Hi, I'm Hilary Macias
with the Maranatha Minute.
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.16
This week more
than 50 volunteers
00:00:03.20\00:00:05.37
wrapped up a
project at Camp Alamisco,
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a camp and retreat
center in Central Alabama.
00:00:07.90\00:00:10.61
Participants
tackled major renovations
00:00:10.64\00:00:12.64
in eight rooms in the lodge.
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This required
complete demolition
00:00:14.64\00:00:16.41
and new framing,
00:00:16.44\00:00:17.78
as well as installing
everything from sheetrock
00:00:17.81\00:00:19.75
and plumbing to
windows and doors.
00:00:19.78\00:00:21.82
Volunteers also
worked to beautify the campus
00:00:21.85\00:00:24.19
through landscaping.
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The project recruited
14 brand new volunteers,
00:00:25.79\00:00:28.59
including one from Brazil.
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Several have signed up
for future mission trips
00:00:30.56\00:00:32.93
due to the wonderful experience
they had on this project.
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Camp Alamisco is the
second of five projects
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Maranatha has
scheduled this year
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at camp and retreat
centers all over the US.
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The work of our volunteers
provides a much-needed boost
00:00:43.61\00:00:46.34
for these organizations.
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Learn more about
00:00:48.11\00:00:49.44
numerous volunteer
opportunities in North America
00:00:49.48\00:00:51.35
and around the
world at Go: Maranatha!
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our mini convention
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in Chattanooga,
Tennessee on March 7.
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Visit our website to learn more.
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Maranatha's history
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is full of
extraordinary moments of faith
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that illustrate God's
leading in the mission.
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He has been faithful
every step of the way,
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even through what appeared
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to be the most
impossible requests.
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Today's story
looks at two places
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that stretched
Maranatha in many ways
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as an organization, physically,
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mentally and spiritually.
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The first location
is in the Caribbean
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on an island that
was closed to the world,
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but surprisingly open
to the gospel message.
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The year is 1993.
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Maranatha is energized
00:02:03.45\00:02:04.92
by the success
of a large project
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called Santo Domingo 92.
00:02:06.82\00:02:09.02
And has just finished
construction of 15 new churches
00:02:09.06\00:02:12.03
and three schools in Guatemala.
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The leaders of the
project gathered at their hotel
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around the pizza to
evaluate next steps.
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There was a guy
named Tem Suarez there.
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And Tem, of course,
was a Cuban-American.
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He was on our board of directors
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and he
constantly was bringing up,
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"Cuba this, Cuba
that," and everybody's going,
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"Yeah, that's Tem, he's Cuban."
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So this night, he got a
little bit more traction.
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And Don Folkenberg
was there and Bob Paulson,
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we're sitting around just,
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"Okay, we finished Guatemala,
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what...
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Where's the next big
push? What's exciting?
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What can we do to
change some place for God?
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I mean, that's
really what it was.
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And, of course, Tem,
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"I know where we can go to.
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Let's take a look at Cuba."
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And somebody says, I
don't remember who it was.
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And he's like, "Well, you
know, you can't go into Cuba.
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It's closed country,
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and like a lot of
these countries are closed.
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And giving credit
completely where it is due here.
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God worked through a
guy named Garwin McNeilus.
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The main challenge
was to get our nerve
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to go in the first place.
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Garwin was a get
stuff done kind of guy.
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And Garwin
says, "Have you tried?
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Has anybody really tried?
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You say you can't do it.
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How do we know we can't do it?
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We don't know we can't do
it. I haven't been down there.
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You've been down
there? Tem says we can go.
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Let's go."
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Many times you hear we
can't go into a country.
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And really, we haven't tried.
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And we had talked about
Cuba and the need in Cuba.
00:03:50.69\00:03:54.70
And I said, "Let's go to Cuba."
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You know, do it.
So Maranatha did.
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So we put together a
team, there's five of us,
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and a couple months later
00:04:05.87\00:04:08.01
we made our first
trip down to Cuba.
00:04:08.04\00:04:10.21
In 1994,
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when we first came over here,
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the church was
very, very depressed,
00:04:17.49\00:04:20.46
very demoralized,
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the buildings
were falling apart.
00:04:21.86\00:04:23.49
The ministers were real,
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honest and good and
were down and dumped,
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that would be in plain language.
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I remember the first
meeting in particular,
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we met with all the ministers
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from one end of
the island to another.
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It was just like the Holy Spirit
00:04:37.34\00:04:38.67
was over there, was touching us.
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More than 100 people
crowded into that meeting room
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at the Union Office in Havana.
00:04:44.78\00:04:47.12
In the room,
there was a white board.
00:04:47.15\00:04:49.55
Based on the need
that was expressed,
00:04:49.58\00:04:52.09
it was determined to move
ahead with 100 new churches
00:04:52.12\00:04:55.72
and 100 renovated churches
00:04:55.76\00:04:58.26
as well as 100
evangelistic campaigns
00:04:58.29\00:05:01.56
and the
production of literature,
00:05:01.60\00:05:03.93
to penetrate the areas
surrounding those churches.
00:05:03.97\00:05:07.44
The entire project was
called, "Christ for Cuba."
00:05:07.47\00:05:12.14
Unlike similar projects
in the Dominican Republic,
00:05:12.17\00:05:14.94
Mexico and Guatemala,
00:05:14.98\00:05:17.05
it would take several
years to build and renovate
00:05:17.08\00:05:19.55
200 sanctuaries,
00:05:19.58\00:05:21.28
but the work progressed
00:05:21.32\00:05:23.02
and baptisms increased ten-fold.
00:05:23.05\00:05:27.69
Maranatha rebuilt the
country's aging seminary.
00:05:27.72\00:05:31.76
Students came
from around the world
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to take advantage of
this post-graduate facility.
00:05:34.13\00:05:38.57
The seminary was
lacking a sanctuary.
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Again, Maranatha
Volunteers International
00:05:41.24\00:05:43.97
took an empty space
on the seminary grounds
00:05:44.01\00:05:46.47
and transformed it
00:05:46.51\00:05:47.84
into an inviting place
of worship and fellowship.
00:05:47.88\00:05:52.85
From the very first meeting
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Don Noble had
with Pastor Fontaine,
00:05:54.25\00:05:56.69
it was clear that one
of the churches on the list
00:05:56.72\00:05:58.95
that was growing and
needed to be expanded
00:05:58.99\00:06:01.36
was the Cardenas Church.
00:06:01.39\00:06:03.59
The tiny church was
filled to capacity every week
00:06:03.63\00:06:06.26
with many members forced to
sit outside on the verandah.
00:06:06.29\00:06:11.97
Cardenas located about
100 miles east of Havana
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is very near Varadero Beach,
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a magnet of
tourism on the island.
00:06:17.81\00:06:20.88
The city's leadership was
not friendly to Adventists
00:06:20.91\00:06:23.88
and created obstacles,
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making the construction
of a new church there
00:06:25.65\00:06:28.18
next to impossible.
00:06:28.22\00:06:31.59
Fifteen years into the process,
00:06:31.62\00:06:33.96
Don Noble visited the
anxious church members.
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This is unfortunately
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I have to tell
you that right now
00:06:38.29\00:06:39.63
we have neither permission
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nor the money to
build this church.
00:06:41.03\00:06:43.16
And the reaction
we got was something
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I've never seen before, I
hope I don't see it again.
00:06:47.07\00:06:49.80
It was the entire
church just started crying,
00:06:49.84\00:06:53.98
wailing some of them.
00:06:54.01\00:06:55.61
It was absolutely horrible.
00:06:55.64\00:06:58.51
The congregation was crushed.
00:07:11.03\00:07:13.70
Don was heavy hearted.
00:07:13.73\00:07:15.60
Maranatha had been working
on a solution for Cardenas
00:07:15.63\00:07:18.40
for more than 15 years.
00:07:18.43\00:07:20.67
Could it...
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Should it really be over?
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Don turned to prayer.
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So he says,
00:07:25.77\00:07:27.11
"Well, you know, I've
seen God do some amazing things
00:07:27.14\00:07:30.05
on this island and in
a lot of other places,
00:07:30.08\00:07:31.95
so, you still have prayer left
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and you got a mighty God
00:07:34.52\00:07:35.95
and I know that you
believe in that God.
00:07:35.98\00:07:37.85
So, I think we should pray.
00:07:37.89\00:07:40.56
She was marching up the front,
very confident, turned around.
00:08:01.11\00:08:04.71
She folded her
hands, I can still see her.
00:08:04.75\00:08:07.92
She looked up, not
down, she looked up.
00:08:07.95\00:08:09.95
She says
00:08:09.98\00:08:11.32
"Dear Jesus, thank you
for giving us a new church.
00:08:11.35\00:08:15.16
Amen."
00:08:15.19\00:08:16.89
It was a pivotal
moment in the Cardenas story.
00:08:16.93\00:08:20.10
This was about more
than building the church.
00:08:20.13\00:08:23.30
It was about faith.
00:08:23.33\00:08:24.67
And I'm sitting
there going, wow.
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I think God's going
to answer that prayer.
00:08:28.37\00:08:30.41
I mean, how's
He going to say no.
00:08:30.44\00:08:32.74
In late 2015,
00:09:06.88\00:09:08.81
a small crew
assembled in Cardenas
00:09:08.84\00:09:10.65
to break ground and
tear down the old building.
00:09:10.68\00:09:13.85
After more than
30 years of prayer,
00:09:13.88\00:09:16.08
20 years of permit applications
00:09:16.12\00:09:17.92
and an enduring test of faith,
00:09:17.95\00:09:20.29
Maranatha
Volunteers International
00:09:20.32\00:09:22.82
received final
permission to begin construction
00:09:22.86\00:09:25.63
on the new Cardenas Church.
00:09:25.66\00:09:27.66
Immediately construction began.
00:09:27.70\00:09:30.07
And just as quickly,
00:09:30.10\00:09:31.53
Maranatha created an
opportunity for volunteers
00:09:31.57\00:09:35.00
to head to Cuba
00:09:35.04\00:09:36.37
for a two-week
construction project.
00:09:36.40\00:09:38.51
Local crews worked
alongside the volunteers.
00:09:44.01\00:09:47.05
They continued building
00:09:47.08\00:09:48.42
long after the
volunteers returned home.
00:09:48.45\00:09:51.05
Eighteen months later,
after decades of prayer,
00:09:51.09\00:09:54.19
the Cardenas
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:09:54.22\00:09:56.12
was transformed
from this to this.
00:09:56.16\00:09:59.63
Thousands of church
members from all over the island
00:10:03.87\00:10:06.87
came to the dedication.
00:10:06.90\00:10:08.27
And today in the morning,
I was here and two guys came.
00:10:35.83\00:10:40.64
They were not Christian.
00:10:40.67\00:10:42.30
And they came in,
00:10:42.34\00:10:43.67
they were watching the church
00:10:43.71\00:10:45.64
and they were
talking about how beautiful,
00:10:45.67\00:10:48.41
how nice the church was.
00:10:48.44\00:10:51.08
For this city is,
00:10:51.11\00:10:53.31
this church is very important
00:10:53.35\00:10:55.52
because the Adventist Church
in this city is very famous,
00:10:55.55\00:10:59.72
everybody know it.
00:10:59.75\00:11:01.36
It is a sanctuary worthy
of the God that represents.
00:11:39.33\00:11:42.76
The sanctuary can
accommodate 500 people,
00:11:42.80\00:11:45.63
in the fellowship hall upstairs
connected by video and sound,
00:11:45.67\00:11:49.10
another 250 people.
00:11:49.14\00:11:50.91
You know, this church is
built clearly on the foundation,
00:12:53.30\00:12:58.07
the reality, the power
of prayer without question.
00:12:58.11\00:13:02.94
And frankly,
00:13:10.92\00:13:12.49
the future is more
important than the history.
00:13:12.52\00:13:14.62
The history is
very valuable here,
00:13:14.66\00:13:17.13
and they've
learned a lot of lessons.
00:13:17.16\00:13:18.73
But the future is
what this church is about,
00:13:18.76\00:13:20.60
and it's going to
be a great lighthouse
00:13:20.63\00:13:21.96
in the, in the
Cardenas community.
00:13:22.00\00:13:24.03
Today, Maranatha
Volunteers International
00:13:29.44\00:13:32.57
continues in prayer and faith
00:13:32.61\00:13:34.91
to answer the call
from the church in Cuba.
00:13:34.94\00:13:39.55
From our beginnings
there in 1994 till now,
00:13:39.58\00:13:43.49
the Adventist Church in Cuba
00:13:43.52\00:13:45.35
remains close to
the heart of Maranatha.
00:13:45.39\00:13:48.96
Christ for Cuba,
then, now and tomorrow.
00:13:48.99\00:13:54.23
Coming up next,
00:14:08.68\00:14:10.01
we head to a country of
more than a billion people
00:14:10.05\00:14:12.95
and a billion reasons to
keep sharing the mission.
00:14:12.98\00:14:16.42
For more than a decade,
00:14:30.93\00:14:32.40
Maranatha mission stories
has taken you around the world,
00:14:32.43\00:14:35.77
showing you the need
00:14:35.80\00:14:37.14
and challenging
you to get involved.
00:14:37.17\00:14:40.64
Now we're
introducing new ways for you
00:14:40.68\00:14:43.14
to stay informed and
inspired about the mission.
00:14:43.18\00:14:47.22
Watch your favorite episode
of Maranatha mission stories,
00:14:47.25\00:14:50.19
as well as
other Maranatha videos
00:14:50.22\00:14:52.15
on your Apple TV.
00:14:52.19\00:14:54.89
Visit the App Store,
00:14:54.92\00:14:56.26
search for the Maranatha channel
00:14:56.29\00:14:57.96
and hit install.
00:14:57.99\00:15:01.63
You'll have access
00:15:01.66\00:15:03.00
to all of our
latest video content,
00:15:03.03\00:15:04.87
and you can watch anytime.
00:15:04.90\00:15:06.94
Our videos are available
on demand 24 hours a day.
00:15:06.97\00:15:11.37
Our content can
also be viewed on Roku
00:15:11.41\00:15:13.71
and Amazon Fire TV.
00:15:13.74\00:15:16.44
The Maranatha channel,
00:15:16.48\00:15:17.95
bringing mission
adventures to your living room.
00:15:17.98\00:15:20.52
There are certain
events in Maranatha's history
00:15:27.92\00:15:30.53
that helped to
catapult the organization
00:15:30.56\00:15:32.46
to new levels of productivity,
00:15:32.49\00:15:34.50
events that pushed Maranatha
to think bigger and aim higher.
00:15:34.53\00:15:39.63
Among those is India,
00:15:39.67\00:15:41.50
a place where Maranatha
has invested in the mission
00:15:41.54\00:15:44.27
to build people and communities.
00:15:44.31\00:15:46.51
The 1990s were a faith
building decade for Maranatha.
00:15:52.21\00:15:56.69
God led the organization
through a large-scale project
00:15:56.72\00:16:00.02
in the Dominican Republic
00:16:00.06\00:16:03.36
and miraculous construction
on the island of Cuba.
00:16:03.39\00:16:08.06
But when God leads,
00:16:08.10\00:16:09.60
there are always new challenges.
00:16:09.63\00:16:11.70
This time, on the
subcontinent of India.
00:16:11.73\00:16:15.07
Maranatha started in India
00:16:15.10\00:16:16.50
actually in the
early middle 80s,
00:16:16.54\00:16:20.21
the campus north of
Delhi called Roorkee,
00:16:20.24\00:16:24.05
but it was a common
goal, do a project, leave.
00:16:24.08\00:16:27.15
It wasn't the long,
00:16:27.18\00:16:28.68
continued
involvement that started
00:16:28.72\00:16:32.15
probably a little
more than 20 years ago now.
00:16:32.19\00:16:35.39
At the time,
00:16:35.42\00:16:36.76
the Adventist
Church was struggling.
00:16:36.79\00:16:39.09
Adventists represented
00:16:39.13\00:16:40.66
a small percentage of
the general population
00:16:40.70\00:16:43.57
and the places
they had to worship,
00:16:43.60\00:16:45.53
didn't inspire
others to join them.
00:16:45.57\00:16:49.50
Ron Watts,
00:16:49.54\00:16:50.87
president of the
Adventist Church in India
00:16:50.91\00:16:52.91
at the time
reached out to Maranatha
00:16:52.94\00:16:55.21
for help in growing
their fledgling group.
00:16:55.24\00:16:57.68
I asked Ron at that time is,
00:16:57.71\00:17:00.02
"Ron how many
members do you have?"
00:17:00.05\00:17:01.62
He says, "Well, in the
books we have about 200,000."
00:17:01.65\00:17:03.79
He says,
00:17:03.82\00:17:05.15
"Really, I have to tell
you it's not more than 100,000.
00:17:05.19\00:17:08.12
And we really need
a new church here."
00:17:08.16\00:17:12.39
He said, "This is a huge,
00:17:12.43\00:17:15.36
huge area of primarily Hindus
00:17:15.40\00:17:19.43
that don't even
know who Jesus is,
00:17:19.47\00:17:21.80
never heard of Him.
00:17:21.84\00:17:23.17
Don't know anything
about the Creator God,
00:17:23.20\00:17:24.81
don't know
anything about salvation."
00:17:24.84\00:17:26.88
He says, "This is
what we're here for.
00:17:26.91\00:17:29.44
That's what we should be doing."
00:17:29.48\00:17:31.91
Although Maranatha
had previously done
00:17:31.95\00:17:33.95
a handful of projects in India,
00:17:33.98\00:17:36.05
the decision was
made to establish
00:17:36.08\00:17:37.85
a permanent
presence in the country
00:17:37.89\00:17:39.89
to facilitate
evangelism meetings
00:17:39.92\00:17:41.96
and build churches.
00:17:41.99\00:17:43.43
And then we started talking
00:17:43.46\00:17:45.16
and we moved our leadership
00:17:45.19\00:17:49.30
from Cuba over to India,
00:17:49.33\00:17:53.17
to start
overseeing those campaigns
00:17:53.20\00:17:55.54
and to start some construction
00:17:55.57\00:17:56.91
and we didn't know
where it was going,
00:17:56.94\00:17:58.34
but it went.
00:17:58.37\00:18:00.91
Garwin McNeilus,
00:18:00.94\00:18:02.28
a businessman from Minnesota
was asked to get involved.
00:18:02.31\00:18:05.88
Ron Watts said,
00:18:05.91\00:18:08.02
"Why don't you
come and do an Effort?"
00:18:08.05\00:18:10.62
And I said, "Sure, we'll go."
00:18:10.65\00:18:12.79
Now, I've never done an Effort.
00:18:12.82\00:18:15.22
And so I contacted
my friend, Bob Paulson,
00:18:15.26\00:18:19.26
who I knew could
do the preaching,
00:18:19.29\00:18:22.83
and Maranatha helped
us and we set up Tenali.
00:18:22.86\00:18:26.00
We had over
3,000 people in Tenali,
00:18:26.03\00:18:29.50
it was just overwhelming.
00:18:29.54\00:18:31.14
And what took me a back
00:18:31.17\00:18:32.81
when we closed up
00:18:32.84\00:18:34.44
all 3, 000
wanted special prayer.
00:18:34.48\00:18:37.41
And they just crowded around you
00:18:37.45\00:18:38.98
and the hunger
and the willingness.
00:18:39.01\00:18:42.25
The success there
00:18:42.28\00:18:43.62
led to the
organization of larger meetings
00:18:43.65\00:18:45.72
in the town of Ongole.
00:18:45.75\00:18:47.19
I remember the
big Ongole project
00:18:47.22\00:18:49.42
of over 50, 000
people are listening
00:18:49.46\00:18:53.43
to Bob Paulson stand up and say,
00:18:53.46\00:18:56.93
I want to introduce you
to not just any old god,
00:18:56.97\00:19:00.17
not just another
god, but the Creator God.
00:19:00.20\00:19:03.67
And they're all
listening to this.
00:19:03.71\00:19:05.57
And it was powerful.
00:19:05.61\00:19:07.38
It was just overwhelming.
00:19:07.41\00:19:10.78
And Maranatha was
just deeply involved
00:19:10.81\00:19:13.62
in organizing and coordinating
the effort of all the churches.
00:19:13.65\00:19:19.35
But I just can't
help but thank in heaven.
00:19:19.39\00:19:23.09
What it'd be like when
we have India homecoming.
00:19:23.12\00:19:28.43
There'll be thousands
and thousands of people
00:19:28.46\00:19:30.23
there as a result of it.
00:19:30.27\00:19:34.04
The 50,000 people in the crowd
00:19:34.07\00:19:36.44
weren't the only ones listening.
00:19:36.47\00:19:38.67
Halfway across the world,
00:19:38.71\00:19:40.41
this meeting would
have an impact on a family
00:19:40.44\00:19:42.58
living in Medford, Oregon.
00:19:42.61\00:19:44.48
I had no idea
about going to India
00:19:44.51\00:19:46.85
or anyplace else.
00:19:46.88\00:19:48.22
I was happy to stay home
00:19:48.25\00:19:50.89
on the United
States side of everything.
00:19:50.92\00:19:53.32
Didn't look forward
to traveling at all.
00:19:53.36\00:19:55.92
Merlin found,
00:19:55.96\00:19:57.36
he was watching television
00:19:57.39\00:19:59.23
and he's
watching Garwin McNeilus.
00:19:59.26\00:20:02.33
And they've been doing
00:20:02.36\00:20:04.23
evangelistic
meetings over in Ongole.
00:20:04.27\00:20:08.57
And he's intently watching that.
00:20:08.60\00:20:11.17
When it was over, he said,
"I think we could do that."
00:20:11.21\00:20:15.68
And I was just shocked.
00:20:15.71\00:20:17.65
We could do that.
00:20:17.68\00:20:19.01
Well, yeah, I think we could.
00:20:19.05\00:20:22.02
The television
program they watched
00:20:22.05\00:20:23.99
was a report
put together by 3ABN
00:20:24.02\00:20:26.55
highlighting
the recent meetings.
00:20:26.59\00:20:31.06
Well, JoAnn and
her husband Merlin
00:20:31.09\00:20:32.83
didn't know was their
son Bruce was also watching
00:20:32.86\00:20:36.60
and felt
impressed to get involved.
00:20:36.63\00:20:40.14
I was committed
to call Don on Monday
00:20:40.17\00:20:42.87
and tell him that
00:20:42.90\00:20:44.37
I'd like to go
over there in India
00:20:44.41\00:20:45.74
some time and help there.
00:20:45.77\00:20:47.38
I need an opening
00:20:47.41\00:20:49.94
and just a few
minutes my dad called.
00:20:49.98\00:20:52.81
And he said,
00:20:52.85\00:20:54.18
"Hey, have you ever
thought about going to India?"
00:20:54.22\00:20:56.48
And I said, "Matter of
fact I have and I will go."
00:20:56.52\00:21:00.29
Six months later,
00:21:00.32\00:21:01.76
Bruce was on an
airplane headed to India.
00:21:01.79\00:21:04.69
Merlin joined
him on the next trip.
00:21:04.73\00:21:07.00
But JoAnn in her 70s
00:21:07.03\00:21:09.10
wasn't sure about
making the long journey.
00:21:09.13\00:21:11.90
She wondered if
there was anything
00:21:11.93\00:21:13.54
she could
contribute to the effort.
00:21:13.57\00:21:15.84
Bruce said to me,
00:21:15.87\00:21:18.27
"You can go.
00:21:18.31\00:21:20.21
And even if you just hug
the ladies and smile at them,
00:21:20.24\00:21:25.51
if you can't understand them,
00:21:25.55\00:21:27.25
they're going
to understand you."
00:21:27.28\00:21:29.38
So that's what I did.
00:21:29.42\00:21:31.02
I went to India
and I gave them hugs.
00:21:31.05\00:21:34.46
I was 72 the first
time I went to India.
00:21:34.49\00:21:38.69
And the culture
shock was so severe.
00:21:38.73\00:21:44.30
It was like, I need
to fix these things.
00:21:44.33\00:21:49.00
These poor people,
they don't have anything.
00:21:49.04\00:21:53.17
And yet they're happy.
00:21:53.21\00:21:55.31
And I kept talking
to Merlin about it.
00:21:55.34\00:21:57.71
And he said,
00:21:57.75\00:21:59.21
"I want to tell you something.
00:21:59.25\00:22:02.58
By coming here and
helping them to know
00:22:02.62\00:22:05.65
that there is a Creator God,
00:22:05.69\00:22:08.16
that we're helping them
00:22:08.19\00:22:11.33
with the greatest
thing that they can have."
00:22:11.36\00:22:14.66
The Fjarli Family
was hooked on India.
00:22:14.70\00:22:17.63
Not only did they continue
00:22:17.67\00:22:19.00
to conduct evangelism campaigns,
00:22:19.03\00:22:21.40
they also helped to
fund hundreds of churches
00:22:21.44\00:22:24.04
in several
large school campuses.
00:22:24.07\00:22:26.51
The Fjarli Family
00:22:26.54\00:22:28.38
really got involved
in India in a major way.
00:22:28.41\00:22:31.88
And I don't have any
question that God used them.
00:22:31.91\00:22:34.72
Merlin Fjarli, I've
known since the 60s.
00:22:34.75\00:22:39.25
Tough guy.
00:22:39.29\00:22:41.52
Committed guy, generous.
00:22:41.56\00:22:45.89
Man of few words.
00:22:45.93\00:22:47.80
So I want the
best bang for the buck,
00:22:47.83\00:22:50.53
that was his line,
00:22:50.57\00:22:51.90
want the best bang for the buck.
00:22:51.93\00:22:53.74
And he felt that in
a society like India,
00:22:53.77\00:22:56.40
where there's so many people,
00:22:56.44\00:22:57.97
he could get the
best bang for the buck.
00:22:58.01\00:23:01.21
You leave India,
but it never leaves you.
00:23:01.24\00:23:04.81
And to think about going back,
00:23:04.85\00:23:06.72
I had to go back.
00:23:10.15\00:23:11.52
It was such a
blessing to see that
00:23:11.55\00:23:17.49
I could put smiles on
the little kids' faces.
00:23:17.53\00:23:20.63
And I just had to
go back, it was...
00:23:20.66\00:23:25.53
I think the Lord
put it in my heart
00:23:25.57\00:23:28.27
to treasure the times in India.
00:23:28.30\00:23:32.34
Maranatha has worked in
India for more than 20 years.
00:23:32.37\00:23:36.14
Today, more
than 2,000 structures
00:23:36.18\00:23:38.98
stand as influential
anchors in their communities,
00:23:39.01\00:23:42.55
monuments to a living God.
00:23:42.58\00:23:45.69
You build a building,
00:23:45.72\00:23:47.26
and those same ones
that were built in the 90s
00:23:47.29\00:23:50.43
are producing souls today.
00:23:50.46\00:23:53.73
And they've spawned
00:23:53.76\00:23:55.10
and the next one, they spawned
00:23:55.13\00:23:56.46
and the church
family as a result,
00:23:56.50\00:23:59.43
there will be
thousands in eternity
00:23:59.47\00:24:01.97
as a result of that one project.
00:24:02.00\00:24:04.87
But the impact goes
beyond the people of India.
00:24:04.91\00:24:09.78
You think you got to
go there to change people
00:24:09.81\00:24:15.12
and let them know
that there is a real God
00:24:15.15\00:24:18.35
that knows them
and it changed us.
00:24:18.39\00:24:24.53
And it changed my husband
00:24:24.56\00:24:26.13
more than I could ever
have dreamed that it would.
00:24:26.16\00:24:30.83
Merlin passed away in 2014.
00:24:30.87\00:24:33.94
But his sons Bruce and Clint
00:24:33.97\00:24:35.77
have continued the
family's legacy of service.
00:24:35.80\00:24:39.67
I think dad was really
blessed by going to India.
00:24:39.71\00:24:45.81
And raising the
money to invest in India.
00:24:45.85\00:24:50.32
He had fun doing that, he
was blessed by doing that.
00:24:50.35\00:24:56.59
It softened him.
00:24:56.62\00:24:58.59
It exposed a
soft side in his heart
00:24:58.63\00:25:05.30
that most people never saw.
00:25:05.33\00:25:11.47
It was just amazing.
00:25:11.51\00:25:13.48
From my perspective, I
think it's just a miracle.
00:25:13.51\00:25:17.15
And our families
has been part of it,
00:25:17.18\00:25:21.25
which is quite a blessing that,
00:25:21.28\00:25:23.49
you know, once
God's work gets rolling,
00:25:23.52\00:25:26.45
it's pretty hard to stop Him.
00:25:26.49\00:25:28.36
With a little bit of help,
00:25:28.39\00:25:30.43
and we've been very
blessed to be able to help.
00:25:30.46\00:25:33.46
Maranatha's commitment
to India is unwavering.
00:25:33.50\00:25:36.87
As more and more people
are longing to hear the gospel,
00:25:36.90\00:25:42.00
there continues to be requests
00:25:42.04\00:25:43.71
for more churches
and schools in India.
00:25:43.74\00:25:46.17
And in 2018,
00:25:46.21\00:25:47.98
Maranatha started
drilling water wells
00:25:48.01\00:25:50.48
in areas of great need.
00:25:50.51\00:25:52.51
And they came into India,
00:25:52.55\00:25:54.78
a wonderful reunion
with a lot of people
00:25:54.82\00:25:59.25
that gave their heart to Jesus.
00:25:59.29\00:26:01.66
It's an awesome thing to do.
00:26:01.69\00:26:03.49
And I'm going to do it again,
00:26:03.53\00:26:07.23
except I would have
started 30 years sooner.
00:26:07.26\00:26:12.53
As Maranatha
continues working in India,
00:26:12.57\00:26:15.20
your support is
needed in the country.
00:26:15.24\00:26:17.37
Please make a
donation toward church school
00:26:17.41\00:26:20.14
or water well projects in India.
00:26:20.18\00:26:22.38
Call the number on your screen
or visit maranatha.org to give.
00:26:22.41\00:26:26.55
It's not too early
00:26:40.56\00:26:41.90
to start planning your
next mission adventure.
00:26:41.93\00:26:44.27
From June 11-23, 2020,
00:26:44.30\00:26:46.57
join us at the
Kajiado Adventist School
00:26:46.60\00:26:48.60
and Rescue Center in Kenya.
00:26:48.64\00:26:50.61
Volunteers will help to
lay block on new classrooms
00:26:50.64\00:26:53.27
as well as
conducts community outreach.
00:26:53.31\00:26:55.84
Kajiado is home to Maasai girls
00:26:55.88\00:26:58.01
who have
escaped child marriages.
00:26:58.05\00:27:00.02
Help us expand their campus
00:27:00.05\00:27:01.58
so that the girls
have an opportunity
00:27:01.62\00:27:03.25
to further their education.
00:27:03.28\00:27:05.59
Registration for this
project will open soon,
00:27:05.62\00:27:07.89
so stay tuned
for further details.
00:27:07.92\00:27:10.36
You can also stay a
little closer to home
00:27:10.39\00:27:12.43
and volunteer at
Milo Adventist Academy,
00:27:12.46\00:27:14.76
June 2-16.
00:27:14.80\00:27:16.46
Situated in Days Creek, Oregon,
00:27:16.50\00:27:18.30
this school has
educated thousands of students,
00:27:18.33\00:27:20.84
but their facilities
could use a little renovation.
00:27:20.87\00:27:23.57
Volunteers on this
project will help with tasks
00:27:23.61\00:27:25.64
such as demolition, framing,
00:27:25.67\00:27:27.74
painting,
electrical and landscaping.
00:27:27.78\00:27:30.31
As with all
projects in North America,
00:27:30.35\00:27:32.41
food and
lodging will be provided
00:27:32.45\00:27:33.92
in exchange for your service.
00:27:33.95\00:27:35.32
Just be sure to
register before you arrive.
00:27:35.35\00:27:37.65
Visit our website for more.
00:27:37.69\00:27:41.82
From the very beginning
00:27:41.86\00:27:43.19
and through every triumph
and bump in the road since,
00:27:43.22\00:27:46.09
God has had His
hand in the development
00:27:46.13\00:27:48.13
and growth of Maranatha.
00:27:48.16\00:27:50.30
They have been His volunteers,
00:27:50.33\00:27:53.50
His projects and His mission.
00:27:53.54\00:27:57.67