s,
00:02:27.84\00:02:31.55
symbolizing
wealth, status and greed.
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On the popular culture front,
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teenagers witnessed
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the emergence of new technology,
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a new health crisis
00:02:44.49\00:02:47.30
and a new type of television.
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The pop culture
machine was everywhere.
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It was at the
tail end of this decade
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that Maranatha
Volunteers International
00:02:57.27\00:02:59.74
came upon a new program,
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aimed at the very young people
00:03:01.68\00:03:03.14
who are being
consumed by this lifestyle.
00:03:03.18\00:03:06.11
It was an antidote to the times,
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and a spiritual
revelation for teens.
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Insight was a youth magazine
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published by the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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One day while at
the gym with a friend,
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the editor had an idea.
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He was working out with
a friend at a convention.
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And they said,
"This is what we do
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for our physical bodies,
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what can we do for
our spiritual growth?"
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And so, they
decided that the way
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that young people can work out
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is through service.
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Insight came up with the idea
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of a teens only
mission experience.
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And in 1990,
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they launched what
was named the Trip.
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The next year,
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Insight asked Maranatha
to coordinate the effort,
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and they would market the
project in their magazine.
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The Trip was reborn
as the Ultimate Workout
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and 19 volunteers
headed to Honduras.
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Are we smiling? Are we happy?
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Hi.
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From then on, the
program steadily grew,
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adding a handful
of people at a time.
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By the time Steve
Case got involved in 1993,
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the number of
participants had increased
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and the workload was outgrowing
the small team at Maranatha.
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Steve, a youth
pastor was among those
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who helped to coordinate
the effort at home and abroad.
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You had to talk with
every parent of every kid,
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and it just simply
took too much time.
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It was too costly
for Maranatha to do it.
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So the lead into it
just was so time consuming.
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So I was told,
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"Steve, you're going to
go on this Ultimate Workout.
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And you just so you
know, this is the last one.
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We just can't afford it."
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Steve understood the reasoning.
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But when he
returned from the project,
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he was convinced otherwise.
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The positive
impact on the participants
00:05:03.90\00:05:06.20
was too powerful to give up.
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I came back and had a
very serious conversation
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with the President
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of Maranatha Volunteers
International in his office.
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And I spoke to
him not as a friend,
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but this was a
professional conversation,
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and I let him know
in no uncertain terms
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that this had to continue.
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I understood that I
was supposed to stop it,
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but, "As the
President of Maranatha,
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Don Noble, you
must keep this going.
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In fact, if you don't,
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you'll have to quit
calling yourself a Christian."
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I was pretty worked up.
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And I remember
him laughing out loud,
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which was not the response
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I was expecting, or deserving.
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And finally I said,
"Why are you laughing?
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I'm being serious here."
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And he said, "Don't you get it?"
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I said, "Yes, I get it.
You need to keep this going.
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And you're not
willing to do it."
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He said, "You still
don't get it, do you?"
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"Get what?"
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He said, "You're the one.
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You're supposed to lead it."
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What do you supposed to say?
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Steve said, "Yes."
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Steve led the Ultimate
Workout for the next 20 years,
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using his
background in youth ministry
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to hone a spiritually
powerful project for teens
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with three core components.
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Number one, it seeks to have
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a spiritually
transforming experience
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for the participants.
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That's a high
order, and we go for it.
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And number two is
quality constructed buildings,
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which is a
challenge when you have
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unskilled teenagers.
00:07:02.32\00:07:04.32
So you have to
have some key leaders
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who are willing
to mentor and teach.
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And number
three is to supplement
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what the church is already doing
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to spread the gospel in
whatever location we're in.
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As a result,
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volunteers return year
after year, transformed.
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It's a life changing experience
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that I want to have every year.
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I come back, and I feel like
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I'm revived all over again.
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Ultimate Workout
is not just about
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going to a different
place and seeing new things.
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It's about connecting
with other people doing,
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you know, doing the Lord's work,
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and you're really going
on a journey for yourself
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looking inside yourself.
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Before my Ultimate
Workout experience,
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I felt distant from God.
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And after this
trip, it was just like
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a completely
different feeling in me.
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And I felt like a
better person after it.
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I felt like I've made a
difference in someone's life.
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And, but it was a
really good feeling.
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And it really helped
me to connect with God.
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On this trip I never
really prayed on my own,
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like before we ate as a family,
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we would pray and
thank Him for the food.
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But like when I woke
up and never thanked Him
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for waking me up,
or when I went to bed,
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I never thank Him
for keeping me alive
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throughout the day
and keeping me safe.
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When I go home,
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I know I'm going to
change some things in my family
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about connecting
with Christ and praying.
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Today, Ultimate Workout is
Maranatha's biggest project.
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And the trip draws anywhere
00:08:50.19\00:08:51.63
from 100 to 200
volunteers each year.
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There have been more than
3,900 volunteer experiences
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in the past three decades.
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While most years, the
projects are in Latin America.
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Twice, Ultimate Workout
landed in the United States.
00:09:05.31\00:09:08.24
Twice, they headed to India.
00:09:11.58\00:09:13.31
And this year,
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Ultimate Workout went to
Africa for the first time.
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Nearly three
decades since the launch,
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interest in Ultimate Workout
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shows no signs of slowing down.
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Here's my analysis
00:09:31.93\00:09:33.27
of why Ultimate
Workout is so potent.
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It's normal in
adolescent development
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to find out what
your identity is.
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That's just part of
normal human development.
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And the way you
find out what it is,
00:09:43.48\00:09:45.15
as you compare it
with what it has been,
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you're coming of age,
and you start to push back
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against the
powers that are there,
00:09:50.05\00:09:51.92
namely your parents or
other authority structures.
00:09:51.95\00:09:54.32
If you go on another project,
say with your congregation,
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with your
school, with your family,
00:09:57.53\00:09:59.93
those people know you,
and still has a high impact
00:09:59.96\00:10:03.20
but you don't have
that brand new start.
00:10:03.23\00:10:05.63
You know, the Bible
says, "If anyone is in Christ,
00:10:05.67\00:10:08.37
they are a new
creation or a new creature.
00:10:08.40\00:10:12.24
The old is gone, a
new life has begun."
00:10:12.27\00:10:14.78
Well, that truly
happens on Ultimate Workout,
00:10:14.81\00:10:18.21
and you see it and
it's just truly amazing.
00:10:18.25\00:10:21.62
You come here as a stranger,
00:10:21.65\00:10:23.82
you come here as just
a new person, a new face.
00:10:23.85\00:10:27.09
And you get to share that story
00:10:27.12\00:10:30.59
and you get to grow
00:10:30.63\00:10:34.46
in just two weeks,
00:10:34.50\00:10:35.83
and it's
incredible how much you grow.
00:10:35.86\00:10:39.70
It's just the
connection with God
00:10:39.73\00:10:42.40
and the connection that you
get to have with everybody here.
00:10:42.44\00:10:46.04
It's a breath of fresh air
00:10:46.07\00:10:47.41
because you get to be
away from all the distractions,
00:10:47.44\00:10:51.71
everything
that's keeping you back
00:10:51.75\00:10:53.11
from having a
relationship with God
00:10:53.15\00:10:54.48
and you're in a
different country
00:10:54.52\00:10:55.88
that we don't know.
00:10:55.92\00:10:57.42
And just having
that relationship
00:10:57.45\00:10:59.19
is just amazing.
00:10:59.22\00:11:02.52
When we come back, we
meet another group of teens
00:11:02.56\00:11:04.89
who are serving
the mission field
00:11:04.93\00:11:06.26
in a different way, from home.
00:11:06.29\00:11:08.06
Anyone can build a church,
00:11:30.19\00:11:31.79
simply give just $10 each month,
00:11:31.82\00:11:34.42
and your donation along
with thousands of others
00:11:34.46\00:11:37.33
will fund a new place
of worship every month.
00:11:37.36\00:11:41.83
The potential for
change is all around you.
00:11:41.86\00:11:45.00
All you have to do is look.
00:11:45.03\00:11:47.04
For most of us
watching clean water is a given.
00:11:50.47\00:11:53.48
A commodity taken for granted
00:11:53.51\00:11:55.21
as it pours from our
faucets with reckless abandon.
00:11:55.24\00:11:59.21
Yet there are
many parts of the world
00:11:59.25\00:12:01.05
where water of any
kind is a rare gift.
00:12:01.08\00:12:04.45
In a privileged
enclave of Southern California,
00:12:04.49\00:12:06.99
a group of girls heard
about this water crisis.
00:12:07.02\00:12:09.69
Specifically, they learned
of the plight of women in Kenya
00:12:09.72\00:12:12.39
who have to walk
miles for clean water.
00:12:12.43\00:12:14.96
So they decided to do something
00:12:15.00\00:12:16.70
by walking a mile
or two in their shoes.
00:12:16.73\00:12:19.70
This is Del Mar Mesa,
00:12:28.28\00:12:29.68
an attractive development
in the suburbs of San Diego.
00:12:29.71\00:12:32.48
Here long before the
neighborhood developed
00:12:37.55\00:12:39.59
and right in its heart
is Hooterville Estates.
00:12:39.62\00:12:44.39
The new developers
wanted to buy the property
00:12:44.43\00:12:46.39
but were turned away.
00:12:46.43\00:12:48.73
Hooterville remains.
00:12:48.76\00:12:50.80
Its eclectic presence
00:12:50.83\00:12:52.17
announcing
itself at the entrance.
00:12:52.20\00:12:53.90
The seven acre
ranch has become beloved
00:12:57.84\00:12:59.94
by the neighbors,
especially those with children.
00:12:59.97\00:13:04.75
Preserving a time and spirit
that suburbs off and erode.
00:13:04.78\00:13:08.25
Hooterville's
owners and residents
00:13:08.28\00:13:10.12
Elizabeth and Mike Rabbitt
00:13:10.15\00:13:12.35
nurture a way of life
00:13:12.39\00:13:13.72
that once was
common on these hillsides.
00:13:13.76\00:13:15.66
Today however, we
haven't come for the eggs.
00:13:18.73\00:13:23.73
What you guys doing?
00:13:23.77\00:13:26.77
Elizabeth has made the
ranch the starting place
00:13:26.80\00:13:29.17
for the First Annual FAV
and Friends Walk for Water.
00:13:29.20\00:13:33.24
The trick is keeping the
goats from eating the sign.
00:13:33.27\00:13:35.94
But how did Elizabeth
Rabbitt and Hooterville
00:13:42.65\00:13:44.99
become the vortex of the
FAV and Friends Walk for Water?
00:13:45.02\00:13:47.86
Elizabeth first learned
of the water crisis in Africa
00:13:55.10\00:13:57.77
while
volunteering on mission trips
00:13:57.80\00:13:59.50
with Maranatha.
00:13:59.53\00:14:01.87
Having seen the
life changing effect
00:14:01.90\00:14:04.07
a well brings to
communities there.
00:14:04.11\00:14:06.68
Elizabeth freely shared
her passion for water wells
00:14:06.71\00:14:09.41
with her neighbors back at home.
00:14:09.44\00:14:10.78
This included Mia
Goldman and Emma Reeves,
00:14:14.08\00:14:16.58
two young women who
have known Elizabeth
00:14:16.62\00:14:18.39
since they were little kids.
00:14:18.42\00:14:19.75
They're all
wonderful, aren't they?
00:14:19.79\00:14:21.12
And then we have...
00:14:21.16\00:14:22.49
Miss Elizabeth has always
been kind of this neighbor
00:14:22.52\00:14:25.13
that I was kind of growing up.
00:14:25.16\00:14:26.80
I've lived here since I was two,
00:14:26.83\00:14:29.30
and I've always looked at store.
00:14:29.33\00:14:31.20
"Oh, my gosh,
that farm is amazing."
00:14:31.23\00:14:33.30
I wonder who lives there.
00:14:33.34\00:14:34.67
And finally, I get to meet
this amazing woman, Elizabeth,
00:14:34.70\00:14:38.27
who's kind of just
this creative person,
00:14:38.31\00:14:41.21
does what she wants,
00:14:41.24\00:14:42.84
built her own
things, raises horses,
00:14:42.88\00:14:45.75
and she's kind of just
been a role model to me,
00:14:45.78\00:14:47.88
probably since I
was a little girl.
00:14:47.92\00:14:50.09
And I've always kind
of wanted to be like her.
00:14:50.12\00:14:52.62
I met Elizabeth from,
when I was like three,
00:14:52.65\00:14:55.92
when we moved here.
00:14:55.96\00:14:57.29
I always looked up to her.
00:14:57.33\00:14:58.69
I've just seen this crazy place
with having all these horses
00:14:58.73\00:15:02.70
and having me be into horses,
it really just made me...
00:15:02.73\00:15:06.50
She just inspired me.
00:15:06.53\00:15:07.87
And by chance and fate,
00:15:07.90\00:15:09.30
I was so lucky to be
able to keep my horses here.
00:15:09.34\00:15:11.51
And I think over time
our families have bonded.
00:15:11.54\00:15:14.68
And we really just
spent a lot of time together.
00:15:14.71\00:15:17.55
My girls in this neighborhood
00:15:17.58\00:15:19.15
that they've been
coming to my ranch here
00:15:19.18\00:15:23.18
since they were, you
know, 4, 5, 6 years old.
00:15:23.22\00:15:26.42
They were tiny.
00:15:26.45\00:15:28.22
And they hang out
here and we were painting
00:15:28.26\00:15:31.16
and they were talking
about going to college.
00:15:31.19\00:15:33.06
And they knew I
had been to Africa.
00:15:33.09\00:15:34.93
And they were
asking me questions
00:15:34.96\00:15:36.93
about what I
learned, what it was like.
00:15:36.97\00:15:40.30
And they started
just like brainstorming
00:15:40.34\00:15:42.80
and I don't know,
really whose idea it was.
00:15:42.84\00:15:44.84
And then they said,
"Well, we could do this.
00:15:44.87\00:15:46.21
And we could do that."
00:15:46.24\00:15:47.58
And then they said,
"Well, we have this club,
00:15:47.61\00:15:49.98
Female Athlete Volunteers."
00:15:50.01\00:15:51.85
And we have to
find projects for them
00:15:51.88\00:15:54.82
in order to get points,
and the club has to sponsor
00:15:54.85\00:15:58.39
so many events a year.
00:15:58.42\00:16:01.39
And so that's how it started.
00:16:01.42\00:16:04.53
FAV is Female
Athlete Volunteers.
00:16:04.56\00:16:07.13
And it is an amazing
group of young women,
00:16:07.16\00:16:11.13
especially in San Diego.
00:16:11.17\00:16:13.20
It's got about
200 plus members now,
00:16:13.23\00:16:15.87
and it's something
I've been a part of
00:16:15.90\00:16:17.31
for probably 6 years now.
00:16:17.34\00:16:20.58
And we kind of
go around San Diego
00:16:20.61\00:16:23.28
and participate in
any volunteering events.
00:16:23.31\00:16:26.61
And this event
especially was made for FAV,
00:16:26.65\00:16:30.32
which I think is
really cool and unique.
00:16:30.35\00:16:32.32
And so Emma and Mia really took,
00:16:32.35\00:16:34.56
you know, took
the bull by the horns,
00:16:34.59\00:16:36.46
and they
contacted all their friends
00:16:36.49\00:16:38.06
and all the club members.
00:16:38.09\00:16:39.43
That's why we called it Female
Athlete Volunteer and Friends,
00:16:39.46\00:16:42.13
because there
were several people
00:16:42.16\00:16:43.73
that wanted to be involved
that weren't in the club.
00:16:43.77\00:16:46.74
The idea was to
raise money to drill
00:16:49.80\00:16:51.81
and set a water well
for a community in Kenya.
00:16:51.84\00:16:55.14
Elizabeth was one of
26 Maranatha Volunteers
00:16:55.18\00:16:58.01
who built a
dormitory at a school there.
00:16:58.05\00:16:59.98
The Maranatha well drilling team
00:17:05.85\00:17:07.29
was there too.
00:17:07.32\00:17:11.23
They discovered
a source for water,
00:17:11.26\00:17:13.06
and it was one of the
most prolific water wells
00:17:13.09\00:17:15.76
they had drilled in the country.
00:17:15.80\00:17:17.13
Elizabeth saw an opportunity
00:17:20.37\00:17:22.04
to encourage Emma
and Mia back home.
00:17:22.07\00:17:24.97
Emma Reeves and Mia Goldman
and all the Female Athletes...
00:17:25.01\00:17:28.21
Elizabeth sent us some clips
of her experience in Africa.
00:17:28.24\00:17:31.98
Emma Reeves and Mia Goldman
00:17:32.01\00:17:36.52
and Female Athletes Volunteers,
00:17:36.55\00:17:40.06
thank you for the gift of water.
00:17:40.09\00:17:43.32
You are our sisters!
00:17:43.36\00:17:46.09
Right after she
sent me those videos,
00:17:46.13\00:17:48.33
I kind of was tearing up
00:17:48.36\00:17:49.70
because they're like
talking to me and Mia,
00:17:49.73\00:17:52.83
the girls in Africa.
00:17:52.87\00:17:54.20
And I was kind of
like, "Wow, this is real."
00:17:54.24\00:17:56.30
Like, this is really touching,
00:17:56.34\00:17:59.21
and this is actually
affecting people in Africa.
00:17:59.24\00:18:03.11
This specific fundraisers,
I really wanted to help,
00:18:03.14\00:18:05.51
because these
girls who are my age,
00:18:05.55\00:18:07.68
girls from like 5,
00:18:07.72\00:18:09.45
and like up to,
like 50, they all go
00:18:09.48\00:18:13.29
and they just like
walk 4 or 5 miles a day,
00:18:13.32\00:18:17.73
twice a day, carrying
like 6 gallon buckets of water,
00:18:17.76\00:18:22.36
and it's just crazy.
00:18:22.40\00:18:23.73
And I think that
they could really be
00:18:23.77\00:18:25.60
spending a lot of this time,
00:18:25.63\00:18:27.37
like gaining education,
00:18:27.40\00:18:29.10
and getting social
skills with their friends.
00:18:29.14\00:18:31.21
And I really
just want to help them
00:18:31.24\00:18:32.87
like gain these kinds of skills
00:18:32.91\00:18:34.61
that can help them be
successful later in life.
00:18:34.64\00:18:39.41
The goal the group set
for themselves $15,000,
00:18:39.45\00:18:43.39
the medium cost of drilling
and setting a well in Kenya.
00:18:43.42\00:18:48.39
The event they created to
bring attention to the need
00:18:48.42\00:18:50.99
walking a mile to a local pond
to collect water in buckets,
00:18:51.03\00:18:55.26
and carry the
water back to Hooterville
00:18:55.30\00:18:57.17
where it could be
symbolically collected.
00:18:57.20\00:18:59.07
Hi, I'm Mia Goldman.
00:19:02.17\00:19:03.51
And I'm Emma Reeves.
00:19:03.54\00:19:04.87
And we're here in Carmel Valley
00:19:04.91\00:19:06.24
doing our first
annual walk for water.
00:19:06.27\00:19:07.61
We're going to walk...
00:19:07.64\00:19:08.98
The three used Maranatha's
online fundraising platform
00:19:09.01\00:19:11.31
to manage donations.
00:19:11.35\00:19:13.45
They would meet
regularly to organize plan
00:19:13.48\00:19:15.68
and prep materials.
00:19:15.72\00:19:17.79
Emma and Mia's
friends, Morgan and Megan
00:19:17.82\00:19:20.06
also joined the leadership team.
00:19:20.09\00:19:21.79
Yes. Yeah.
00:19:21.82\00:19:23.16
We just do Megan's
00:19:23.19\00:19:24.53
the one who lived
across the street from us.
00:19:24.56\00:19:26.63
And we were like, I remember
00:19:26.66\00:19:28.00
when she was
little, she used to make
00:19:28.03\00:19:29.36
so many of these
little arts and crafts.
00:19:29.40\00:19:30.73
And we were just like,
00:19:30.77\00:19:32.10
"I wonder if she's all into it."
00:19:32.13\00:19:33.47
And she was.
00:19:33.50\00:19:34.84
And she was really willing
to come over and help us.
00:19:34.87\00:19:36.20
And one day, she just
decided to bring Morgan
00:19:36.24\00:19:38.77
and she was such a
helpful part of the team.
00:19:38.81\00:19:40.64
And I think we
work together so well.
00:19:40.68\00:19:43.14
And we just made it happen.
00:19:43.18\00:19:45.11
All of the girls put
social media to work for them.
00:19:45.15\00:19:48.12
Emma drafted an email
00:19:48.15\00:19:49.68
and she sent it out to everyone.
00:19:49.72\00:19:51.49
I went around my school,
00:19:51.52\00:19:52.99
and there's a
lots of social media,
00:19:53.02\00:19:55.49
I posted it everywhere I could,
00:19:55.52\00:19:57.56
I mean,
highlights on my Instagram.
00:19:57.59\00:19:59.49
I made sure to
tell all my friends
00:19:59.53\00:20:01.26
to go check out my
link, and I'd send it to them.
00:20:01.30\00:20:04.13
And I had my dad, dad
send it to all of his friends.
00:20:04.17\00:20:07.54
And I really just made sure
that everyone knew about this,
00:20:07.57\00:20:10.51
because it's
really important to me.
00:20:10.54\00:20:13.58
Local and regional press
00:20:13.61\00:20:14.94
also took note
of Walk for Water.
00:20:14.98\00:20:18.18
The day of the event,
00:20:18.21\00:20:19.55
FAV volunteers, their friends,
00:20:19.58\00:20:21.38
and even a
group of first graders
00:20:21.42\00:20:23.02
arrived ready to help.
00:20:23.05\00:20:26.02
And, of course, many moms
ready to lend their support.
00:20:26.05\00:20:28.39
You want to use
00:20:28.42\00:20:29.76
on your ponytail
or around your head?
00:20:29.79\00:20:31.13
I try to make cookies,
00:20:31.16\00:20:32.49
the first batch or
the second batch made it.
00:20:32.53\00:20:33.86
Okay.
00:20:33.90\00:20:35.23
It smells like burnt
cookies at my house now.
00:20:35.26\00:20:36.93
Oh, that's good.
That's a good thing.
00:20:36.97\00:20:38.77
Yeah.
00:20:38.80\00:20:40.14
Each girl received
a handmade name tag,
00:20:40.17\00:20:42.64
and the bracelet that Elizabeth
brought home from Africa.
00:20:42.67\00:20:45.21
You wanna choose a bracelet?
00:20:45.24\00:20:46.84
And you can get a name tag?
00:20:46.88\00:20:48.44
They also were given a
black and red checkered cloth,
00:20:48.48\00:20:50.98
they could use as
a sash or bandana,
00:20:51.01\00:20:53.11
in honor of the
blankets that are commonly used
00:20:53.15\00:20:55.25
during the cool Kenyan winters.
00:20:55.28\00:20:57.69
Every girl received a bucket,
the little ones gallon buckets,
00:20:57.72\00:21:01.79
the bigger girls, 2
to 5 gallon buckets.
00:21:01.82\00:21:05.69
Without much
fanfare, they were off.
00:21:05.73\00:21:07.86
I'll put it on my head.
00:21:17.11\00:21:18.44
Okay, you put it anywhere.
00:21:18.47\00:21:19.81
So what we're
trying to do is represent
00:21:19.84\00:21:22.78
what African women do
on a day to day basis,
00:21:22.81\00:21:26.55
and taking the fact that
00:21:26.58\00:21:28.38
they have to
travel several miles,
00:21:28.42\00:21:31.25
several hours to just get water.
00:21:31.29\00:21:34.46
And it's not even clean water.
00:21:34.49\00:21:35.82
So we try to replicate
that by taking our own buckets,
00:21:35.86\00:21:40.06
and getting a bunch of
ladies in our community from,
00:21:40.10\00:21:43.90
like elementary
school to high school,
00:21:43.93\00:21:46.10
and kind of show them
what they go through every day.
00:21:46.13\00:21:49.07
I've been with these
kids, since they were
00:21:49.10\00:21:50.91
single digit age,
00:21:50.94\00:21:52.67
they still call
me Miss Elizabeth,
00:21:52.71\00:21:54.81
they still say
they want to be like me
00:21:54.84\00:21:56.24
when they grow up.
00:21:56.28\00:21:57.61
I mean, what could
make you feel better,
00:21:57.65\00:22:01.28
and if unless
you're willing to give
00:22:01.32\00:22:03.08
and to share and to invest
00:22:03.12\00:22:05.69
in the greater community.
00:22:05.72\00:22:07.06
And one of the
things that I've been,
00:22:07.09\00:22:10.23
I think I've been
trying to teach all of them
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.73
is that even though
we are just one person,
00:22:13.76\00:22:17.50
you are almost
more if you think about,
00:22:17.53\00:22:19.20
we're more like a beehive.
00:22:19.23\00:22:20.60
We don't feel like a beehive.
00:22:20.64\00:22:21.97
But we're all working together,
we're a huge community.
00:22:22.00\00:22:24.84
And the idea of
them being able to reach
00:22:24.87\00:22:27.84
all the way around
the world to Africa,
00:22:27.88\00:22:31.21
to people that they don't
know and they'll never meet.
00:22:31.25\00:22:34.78
To say, you know,
00:22:34.82\00:22:36.15
we'd like to make a
difference in your lives
00:22:36.18\00:22:37.99
is a way for them to be part
of that that bigger beehive,
00:22:38.02\00:22:42.86
and to be part of the community.
00:22:42.89\00:22:44.53
Carrying that water
was kind of a challenge.
00:22:59.27\00:23:02.61
And I wasn't even
carrying that much water.
00:23:02.64\00:23:04.31
And I couldn't believe
00:23:04.35\00:23:05.68
how difficult it would
be for girls, little girls
00:23:05.71\00:23:10.95
to travel hours with
that much water every day.
00:23:10.99\00:23:14.96
It would be exhausting.
00:23:14.99\00:23:18.63
It's so amazing.
00:23:18.66\00:23:20.40
It's just such
an amazing feeling
00:23:20.43\00:23:22.43
to know that I can be
giving back to other people,
00:23:22.46\00:23:25.10
because living in
this bubble is great,
00:23:25.13\00:23:27.04
but I haven't been able
00:23:27.07\00:23:28.97
to really
experience the outer world.
00:23:29.00\00:23:30.97
And I feel like seeing all this
00:23:31.01\00:23:34.48
and doing all this research,
00:23:34.51\00:23:36.64
and just looking at all this,
is just so like eye opening.
00:23:36.68\00:23:39.48
And I just really
want to give back now,
00:23:39.51\00:23:41.78
like whenever I think of people
00:23:41.82\00:23:43.45
who just had these
first world problems,
00:23:43.49\00:23:45.65
I'm just like,
00:23:45.69\00:23:47.42
well, I mean, it can be worse,
00:23:47.46\00:23:49.49
and I'm just so
happy that I can give back.
00:23:49.52\00:23:52.43
It just makes me feel so amazing
00:23:52.46\00:23:54.10
that my peers on the
other side of the world
00:23:54.13\00:23:56.33
can have a chance of
living a normal lifestyle.
00:23:56.36\00:24:01.70
After the walk,
00:24:01.74\00:24:03.07
the girls celebrated with pizza.
00:24:03.10\00:24:05.81
So even though
girls my age may think
00:24:05.84\00:24:07.88
that they can't make a
difference in the world,
00:24:07.91\00:24:09.78
if you grab a couple
of your friends together
00:24:09.81\00:24:11.88
and send it a couple emails,
00:24:11.91\00:24:13.48
it will just make
a world of change,
00:24:13.52\00:24:15.22
because we've
raised over $11,000,
00:24:15.25\00:24:18.42
just the four of us.
00:24:18.45\00:24:20.49
And it's hopefully
going to make a well
00:24:20.52\00:24:23.43
for a whole village.
00:24:23.46\00:24:26.23
As of today,
00:24:26.26\00:24:27.66
Walk for Water has raised
00:24:27.70\00:24:29.23
$15,585.
00:24:29.26\00:24:34.57
A well will be drilled
00:24:34.60\00:24:35.94
and a pump placed
in a village in Kenya.
00:24:35.97\00:24:40.38
The experience of
fundraising for wells in Africa
00:24:40.41\00:24:43.35
inspired Mia to take her
involvement a step further.
00:24:43.38\00:24:46.55
A couple months after the event,
00:24:46.58\00:24:47.98
Mia, her mom, and her brother
00:24:48.02\00:24:49.85
traveled to Kenya
to meet firsthand,
00:24:49.88\00:24:51.85
the people to whom
Maranatha is reaching out.
00:24:51.89\00:24:56.69
They volunteered at
the Gucha school in Kisii,
00:24:56.73\00:24:59.23
building a much
needed classroom.
00:24:59.26\00:25:01.93
It's an experience
that sure to ignite
00:25:01.96\00:25:03.80
more involvement from Mia.
00:25:03.83\00:25:07.54
We live in a bubble.
00:25:07.57\00:25:10.24
Yeah, we're in San
Diego, and beautiful homes.
00:25:10.27\00:25:13.58
We wake up every morning
00:25:13.61\00:25:15.04
and you're just in paradise.
00:25:15.08\00:25:18.61
And when you think
about how lucky we are
00:25:18.65\00:25:22.08
and then, I mean, it
doesn't that make us responsible
00:25:22.12\00:25:25.95
for sharing our luck
00:25:25.99\00:25:27.72
and sharing our
wealth with others.
00:25:27.76\00:25:29.62
I mean if you imagine that
a world where nobody shared,
00:25:29.66\00:25:34.63
if nobody was
willing to give back,
00:25:34.66\00:25:38.27
if we all just
kept it to ourselves.
00:25:38.30\00:25:40.60
I mean, we
really depend on people,
00:25:40.64\00:25:44.61
and their generosity
and their need to share
00:25:44.64\00:25:48.34
to make the world a better place
00:25:48.38\00:25:49.94
and it helps them.
00:25:49.98\00:25:51.31
Along with Kenya,
Maranatha is drilling wells
00:26:05.66\00:26:08.03
in Zambia, India and Brazil.
00:26:08.06\00:26:10.30
Help us bring clean
water to communities in need
00:26:10.33\00:26:13.20
by making a donation.
00:26:13.23\00:26:14.57
Go to
maranatha.org to give today.
00:26:14.60\00:26:17.31
In less than two
months Maranatha will have
00:26:29.08\00:26:31.35
our Annual
Mission Maranatha Weekend,
00:26:31.39\00:26:33.62
September 19 to 21
in Northern California.
00:26:33.66\00:26:37.43
In honor of our
50th anniversary,
00:26:37.46\00:26:39.39
we're offering
three projects in the area
00:26:39.43\00:26:41.73
prior to the convention
00:26:41.76\00:26:43.37
and a special anniversary dinner
00:26:43.40\00:26:45.00
on September 19.
00:26:45.03\00:26:46.94
First up, we need
volunteers to help with projects
00:26:46.97\00:26:49.57
at Pacific Union College
from August 19 to September 6.
00:26:49.60\00:26:54.18
Come enjoy the
beauty of the Napa Valley,
00:26:54.21\00:26:56.75
while renovating Newton Hall,
00:26:56.78\00:26:58.28
PUCs men's dormitory.
00:26:58.31\00:27:00.58
After PUC, you can
head on over to a project
00:27:00.62\00:27:03.08
at Leoni Meadows Camp
or at Rio Lindo Academy.
00:27:03.12\00:27:06.65
From September 8 to 19,
00:27:06.69\00:27:08.49
you're invited to
help with painting,
00:27:08.52\00:27:10.33
construction,
landscaping, and more,
00:27:10.36\00:27:12.69
at either of these locations.
00:27:12.73\00:27:14.86
All of these volunteer projects,
00:27:14.90\00:27:16.70
as well as anniversary
dinner are free of cost
00:27:16.73\00:27:19.53
with your registration.
00:27:19.57\00:27:21.40
Learn more about
these opportunities
00:27:21.44\00:27:23.07
and others by
visiting our website.
00:27:23.10\00:27:25.31
Just go to maranatha.org.
00:27:25.34\00:27:27.41
When it comes to making a
positive impact in the world,
00:27:31.51\00:27:34.18
there are no age limits.
00:27:34.22\00:27:36.89
Passion, creativity,
00:27:36.92\00:27:38.39
and gumption are
the only ingredients
00:27:38.42\00:27:40.56
necessary to make a change,
00:27:40.59\00:27:42.36
because whether you're 9 or 90,
00:27:42.39\00:27:44.93
God sees potential in all of us
00:27:44.96\00:27:47.76
and we are all His
messengers of grace.
00:27:47.80\00:27:51.17