Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS009142A
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00:01 Hi, I'm Hilary Macias with the Maranatha Minute.
00:03 In July, Maranatha's teens-only mission trip 00:06 Ultimate Workout made its first appearance in Africa 00:09 at the Kiutine Adventist School in Kenya. 00:14 One hundred and eleven volunteers 00:16 spent nearly two weeks 00:17 building a dormitory and classroom. 00:19 The teens also helped to organize 00:21 various outreach activities including children's programs 00:23 and medical clinics. 00:25 The buildings replaced structures 00:27 that were in deplorable conditions. 00:28 The old dormitories had dirt floors 00:30 and open crevices in the walls and roof, 00:33 and the floors turned into mud when it rained. 00:35 The new dorms are a vast improvement. 00:38 In its 29th year Ultimate Workout 00:40 is one of Maranatha's most popular projects. 00:43 Over the past three decades, 00:44 more than 3,900 volunteers have experienced this project. 00:48 Learn more about this year special Ultimate Workout 00:51 at Mission Maranatha our annual convention event 00:53 in Sacramento, California. 00:55 Register online on our website at maranatha.org. 01:21 Popular culture would have you believe 01:23 that the teenage years were a time 01:25 to celebrate aimlessness, wandering 01:27 or foolhardy decisions. 01:29 But in this episode of Maranatha Mission Stories, 01:31 we're focusing on another side of youth, 01:34 teens who are breaking the mould by daring to serve 01:37 and connect with the world in meaningful ways. 01:42 First, in honor of Maranatha's 01:43 50th anniversary, 01:45 we'll take a look at a program 01:46 that's been bringing teenagers closer 01:48 to Christ for nearly 30 years. 02:06 In the 1980s, 02:07 the United States witnessed a seismic cultural shift, 02:11 as the nation emerged from the turmoil 02:13 of the previous decade. 02:17 In response to the counterculture movement 02:19 of the 1970s, 02:20 young Americans began embracing monetary 02:22 and professional success. 02:27 The yuppie became somewhat of an icon of the '80s, 02:31 symbolizing wealth, status and greed. 02:38 On the popular culture front, 02:40 teenagers witnessed 02:41 the emergence of new technology, 02:44 a new health crisis 02:47 and a new type of television. 02:50 The pop culture machine was everywhere. 02:55 It was at the tail end of this decade 02:57 that Maranatha Volunteers International 02:59 came upon a new program, 03:01 aimed at the very young people 03:03 who are being consumed by this lifestyle. 03:06 It was an antidote to the times, 03:08 and a spiritual revelation for teens. 03:12 Insight was a youth magazine 03:14 published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 03:16 One day while at the gym with a friend, 03:19 the editor had an idea. 03:21 He was working out with a friend at a convention. 03:24 And they said, "This is what we do 03:25 for our physical bodies, 03:26 what can we do for our spiritual growth?" 03:28 And so, they decided that the way 03:31 that young people can work out 03:34 is through service. 03:36 Insight came up with the idea 03:38 of a teens only mission experience. 03:40 And in 1990, 03:41 they launched what was named the Trip. 03:52 The next year, 03:53 Insight asked Maranatha to coordinate the effort, 03:56 and they would market the project in their magazine. 04:00 The Trip was reborn as the Ultimate Workout 04:03 and 19 volunteers headed to Honduras. 04:06 Are we smiling? Are we happy? 04:09 Hi. 04:13 From then on, the program steadily grew, 04:15 adding a handful of people at a time. 04:18 By the time Steve Case got involved in 1993, 04:22 the number of participants had increased 04:24 and the workload was outgrowing the small team at Maranatha. 04:29 Steve, a youth pastor was among those 04:32 who helped to coordinate the effort at home and abroad. 04:36 You had to talk with every parent of every kid, 04:39 and it just simply took too much time. 04:41 It was too costly for Maranatha to do it. 04:43 So the lead into it just was so time consuming. 04:46 So I was told, 04:48 "Steve, you're going to go on this Ultimate Workout. 04:51 And you just so you know, this is the last one. 04:55 We just can't afford it." 04:57 Steve understood the reasoning. 04:59 But when he returned from the project, 05:01 he was convinced otherwise. 05:03 The positive impact on the participants 05:06 was too powerful to give up. 05:08 I came back and had a very serious conversation 05:11 with the President 05:12 of Maranatha Volunteers International in his office. 05:16 And I spoke to him not as a friend, 05:18 but this was a professional conversation, 05:20 and I let him know in no uncertain terms 05:23 that this had to continue. 05:26 I understood that I was supposed to stop it, 05:30 but, "As the President of Maranatha, 05:32 Don Noble, you must keep this going. 05:35 In fact, if you don't, 05:37 you'll have to quit calling yourself a Christian." 05:41 I was pretty worked up. 05:43 And I remember him laughing out loud, 05:46 which was not the response 05:49 I was expecting, or deserving. 05:53 And finally I said, "Why are you laughing? 05:55 I'm being serious here." 05:57 And he said, "Don't you get it?" 06:00 I said, "Yes, I get it. You need to keep this going. 06:02 And you're not willing to do it." 06:03 He said, "You still don't get it, do you?" 06:05 "Get what?" 06:07 He said, "You're the one. 06:10 You're supposed to lead it." 06:19 What do you supposed to say? 06:21 Steve said, "Yes." 06:25 Steve led the Ultimate Workout for the next 20 years, 06:28 using his background in youth ministry 06:30 to hone a spiritually powerful project for teens 06:34 with three core components. 06:38 Number one, it seeks to have 06:40 a spiritually transforming experience 06:42 for the participants. 06:44 That's a high order, and we go for it. 06:57 And number two is quality constructed buildings, 07:00 which is a challenge when you have 07:02 unskilled teenagers. 07:04 So you have to have some key leaders 07:05 who are willing to mentor and teach. 07:13 And number three is to supplement 07:16 what the church is already doing 07:17 to spread the gospel in whatever location we're in. 07:21 As a result, 07:22 volunteers return year after year, transformed. 07:27 It's a life changing experience 07:30 that I want to have every year. 07:33 I come back, and I feel like 07:36 I'm revived all over again. 07:38 Ultimate Workout is not just about 07:40 going to a different place and seeing new things. 07:43 It's about connecting with other people doing, 07:46 you know, doing the Lord's work, 07:48 and you're really going on a journey for yourself 07:52 looking inside yourself. 07:54 Before my Ultimate Workout experience, 07:56 I felt distant from God. 07:58 And after this trip, it was just like 08:01 a completely different feeling in me. 08:03 And I felt like a better person after it. 08:07 I felt like I've made a difference in someone's life. 08:10 And, but it was a really good feeling. 08:12 And it really helped me to connect with God. 08:18 On this trip I never really prayed on my own, 08:21 like before we ate as a family, 08:23 we would pray and thank Him for the food. 08:26 But like when I woke up and never thanked Him 08:29 for waking me up, or when I went to bed, 08:31 I never thank Him for keeping me alive 08:35 throughout the day and keeping me safe. 08:36 When I go home, 08:38 I know I'm going to change some things in my family 08:41 about connecting with Christ and praying. 08:46 Today, Ultimate Workout is Maranatha's biggest project. 08:50 And the trip draws anywhere 08:51 from 100 to 200 volunteers each year. 08:55 There have been more than 3,900 volunteer experiences 08:59 in the past three decades. 09:02 While most years, the projects are in Latin America. 09:05 Twice, Ultimate Workout landed in the United States. 09:11 Twice, they headed to India. 09:16 And this year, 09:17 Ultimate Workout went to Africa for the first time. 09:23 Nearly three decades since the launch, 09:26 interest in Ultimate Workout 09:27 shows no signs of slowing down. 09:31 Here's my analysis 09:33 of why Ultimate Workout is so potent. 09:35 It's normal in adolescent development 09:38 to find out what your identity is. 09:41 That's just part of normal human development. 09:43 And the way you find out what it is, 09:45 as you compare it with what it has been, 09:47 you're coming of age, and you start to push back 09:50 against the powers that are there, 09:51 namely your parents or other authority structures. 09:54 If you go on another project, say with your congregation, 09:57 with your school, with your family, 09:59 those people know you, and still has a high impact 10:03 but you don't have that brand new start. 10:05 You know, the Bible says, "If anyone is in Christ, 10:08 they are a new creation or a new creature. 10:12 The old is gone, a new life has begun." 10:14 Well, that truly happens on Ultimate Workout, 10:18 and you see it and it's just truly amazing. 10:21 You come here as a stranger, 10:23 you come here as just a new person, a new face. 10:27 And you get to share that story 10:30 and you get to grow 10:34 in just two weeks, 10:35 and it's incredible how much you grow. 10:39 It's just the connection with God 10:42 and the connection that you get to have with everybody here. 10:46 It's a breath of fresh air 10:47 because you get to be away from all the distractions, 10:51 everything that's keeping you back 10:53 from having a relationship with God 10:54 and you're in a different country 10:55 that we don't know. 10:57 And just having that relationship 10:59 is just amazing. 11:02 When we come back, we meet another group of teens 11:04 who are serving the mission field 11:06 in a different way, from home. 11:30 Anyone can build a church, 11:31 simply give just $10 each month, 11:34 and your donation along with thousands of others 11:37 will fund a new place of worship every month. 11:41 The potential for change is all around you. 11:45 All you have to do is look. 11:50 For most of us watching clean water is a given. 11:53 A commodity taken for granted 11:55 as it pours from our faucets with reckless abandon. 11:59 Yet there are many parts of the world 12:01 where water of any kind is a rare gift. 12:04 In a privileged enclave of Southern California, 12:07 a group of girls heard about this water crisis. 12:09 Specifically, they learned of the plight of women in Kenya 12:12 who have to walk miles for clean water. 12:15 So they decided to do something 12:16 by walking a mile or two in their shoes. 12:28 This is Del Mar Mesa, 12:29 an attractive development in the suburbs of San Diego. 12:37 Here long before the neighborhood developed 12:39 and right in its heart is Hooterville Estates. 12:44 The new developers wanted to buy the property 12:46 but were turned away. 12:48 Hooterville remains. 12:50 Its eclectic presence 12:52 announcing itself at the entrance. 12:57 The seven acre ranch has become beloved 12:59 by the neighbors, especially those with children. 13:04 Preserving a time and spirit that suburbs off and erode. 13:08 Hooterville's owners and residents 13:10 Elizabeth and Mike Rabbitt 13:12 nurture a way of life 13:13 that once was common on these hillsides. 13:18 Today however, we haven't come for the eggs. 13:23 What you guys doing? 13:26 Elizabeth has made the ranch the starting place 13:29 for the First Annual FAV and Friends Walk for Water. 13:33 The trick is keeping the goats from eating the sign. 13:42 But how did Elizabeth Rabbitt and Hooterville 13:45 become the vortex of the FAV and Friends Walk for Water? 13:55 Elizabeth first learned of the water crisis in Africa 13:57 while volunteering on mission trips 13:59 with Maranatha. 14:01 Having seen the life changing effect 14:04 a well brings to communities there. 14:06 Elizabeth freely shared her passion for water wells 14:09 with her neighbors back at home. 14:14 This included Mia Goldman and Emma Reeves, 14:16 two young women who have known Elizabeth 14:18 since they were little kids. 14:19 They're all wonderful, aren't they? 14:21 And then we have... 14:22 Miss Elizabeth has always been kind of this neighbor 14:25 that I was kind of growing up. 14:26 I've lived here since I was two, 14:29 and I've always looked at store. 14:31 "Oh, my gosh, that farm is amazing." 14:33 I wonder who lives there. 14:34 And finally, I get to meet this amazing woman, Elizabeth, 14:38 who's kind of just this creative person, 14:41 does what she wants, 14:42 built her own things, raises horses, 14:45 and she's kind of just been a role model to me, 14:47 probably since I was a little girl. 14:50 And I've always kind of wanted to be like her. 14:52 I met Elizabeth from, when I was like three, 14:55 when we moved here. 14:57 I always looked up to her. 14:58 I've just seen this crazy place with having all these horses 15:02 and having me be into horses, it really just made me... 15:06 She just inspired me. 15:07 And by chance and fate, 15:09 I was so lucky to be able to keep my horses here. 15:11 And I think over time our families have bonded. 15:14 And we really just spent a lot of time together. 15:17 My girls in this neighborhood 15:19 that they've been coming to my ranch here 15:23 since they were, you know, 4, 5, 6 years old. 15:26 They were tiny. 15:28 And they hang out here and we were painting 15:31 and they were talking about going to college. 15:33 And they knew I had been to Africa. 15:34 And they were asking me questions 15:36 about what I learned, what it was like. 15:40 And they started just like brainstorming 15:42 and I don't know, really whose idea it was. 15:44 And then they said, "Well, we could do this. 15:46 And we could do that." 15:47 And then they said, "Well, we have this club, 15:50 Female Athlete Volunteers." 15:51 And we have to find projects for them 15:54 in order to get points, and the club has to sponsor 15:58 so many events a year. 16:01 And so that's how it started. 16:04 FAV is Female Athlete Volunteers. 16:07 And it is an amazing group of young women, 16:11 especially in San Diego. 16:13 It's got about 200 plus members now, 16:15 and it's something I've been a part of 16:17 for probably 6 years now. 16:20 And we kind of go around San Diego 16:23 and participate in any volunteering events. 16:26 And this event especially was made for FAV, 16:30 which I think is really cool and unique. 16:32 And so Emma and Mia really took, 16:34 you know, took the bull by the horns, 16:36 and they contacted all their friends 16:38 and all the club members. 16:39 That's why we called it Female Athlete Volunteer and Friends, 16:42 because there were several people 16:43 that wanted to be involved that weren't in the club. 16:49 The idea was to raise money to drill 16:51 and set a water well for a community in Kenya. 16:55 Elizabeth was one of 26 Maranatha Volunteers 16:58 who built a dormitory at a school there. 17:05 The Maranatha well drilling team 17:07 was there too. 17:11 They discovered a source for water, 17:13 and it was one of the most prolific water wells 17:15 they had drilled in the country. 17:20 Elizabeth saw an opportunity 17:22 to encourage Emma and Mia back home. 17:25 Emma Reeves and Mia Goldman and all the Female Athletes... 17:28 Elizabeth sent us some clips of her experience in Africa. 17:32 Emma Reeves and Mia Goldman 17:36 and Female Athletes Volunteers, 17:40 thank you for the gift of water. 17:43 You are our sisters! 17:46 Right after she sent me those videos, 17:48 I kind of was tearing up 17:49 because they're like talking to me and Mia, 17:52 the girls in Africa. 17:54 And I was kind of like, "Wow, this is real." 17:56 Like, this is really touching, 17:59 and this is actually affecting people in Africa. 18:03 This specific fundraisers, I really wanted to help, 18:05 because these girls who are my age, 18:07 girls from like 5, 18:09 and like up to, like 50, they all go 18:13 and they just like walk 4 or 5 miles a day, 18:17 twice a day, carrying like 6 gallon buckets of water, 18:22 and it's just crazy. 18:23 And I think that they could really be 18:25 spending a lot of this time, 18:27 like gaining education, 18:29 and getting social skills with their friends. 18:31 And I really just want to help them 18:32 like gain these kinds of skills 18:34 that can help them be successful later in life. 18:39 The goal the group set for themselves $15,000, 18:43 the medium cost of drilling and setting a well in Kenya. 18:48 The event they created to bring attention to the need 18:51 walking a mile to a local pond to collect water in buckets, 18:55 and carry the water back to Hooterville 18:57 where it could be symbolically collected. 19:02 Hi, I'm Mia Goldman. 19:03 And I'm Emma Reeves. 19:04 And we're here in Carmel Valley 19:06 doing our first annual walk for water. 19:07 We're going to walk... 19:09 The three used Maranatha's online fundraising platform 19:11 to manage donations. 19:13 They would meet regularly to organize plan 19:15 and prep materials. 19:17 Emma and Mia's friends, Morgan and Megan 19:20 also joined the leadership team. 19:21 Yes. Yeah. 19:23 We just do Megan's 19:24 the one who lived across the street from us. 19:26 And we were like, I remember 19:28 when she was little, she used to make 19:29 so many of these little arts and crafts. 19:30 And we were just like, 19:32 "I wonder if she's all into it." 19:33 And she was. 19:34 And she was really willing to come over and help us. 19:36 And one day, she just decided to bring Morgan 19:38 and she was such a helpful part of the team. 19:40 And I think we work together so well. 19:43 And we just made it happen. 19:45 All of the girls put social media to work for them. 19:48 Emma drafted an email 19:49 and she sent it out to everyone. 19:51 I went around my school, 19:53 and there's a lots of social media, 19:55 I posted it everywhere I could, 19:57 I mean, highlights on my Instagram. 19:59 I made sure to tell all my friends 20:01 to go check out my link, and I'd send it to them. 20:04 And I had my dad, dad send it to all of his friends. 20:07 And I really just made sure that everyone knew about this, 20:10 because it's really important to me. 20:13 Local and regional press 20:14 also took note of Walk for Water. 20:18 The day of the event, 20:19 FAV volunteers, their friends, 20:21 and even a group of first graders 20:23 arrived ready to help. 20:26 And, of course, many moms ready to lend their support. 20:28 You want to use 20:29 on your ponytail or around your head? 20:31 I try to make cookies, 20:32 the first batch or the second batch made it. 20:33 Okay. 20:35 It smells like burnt cookies at my house now. 20:36 Oh, that's good. That's a good thing. 20:38 Yeah. 20:40 Each girl received a handmade name tag, 20:42 and the bracelet that Elizabeth brought home from Africa. 20:45 You wanna choose a bracelet? 20:46 And you can get a name tag? 20:48 They also were given a black and red checkered cloth, 20:51 they could use as a sash or bandana, 20:53 in honor of the blankets that are commonly used 20:55 during the cool Kenyan winters. 20:57 Every girl received a bucket, the little ones gallon buckets, 21:01 the bigger girls, 2 to 5 gallon buckets. 21:05 Without much fanfare, they were off. 21:17 I'll put it on my head. 21:18 Okay, you put it anywhere. 21:19 So what we're trying to do is represent 21:22 what African women do on a day to day basis, 21:26 and taking the fact that 21:28 they have to travel several miles, 21:31 several hours to just get water. 21:34 And it's not even clean water. 21:35 So we try to replicate that by taking our own buckets, 21:40 and getting a bunch of ladies in our community from, 21:43 like elementary school to high school, 21:46 and kind of show them what they go through every day. 21:49 I've been with these kids, since they were 21:50 single digit age, 21:52 they still call me Miss Elizabeth, 21:54 they still say they want to be like me 21:56 when they grow up. 21:57 I mean, what could make you feel better, 22:01 and if unless you're willing to give 22:03 and to share and to invest 22:05 in the greater community. 22:07 And one of the things that I've been, 22:10 I think I've been trying to teach all of them 22:13 is that even though we are just one person, 22:17 you are almost more if you think about, 22:19 we're more like a beehive. 22:20 We don't feel like a beehive. 22:22 But we're all working together, we're a huge community. 22:24 And the idea of them being able to reach 22:27 all the way around the world to Africa, 22:31 to people that they don't know and they'll never meet. 22:34 To say, you know, 22:36 we'd like to make a difference in your lives 22:38 is a way for them to be part of that that bigger beehive, 22:42 and to be part of the community. 22:59 Carrying that water was kind of a challenge. 23:02 And I wasn't even carrying that much water. 23:04 And I couldn't believe 23:05 how difficult it would be for girls, little girls 23:10 to travel hours with that much water every day. 23:14 It would be exhausting. 23:18 It's so amazing. 23:20 It's just such an amazing feeling 23:22 to know that I can be giving back to other people, 23:25 because living in this bubble is great, 23:27 but I haven't been able 23:29 to really experience the outer world. 23:31 And I feel like seeing all this 23:34 and doing all this research, 23:36 and just looking at all this, is just so like eye opening. 23:39 And I just really want to give back now, 23:41 like whenever I think of people 23:43 who just had these first world problems, 23:45 I'm just like, 23:47 well, I mean, it can be worse, 23:49 and I'm just so happy that I can give back. 23:52 It just makes me feel so amazing 23:54 that my peers on the other side of the world 23:56 can have a chance of living a normal lifestyle. 24:01 After the walk, 24:03 the girls celebrated with pizza. 24:05 So even though girls my age may think 24:07 that they can't make a difference in the world, 24:09 if you grab a couple of your friends together 24:11 and send it a couple emails, 24:13 it will just make a world of change, 24:15 because we've raised over $11,000, 24:18 just the four of us. 24:20 And it's hopefully going to make a well 24:23 for a whole village. 24:26 As of today, 24:27 Walk for Water has raised 24:29 $15,585. 24:34 A well will be drilled 24:35 and a pump placed in a village in Kenya. 24:40 The experience of fundraising for wells in Africa 24:43 inspired Mia to take her involvement a step further. 24:46 A couple months after the event, 24:48 Mia, her mom, and her brother 24:49 traveled to Kenya to meet firsthand, 24:51 the people to whom Maranatha is reaching out. 24:56 They volunteered at the Gucha school in Kisii, 24:59 building a much needed classroom. 25:01 It's an experience that sure to ignite 25:03 more involvement from Mia. 25:07 We live in a bubble. 25:10 Yeah, we're in San Diego, and beautiful homes. 25:13 We wake up every morning 25:15 and you're just in paradise. 25:18 And when you think about how lucky we are 25:22 and then, I mean, it doesn't that make us responsible 25:25 for sharing our luck 25:27 and sharing our wealth with others. 25:29 I mean if you imagine that a world where nobody shared, 25:34 if nobody was willing to give back, 25:38 if we all just kept it to ourselves. 25:40 I mean, we really depend on people, 25:44 and their generosity and their need to share 25:48 to make the world a better place 25:49 and it helps them. 26:05 Along with Kenya, Maranatha is drilling wells 26:08 in Zambia, India and Brazil. 26:10 Help us bring clean water to communities in need 26:13 by making a donation. 26:14 Go to maranatha.org to give today. 26:28 Get into the spirit of this year's 26:30 Mission Maranatha event 26:32 by joining a convention project. 26:34 From September 8 to 19, 26:35 you have two choices for projects 26:37 that could use your help. 26:39 In Healdsburg, California, 26:40 join us at Rio Lindo Academy for a dorm renovation. 26:44 We'll be doing light construction, roofing 26:46 and painting for this project. 26:48 Rio Lindo is a boarding and day school located 26:50 about 60 miles north of San Francisco. 26:53 Your help will go a long way in providing an improved space 26:57 for the high school students, they call it a campus home. 27:00 If you'd prefer working in the Sierra Nevada's 27:02 head over to Leoni Meadows Christian camp 27:04 and retreat center Instead. 27:06 We're looking for volunteers to help us with painting, 27:08 bathroom re-modeling, forestry work, 27:10 and some roofing along with other tasks. 27:13 After you're done at Leoni Meadows and Rio Lindo, 27:16 head over to Sacramento for our convention weekend, 27:18 which kicks off with the special 27:20 50th anniversary dinner on Thursday, 27:22 September 19. 27:23 Learn more about these other opportunities 27:25 at maranatha.org 27:31 When it comes to making a positive impact in the world, 27:34 there are no age limits. 27:36 Passion, creativity, and gumption 27:39 are the only ingredients necessary to make a change, 27:42 because whether you're 9 or 90, 27:44 God sees potential in all of us 27:47 and we are all His messengers of grace. |
Revised 2019-08-08