Hi, I'm Hilary Macias with the Maranatha Minute. 00:00:01.36\00:00:02.96 In northeastern India, 00:00:03.00\00:00:04.33 there is a Seventh-day Adventist School 00:00:04.37\00:00:05.83 called Jingshai Mihngi. 00:00:05.87\00:00:07.24 It boasts an enrollment of 476 children 00:00:07.27\00:00:10.04 and parents praise the school's academic curriculum 00:00:10.07\00:00:12.44 and caring teachers. 00:00:12.47\00:00:14.01 But beyond buildings that are falling apart, 00:00:14.04\00:00:16.18 there's one major complaint, the smell. 00:00:16.21\00:00:19.01 The Jingshai Mihngi School 00:00:19.05\00:00:20.38 is located right next to an open sewer line. 00:00:20.42\00:00:22.98 They've long needed a new school on a new property. 00:00:23.02\00:00:25.62 And finally after years of prayer, 00:00:25.65\00:00:27.69 the Jingshai Mihngi School got their answer. 00:00:27.72\00:00:30.39 In February, 00:00:30.43\00:00:31.76 37 Maranatha volunteers arrived to build classrooms. 00:00:31.79\00:00:35.03 Volunteers also organized 00:00:35.06\00:00:36.46 a children's program for the community 00:00:36.50\00:00:38.23 and offered an evangelistic series 00:00:38.27\00:00:39.90 at the local church. 00:00:39.93\00:00:41.44 The Jingshai Mihngi School 00:00:41.47\00:00:42.80 is just one of several Maranatha projects in India. 00:00:42.84\00:00:45.11 Currently, 00:00:45.14\00:00:46.47 local Maranatha crews are working on churches 00:00:46.51\00:00:48.11 and educational structures in other parts of the country. 00:00:48.14\00:00:51.15 If you're interested 00:00:51.18\00:00:52.51 in supporting our efforts in India, 00:00:52.55\00:00:54.12 please make a donation to Maranatha. 00:00:54.15\00:00:56.48 You can give online 00:00:56.52\00:00:57.85 or you can call the number on your screen. 00:00:57.89\00:01:00.02 Maranatha's history 00:01:20.28\00:01:21.64 is full of extraordinary moments of faith 00:01:21.68\00:01:24.21 that illustrate God's leading in the mission. 00:01:24.25\00:01:28.82 He has been faithful every step of the way, 00:01:28.85\00:01:31.52 even through what appeared 00:01:31.55\00:01:32.89 to be the most impossible requests. 00:01:32.92\00:01:36.02 Today's story looks at two places 00:01:36.06\00:01:37.89 that stretched Maranatha in many ways 00:01:37.93\00:01:40.56 as an organization, 00:01:40.60\00:01:41.93 physically, mentally and spiritually. 00:01:41.96\00:01:45.67 The first location is in the Caribbean 00:01:45.70\00:01:48.04 on an island that was closed to the world, 00:01:48.07\00:01:50.47 but surprisingly open to the gospel message. 00:01:50.51\00:01:53.34 The year is 1993. 00:02:00.85\00:02:03.42 Maranatha is energized 00:02:03.45\00:02:04.95 by the success of a large project 00:02:04.99\00:02:06.72 called Santo Domingo 92. 00:02:06.76\00:02:09.09 And has just finished 00:02:09.12\00:02:10.46 construction of 15 new churches 00:02:10.49\00:02:11.99 and three schools in Guatemala. 00:02:12.03\00:02:14.50 The leaders of the project gathered at their hotel 00:02:14.53\00:02:17.63 around the pizza to evaluate next steps. 00:02:17.67\00:02:21.70 There was a guy named Tem Suarez there. 00:02:21.74\00:02:24.27 And Tem, of course, was a Cuban-American. 00:02:24.31\00:02:26.41 He was on our board of directors 00:02:26.44\00:02:27.78 and he constantly was bringing up, 00:02:27.81\00:02:29.21 "Cuba this, Cuba that," 00:02:29.24\00:02:30.58 and everybody's going, 00:02:30.61\00:02:31.95 "Yeah, that's Tem, he's Cuban." 00:02:31.98\00:02:33.31 So this night, he got a little bit more traction. 00:02:33.35\00:02:36.12 And Don Folkenberg was there and Bob Paulson, 00:02:36.15\00:02:41.12 we're sitting around just, 00:02:41.16\00:02:42.79 "Okay, we finished Guatemala, 00:02:42.82\00:02:44.69 what... 00:02:44.73\00:02:46.06 Where's the next big push? What's exciting? 00:02:46.09\00:02:48.30 What can we do to change some place for God? 00:02:48.33\00:02:52.13 I mean, that's really what it was. 00:02:52.17\00:02:54.60 And, of course, Tem, 00:02:54.64\00:02:56.00 "I know where we can go to. 00:02:56.04\00:02:58.64 Let's take a look at Cuba." 00:02:58.67\00:03:00.04 And somebody says, I don't remember who it was. 00:03:00.08\00:03:02.28 And he's like, "Well, you know, you can't go into Cuba. 00:03:02.31\00:03:04.15 It's closed country, 00:03:04.18\00:03:05.58 and like a lot of these countries are closed. 00:03:05.61\00:03:08.28 And giving credit completely where it is due here. 00:03:08.32\00:03:13.15 God worked through a guy named Garwin McNeilus. 00:03:13.19\00:03:15.92 The main challenge was to get our nerve 00:03:15.96\00:03:18.59 to go in the first place. 00:03:18.63\00:03:21.20 Garwin was a get stuff done kind of guy. 00:03:21.23\00:03:24.30 And Garwin says, "Have you tried? 00:03:24.33\00:03:28.40 Has anybody really tried? 00:03:28.44\00:03:30.94 You say you can't do it. 00:03:30.97\00:03:32.34 How do we know we can't do it? 00:03:32.37\00:03:34.91 We don't know we can't do it. I haven't been down there. 00:03:34.94\00:03:36.98 You've been down there? 00:03:37.01\00:03:38.35 Tem says we can go. 00:03:38.38\00:03:40.68 Let's go." 00:03:40.72\00:03:42.05 Many times you hear we can't go into a country. 00:03:42.08\00:03:46.25 And really, we haven't tried. 00:03:46.29\00:03:50.69 And we had talked about Cuba and the need in Cuba. 00:03:50.73\00:03:54.70 And I said, "Let's go to Cuba." 00:03:54.73\00:03:58.93 You know, do it. 00:03:58.97\00:04:00.80 So Maranatha did. 00:04:00.84\00:04:03.47 So we put together a team, there's five of us, 00:04:03.51\00:04:05.77 and a couple months later 00:04:05.81\00:04:08.04 we made our first trip down to Cuba. 00:04:08.08\00:04:10.25 In 1994, 00:04:13.31\00:04:15.28 when we first came over here, 00:04:15.32\00:04:17.52 the church was very, very depressed, 00:04:17.55\00:04:20.56 very demoralized, 00:04:20.59\00:04:21.92 the buildings were falling apart. 00:04:21.96\00:04:23.46 The ministers were real, 00:04:23.49\00:04:25.56 honest and good and were down and dumped, 00:04:25.59\00:04:27.46 that would be in plain language. 00:04:27.50\00:04:29.63 I remember the first meeting in particular, 00:04:29.66\00:04:31.93 we met with all the ministers 00:04:31.97\00:04:34.00 from one end of the island to another. 00:04:34.04\00:04:37.47 It was just like the Holy Spirit 00:04:37.51\00:04:38.84 was over there, was touching us. 00:04:38.87\00:04:41.31 More than 100 people crowded into that meeting room 00:04:41.34\00:04:44.71 at the Union Office in Havana. 00:04:44.75\00:04:47.12 In the room, there was a white board. 00:04:47.15\00:04:49.75 Based on the need that was expressed, 00:04:49.78\00:04:52.15 it was determined to move ahead 00:04:52.19\00:04:53.79 with 100 new churches and 100 renovated churches 00:04:53.82\00:04:58.29 as well as 100 evangelistic campaigns 00:04:58.33\00:05:01.60 and the production of literature, 00:05:01.63\00:05:03.97 to penetrate the areas surrounding those churches. 00:05:04.00\00:05:07.50 The entire project was called, "Christ for Cuba." 00:05:07.54\00:05:12.14 Unlike similar projects in the Dominican Republic, 00:05:12.17\00:05:14.91 Mexico and Guatemala, 00:05:14.94\00:05:17.01 it would take several years to build 00:05:17.05\00:05:18.81 and renovate 200 sanctuaries, 00:05:18.85\00:05:21.35 but the work progressed 00:05:21.38\00:05:22.88 and baptisms increased ten-fold. 00:05:22.92\00:05:27.66 Maranatha rebuilt the country's aging seminary. 00:05:27.69\00:05:31.69 Students came from around the world 00:05:31.73\00:05:34.00 to take advantage of this post-graduate facility. 00:05:34.03\00:05:38.53 The seminary was lacking a sanctuary. 00:05:38.57\00:05:41.20 Again, Maranatha Volunteers International 00:05:41.24\00:05:43.87 took an empty space on the seminary grounds 00:05:43.91\00:05:46.51 and transformed it 00:05:46.54\00:05:47.88 into an inviting place of worship and fellowship. 00:05:47.91\00:05:52.88 From the very first meeting 00:05:52.91\00:05:54.25 Don Noble had with Pastor Fontaine, 00:05:54.28\00:05:56.69 it was clear that one of the churches on the list 00:05:56.72\00:05:58.89 that was growing and needed to be expanded 00:05:58.92\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\00:06:06.43 with many members forced to sit outside on the verandah. 00:06:06.46\00:06:12.00 Cardenas located about 100 miles east of Havana 00:06:12.03\00:06:15.30 is very near Varadero Beach, 00:06:15.34\00:06:17.81 a magnet of tourism on the island. 00:06:17.84\00:06:20.88 The city's leadership was not friendly to Adventists 00:06:20.91\00:06:23.81 and created obstacles, 00:06:23.85\00:06:25.65 making the construction of a new church there 00:06:25.68\00:06:28.32 next to impossible. 00:06:28.35\00:06:31.72 Fifteen years into the process, 00:06:31.75\00:06:33.96 Don Noble visited the anxious church members. 00:06:33.99\00:06:36.86 This is unfortunately 00:06:36.89\00:06:38.26 I have to tell you that right now 00:06:38.29\00:06:39.63 we have neither permission 00:06:39.66\00:06:41.00 nor the money to build this church. 00:06:41.03\00:06:43.16 And the reaction we got was something 00:06:43.20\00:06:47.10 I've never seen before, I hope I don't see it again. 00:06:47.14\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\00:06:55.68 It was absolutely horrible. 00:06:55.71\00:06:57.05 The congregation was crushed. Don was heavy hearted. 00:07:11.06\00:07:15.63 Maranatha had been working on a solution 00:07:15.66\00:07:17.60 for Cardenas for more than 15 years. 00:07:17.63\00:07:20.64 Could it... 00:07:20.67\00:07:22.00 Should it really be over? 00:07:22.04\00:07:23.84 Don turned to prayer. 00:07:23.87\00:07:25.87 So he says, 00:07:25.91\00:07:27.24 "Well, you know, I've seen God do 00:07:27.28\00:07:28.61 some amazing things on this island 00:07:28.64\00:07:30.75 and in a lot of other places, 00:07:30.78\00:07:32.11 so, you still have prayer left 00:07:32.15\00:07:34.48 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\00:07:40.62 She was marching up the front, very confident, turned around. 00:08:01.14\00:08:04.81 She folded her hands, I can still see her. 00:08:04.85\00:08:07.98 She looked up, not down, she looked up. 00:08:08.02\00:08:10.05 She says 00:08:10.09\00:08:11.42 "Dear Jesus, thank you for giving us a new church. 00:08:11.45\00:08:15.02 Amen." 00:08:15.06\00:08:16.93 It was a pivotal moment in the Cardenas story. 00:08:16.96\00:08:20.16 This was about more than building the church. 00:08:20.20\00:08:23.26 It was about faith. 00:08:23.30\00:08:24.67 And I'm sitting there going, wow. 00:08:24.70\00:08:28.30 I think God's going to answer that prayer. 00:08:28.34\00:08:30.51 I mean, how's He going to say no. 00:08:30.54\00:08:32.81 In late 2015, 00:09:06.91\00:09:08.81 a small crew assembled in Cardenas to break ground 00:09:08.84\00:09:11.61 and tear down the old building. 00:09:11.65\00:09:13.82 After more than 30 years of prayer, 00:09:13.85\00:09:16.08 20 years of permit applications and an enduring test of faith, 00:09:16.12\00:09:20.29 Maranatha Volunteers International 00:09:20.32\00:09:22.89 received final permission to begin construction 00:09:22.92\00:09:25.73 on the new Cardenas Church. 00:09:25.76\00:09:27.73 Immediately construction began. 00:09:27.76\00:09:30.13 And just as quickly, 00:09:30.17\00:09:31.60 Maranatha created an opportunity for volunteers 00:09:31.63\00:09:35.04 to head to Cuba 00:09:35.07\00:09:36.40 for a two-week construction project. 00:09:36.44\00:09:38.37 Local crews worked alongside the volunteers. 00:09:44.01\00:09:47.05 They continued building long 00:09:47.08\00:09:48.68 after the volunteers returned home. 00:09:48.72\00:09:51.05 Eighteen months later, after decades of prayer, 00:09:51.09\00:09:54.16 the Cardenas Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:09:54.19\00:09:56.19 was transformed from this to this. 00:09:56.22\00:09:59.33 Thousands of church members from all over the island 00:10:03.90\00:10:06.97 came to the dedication. 00:10:07.00\00:10:08.34 And today in the morning, I was here and two guys came. 00:10:35.86\00:10:40.64 They were not Christian. 00:10:40.67\00:10:42.37 And they came in, 00:10:42.40\00:10:43.74 they were watching the church 00:10:43.77\00:10:45.51 and they were talking about how beautiful, 00:10:45.54\00:10:48.31 how nice the church was. 00:10:48.34\00:10:50.68 For this city is, 00:10:50.71\00:10:53.38 this church is very important 00:10:53.42\00:10:55.45 because the Adventist Church in this city is very famous, 00:10:55.48\00:10:59.82 everybody know it. 00:10:59.85\00:11:01.46 It is a sanctuary worthy of the God that represents. 00:11:39.33\00:11:42.66 The sanctuary can accommodate 500 people, 00:11:42.70\00:11:45.60 in the fellowship hall upstairs connected by video and sound, 00:11:45.63\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, 00:12:53.37\00:12:58.24 the reality, the power of prayer without question. 00:12:58.27\00:13:03.04 And frankly, 00:13:10.92\00:13:12.42 the future is more important than the history. 00:13:12.45\00:13:14.72 The history is very valuable here, 00:13:14.76\00:13:16.99 and they've learned a lot of lessons. 00:13:17.03\00:13:18.76 But the future is what this church is about, 00:13:18.79\00:13:20.66 and it's going to be a great lighthouse 00:13:20.70\00:13:22.03 in the, in the Cardenas community. 00:13:22.06\00:13:24.10 Today, 00:13:29.37\00:13:30.71 Maranatha Volunteers International 00:13:30.74\00:13:32.64 continues in prayer and faith 00:13:32.67\00:13:35.01 to answer the call from the church in Cuba. 00:13:35.04\00:13:37.31 From our beginnings there in 1994 till now, 00:13:39.58\00:13:43.52 the Adventist Church in Cuba 00:13:43.55\00:13:45.39 remains close to the heart of Maranatha. 00:13:45.42\00:13:49.06 Christ for Cuba, then, now and tomorrow. 00:13:49.09\00:13:54.26 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, 00:14:30.97\00:14:32.37 Maranatha mission stories has taken you around the world, 00:14:32.40\00:14:35.80 showing you the need 00:14:35.84\00:14:37.17 and challenging you to get involved. 00:14:37.21\00:14:40.81 Now we're introducing new ways for you 00:14:40.84\00:14:43.01 to stay informed and inspired about the mission. 00:14:43.04\00:14:47.22 Watch your favorite episode of Maranatha mission stories, 00:14:47.25\00:14:50.35 as well as other Maranatha videos 00:14:50.39\00:14:52.09 on your Apple TV. 00:14:52.12\00:14:54.82 Visit the App Store, 00:14:54.86\00:14:56.19 search for the Maranatha channel 00:14:56.22\00:14:58.23 and hit install. 00:14:58.26\00:15:01.66 You'll have access to all of our latest video content, 00:15:01.70\00:15:04.83 and you can watch anytime. 00:15:04.87\00:15:06.94 Our videos are available on demand 24 hours a day. 00:15:06.97\00:15:11.27 Our content can also be viewed on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 00:15:11.31\00:15:16.44 The Maranatha channel, 00:15:16.48\00:15:17.91 bringing mission adventures to your living room. 00:15:17.95\00:15:20.68 There are certain events in Maranatha's history 00:15:27.96\00:15:30.53 that helped to catapult the organization 00:15:30.56\00:15:32.39 to new levels of productivity, 00:15:32.43\00:15:34.50 events that pushed Maranatha to think bigger and aim higher. 00:15:34.53\00:15:39.57 Among those is India, 00:15:39.60\00:15:41.54 a place where Maranatha has invested in the mission 00:15:41.57\00:15:44.17 to build people and communities. 00:15:44.21\00:15:46.34 The 1990s were a faith building decade for Maranatha. 00:15:52.21\00:15:56.75 God led the organization through a large-scale project 00:15:56.79\00:15:59.99 in the Dominican Republic 00:16:00.02\00:16:03.36 and miraculous construction on the island of Cuba. 00:16:03.39\00:16:08.10 But when God leads, 00:16:08.13\00:16:09.56 there are always new challenges. 00:16:09.60\00:16:11.77 This time, on the subcontinent of India. 00:16:11.80\00:16:15.07 Maranatha started in India 00:16:15.10\00:16:16.44 actually in the early middle 80s, 00:16:16.47\00:16:19.21 the campus north of Delhi called Roorkee, 00:16:19.24\00:16:24.05 but it was a common goal, do a project, leave. 00:16:24.08\00:16:27.12 It wasn't the long, 00:16:27.15\00:16:28.62 continued involvement 00:16:28.65\00:16:30.35 that started probably 00:16:30.39\00:16:32.72 a little more than 20 years ago now. 00:16:32.75\00:16:35.39 At the time, 00:16:35.42\00:16:36.76 the Adventist Church was struggling. 00:16:36.79\00:16:39.03 Adventists represented 00:16:39.06\00:16:40.66 a small percentage of the general population 00:16:40.70\00:16:43.53 and the places they had to worship, 00:16:43.57\00:16:45.57 didn't inspire others to join them. 00:16:45.60\00:16:49.54 Ron Watts, 00:16:49.57\00:16:50.91 president of the Adventist Church in India 00:16:50.94\00:16:53.04 at the time reached out to Maranatha 00:16:53.07\00:16:55.34 for help in growing their fledgling group. 00:16:55.38\00:16:57.68 I asked Ron at that time is, 00:16:57.71\00:17:00.08 "Ron how many members do you have?" 00:17:00.12\00:17:01.65 He says, "Well, in the books we have about 200,000." 00:17:01.68\00:17:03.82 He says, 00:17:03.85\00:17:05.19 "Really, I have to tell you it's not more than 100,000. 00:17:05.22\00:17:08.22 And we really need a new church here." 00:17:08.26\00:17:12.39 He said, "This is a huge, 00:17:12.43\00:17:15.43 huge area of primarily Hindus 00:17:15.46\00:17:19.43 that don't even know who Jesus is, 00:17:19.47\00:17:21.90 never heard of Him. 00:17:21.94\00:17:23.27 Don't know anything about the Creator God, 00:17:23.30\00:17:24.84 don't know anything about salvation." 00:17:24.87\00:17:26.74 He says, 00:17:26.78\00:17:28.11 "This is what we're here for. 00:17:28.14\00:17:29.48 That's what we should be doing." 00:17:29.51\00:17:31.88 Although Maranatha had previously done 00:17:31.91\00:17:33.95 a handful of projects in India, 00:17:33.98\00:17:36.08 the decision was made to establish 00:17:36.12\00:17:37.99 a permanent presence in the country 00:17:38.02\00:17:39.85 to facilitate evangelism meetings 00:17:39.89\00:17:42.02 and build churches. 00:17:42.06\00:17:43.43 And then we started talking 00:17:43.46\00:17:45.06 and we moved our leadership 00:17:45.09\00:17:49.23 from Cuba over to India, 00:17:49.26\00:17:53.23 to start overseeing those campaigns 00:17:53.27\00:17:55.34 and to start some construction 00:17:55.37\00:17:56.91 and we didn't know where it was going, 00:17:56.94\00:17:58.37 but it went. 00:17:58.41\00:18:00.94 Garwin McNeilus, 00:18:00.98\00:18:02.31 a businessman from Minnesota 00:18:02.34\00:18:04.28 was asked to get involved. 00:18:04.31\00:18:05.98 Ron Watts said, 00:18:06.01\00:18:08.08 "Why don't you come and do an Effort?" 00:18:08.12\00:18:10.72 And I said, "Sure, we'll go." 00:18:10.75\00:18:12.85 Now, I've never done an Effort. 00:18:12.89\00:18:15.32 And so I contacted my friend, Bob Paulson, 00:18:15.36\00:18:19.26 who I knew could do the preaching, 00:18:19.29\00:18:22.86 and Maranatha helped us and we set up Tenali. 00:18:22.90\00:18:26.00 We had over 3,000 people in Tenali, 00:18:26.03\00:18:29.47 it was just overwhelming. 00:18:29.50\00:18:31.11 And what took me aback 00:18:31.14\00:18:32.84 when we closed up all 3, 000 wanted special prayer. 00:18:32.87\00:18:37.41 And they just crowded around you 00:18:37.45\00:18:39.01 and the hunger and the willingness. 00:18:39.05\00:18:42.28 The success there led to the organization 00:18:42.32\00:18:44.65 of larger meetings in the town of Ongole. 00:18:44.69\00:18:47.12 I remember the big Ongole project 00:18:47.16\00:18:49.46 of over 50, 000 people are listening 00:18:49.49\00:18:53.46 to Bob Paulson stand up and say, 00:18:53.50\00:18:56.93 I want to introduce you to not just any old god, 00:18:56.97\00:19:00.10 not just another god, but the Creator God. 00:19:00.14\00:19:03.64 And they're all listening to this. 00:19:03.67\00:19:05.47 And it was powerful. 00:19:05.51\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\00:19:13.68 in organizing and coordinating the effort of all the churches. 00:19:13.72\00:19:19.35 But I just can't help but thank in heaven. 00:19:19.39\00:19:23.06 What it'd be like when we have India homecoming. 00:19:23.09\00:19:28.43 There'll be thousands and thousands of people 00:19:28.46\00:19:30.37 there as a result of it. 00:19:30.40\00:19:34.04 The 50,000 people in the crowd 00:19:34.07\00:19:36.40 weren't the only ones listening. 00:19:36.44\00:19:38.67 Halfway across the world, 00:19:38.71\00:19:40.44 this meeting would have an impact on a family 00:19:40.48\00:19:42.54 living in Medford, Oregon. 00:19:42.58\00:19:44.48 I had no idea about going to India or anyplace else. 00:19:44.51\00:19:48.02 I was happy to stay home on the United States 00:19:48.05\00:19:52.15 side of everything. 00:19:52.19\00:19:53.52 Didn't look forward to traveling at all. 00:19:53.56\00:19:55.82 Merlin found, 00:19:55.86\00:19:57.39 he was watching television 00:19:57.43\00:19:59.19 and he's watching Garwin McNeilus. 00:19:59.23\00:20:02.23 And they've been doing 00:20:02.26\00:20:04.20 evangelistic meetings over in Ongole. 00:20:04.23\00:20:08.54 And he's intently watching that. 00:20:08.57\00:20:11.17 When it was over, he said, 00:20:11.21\00:20:13.48 "I think we could do that." 00:20:13.51\00:20:15.71 And I was just shocked. We could do that. 00:20:15.74\00:20:18.65 Well, yeah, I think we could. 00:20:18.68\00:20:22.05 The television program they watched 00:20:22.08\00:20:23.95 was a report put together by 3ABN 00:20:23.99\00:20:26.65 highlighting the recent meetings. 00:20:26.69\00:20:28.29 Well, JoAnn and her husband Merlin 00:20:31.16\00:20:32.89 didn't know was their son Bruce was also watching 00:20:32.93\00:20:36.60 and felt impressed to get involved. 00:20:36.63\00:20:40.27 I was committed to call Don on Monday 00:20:40.30\00:20:42.87 and tell him that I'd like to go over there in India 00:20:42.90\00:20:45.77 some time and help there. 00:20:45.81\00:20:47.41 I need an opening 00:20:47.44\00:20:49.58 and just a few minutes my dad called. 00:20:49.61\00:20:52.88 And he said, 00:20:52.91\00:20:54.25 "Hey, have you ever thought about going to India?" 00:20:54.28\00:20:55.95 And I said, 00:20:55.98\00:20:57.32 "Matter of fact I have and I will go." 00:20:57.35\00:21:00.36 Six months later, 00:21:00.39\00:21:01.72 Bruce was on an airplane headed to India. 00:21:01.76\00:21:04.66 Merlin joined him on the next trip. 00:21:04.69\00:21:07.00 But JoAnn in her 70s 00:21:07.03\00:21:09.13 wasn't sure about making the long journey. 00:21:09.16\00:21:11.90 She wondered if there was anything 00:21:11.93\00:21:13.47 she could contribute to the effort. 00:21:13.50\00:21:15.80 Bruce said to me, 00:21:15.84\00:21:18.27 "You can go. 00:21:18.31\00:21:20.18 And even if you just hug the ladies 00:21:20.21\00:21:23.78 and smile at them, 00:21:23.81\00:21:25.51 if you can't understand them, 00:21:25.55\00:21:27.28 they're going to understand you." 00:21:27.32\00:21:29.35 So that's what I did. 00:21:29.38\00:21:31.05 I went to India and I gave them hugs. 00:21:31.09\00:21:34.49 I was 72 the first time I went to India. 00:21:34.52\00:21:38.76 And the culture shock was so severe. 00:21:38.79\00:21:44.33 It was like, I need to fix these things. 00:21:44.37\00:21:48.94 These poor people, they don't have anything. 00:21:48.97\00:21:53.21 And yet they're happy. 00:21:53.24\00:21:55.28 And I kept talking to Merlin about it. 00:21:55.31\00:21:57.75 And he said, 00:21:57.78\00:21:59.11 "I want to tell you something. 00:21:59.15\00:22:02.52 By coming here and helping them to know 00:22:02.55\00:22:05.72 that there is a Creator God, 00:22:05.75\00:22:08.19 that we're helping them 00:22:08.22\00:22:11.29 with the greatest thing that they can have." 00:22:11.33\00:22:14.70 The Fjarli Family was hooked on India. 00:22:14.73\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\00:22:24.01 in several large school campuses. 00:22:24.04\00:22:26.57 The Fjarli Family really got involved in India 00:22:26.61\00:22:29.78 in a major way. 00:22:29.81\00:22:31.15 And I don't have any question that God used them. 00:22:31.18\00:22:34.68 Merlin Fjarli, I've known since the 60s. 00:22:34.72\00:22:39.25 Tough guy. 00:22:39.29\00:22:41.52 Committed guy, generous. 00:22:41.56\00:22:45.83 Man of few words. 00:22:45.86\00:22:47.80 So I want the best bang for the buck, 00:22:47.83\00:22:50.47 that was his line, 00:22:50.50\00:22:51.83 want the best bang for the buck. 00:22:51.87\00:22:53.67 And he felt that in a society like India, 00:22:53.70\00:22:56.50 where there's so many people, 00:22:56.54\00:22:57.94 he could get the best bang for the buck. 00:22:57.97\00:23:01.14 You leave India, but it never leaves you. 00:23:01.18\00:23:04.75 And to think about going back, 00:23:04.78\00:23:06.85 I had to go back. 00:23:10.19\00:23:11.52 It was such a blessing to see that 00:23:11.55\00:23:17.43 I could put smiles on the little kids' faces. 00:23:17.46\00:23:20.80 And I just had to go back, it was... 00:23:20.83\00:23:25.50 I think the Lord put it in my heart 00:23:25.53\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\00:23:35.94 Today, 00:23:35.98\00:23:37.31 more than 2,000 structures 00:23:37.35\00:23:38.81 stand as influential anchors in their communities, 00:23:38.85\00:23:42.48 monuments to a living God. 00:23:42.52\00:23:45.65 You build a building, 00:23:45.69\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\00:23:59.37 there will be thousands in eternity 00:23:59.40\00:24:01.87 as a result of that one project. 00:24:01.90\00:24:04.97 But the impact goes beyond the people of India. 00:24:05.01\00:24:09.78 You think you got to go there to change people 00:24:09.81\00:24:14.92 and let them know that there is a real God 00:24:14.95\00:24:18.39 that knows them and it changed us. 00:24:18.42\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\00:24:30.77 Merlin passed away in 2014. 00:24:30.80\00:24:33.94 But his sons Bruce and Clint 00:24:33.97\00:24:35.70 have continued the family's legacy of service. 00:24:35.74\00:24:39.57 I think dad was really blessed by going to India. 00:24:39.61\00:24:45.95 And raising the money to invest in India. 00:24:45.98\00:24:50.29 He had fun doing that, 00:24:50.32\00:24:53.56 he was blessed by doing that. 00:24:53.59\00:24:56.52 It softened him. 00:24:56.56\00:24:58.59 It exposed a soft side in his heart 00:24:58.63\00:25:05.23 that most people never saw. 00:25:05.27\00:25:11.51 It was just amazing. 00:25:11.54\00:25:13.54 From my perspective, I think it's just a miracle. 00:25:13.58\00:25:17.01 And our families has been part of it, 00:25:17.05\00:25:21.18 which is quite a blessing 00:25:21.22\00:25:22.55 that, you know, 00:25:22.58\00:25:25.09 once God's work gets rolling, it's pretty hard to stop Him. 00:25:25.12\00:25:29.39 With a little bit of help, 00:25:29.42\00:25:30.76 and we've been very blessed to be able to help. 00:25:30.79\00:25:33.50 Maranatha's commitment to India is unwavering. 00:25:33.53\00:25:36.83 As more and more people are longing to hear the gospel, 00:25:36.87\00:25:42.00 there continues to be requests 00:25:42.04\00:25:43.64 for more churches and schools in India. 00:25:43.67\00:25:46.11 And in 2018, 00:25:46.14\00:25:48.04 Maranatha started drilling water wells 00:25:48.08\00:25:50.41 in areas of great need. 00:25:50.45\00:25:52.51 And they came into India, 00:25:52.55\00:25:54.75 a wonderful reunion with a lot of people 00:25:54.78\00:25:59.19 that gave their heart to Jesus. 00:25:59.22\00:26:01.62 It's an awesome thing to do. 00:26:01.66\00:26:03.53 And I'm going to do it again, 00:26:03.56\00:26:07.20 except I would have started 30 years sooner. 00:26:07.23\00:26:12.57 As Maranatha continues working in India, 00:26:12.60\00:26:15.24 your support is needed in the country. 00:26:15.27\00:26:17.44 Please make a donation toward church school 00:26:17.47\00:26:20.08 or water well projects in India. 00:26:20.11\00:26:22.44 Call the number on your screen or visit maranatha.org to give. 00:26:22.48\00:26:26.61 Did you know that Maranatha produces a magazine 00:26:41.10\00:26:43.43 called "The Volunteer." 00:26:43.47\00:26:45.13 This quarterly publication is available free 00:26:45.17\00:26:47.77 and will be mailed to your home. 00:26:47.80\00:26:49.60 You can also access full issues on our website. 00:26:49.64\00:26:52.74 Each beautiful issue is packed 00:26:52.77\00:26:54.14 with photos and stories of faith 00:26:54.18\00:26:56.01 from countries like India, Zambia and the United States. 00:26:56.04\00:26:59.68 You'll also read essays 00:26:59.71\00:27:01.05 about missions from our Maranatha team, 00:27:01.08\00:27:02.85 along with profiles on our volunteers and donors. 00:27:02.88\00:27:05.85 In addition, 00:27:05.89\00:27:07.22 each magazine features information 00:27:07.26\00:27:08.59 on how your support has made a difference 00:27:08.62\00:27:10.43 for communities around the world. 00:27:10.46\00:27:12.49 It also gives an overview of areas 00:27:12.53\00:27:14.20 that still need your generosity and your volunteer service. 00:27:14.23\00:27:17.33 The magazine 00:27:17.37\00:27:18.70 is a great resource for families, 00:27:18.73\00:27:20.07 schools and churches 00:27:20.10\00:27:21.44 in search of current and compelling mission stories 00:27:21.47\00:27:23.97 about people who are making a huge difference 00:27:24.01\00:27:26.21 in the world for Jesus. 00:27:26.24\00:27:27.74 If you haven't already, 00:27:27.78\00:27:29.14 be sure to subscribe to The Volunteer 00:27:29.18\00:27:31.31 by sending your name and mailing address 00:27:31.35\00:27:33.05 to info@maranatha.org 00:27:33.08\00:27:35.52 or visit our website at maranatha.org 00:27:35.55\00:27:38.09 to sign up for The Volunteer magazine. 00:27:38.12\00:27:41.76 From the very beginning 00:27:41.79\00:27:43.12 and through every triumph and bump in the road since, 00:27:43.16\00:27:46.09 God has had His hand in the development 00:27:46.13\00:27:48.06 and growth of Maranatha. 00:27:48.10\00:27:50.37 They have been His volunteers, 00:27:50.40\00:27:53.57 His projects and His mission. 00:27:53.60\00:27:57.61