Hi, I'm Dustin Comm
with the Maranatha Minute.
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Some people wring in
the new year with diets,
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exercise plans
and other resolutions,
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or if you're a
Maranatha volunteer,
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you kick-start
January with a project.
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Maranatha's
first project of 2021
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was held in Northern
Florida at Camp Kulaqua.
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Here, 38 volunteers
helped on a number of tasks at
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the Seventh-day Adventist
Camp and Retreat Center,
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including cutting
down a dozen trees,
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cleaning and
creating horse trails,
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painting decks,
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and laying 1500
feet of water line.
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The main project
was the construction
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of a 40 by 60 foot pavilion.
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This open air space
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will provide a
gathering place for picnics,
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meetings and other events.
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This was Maranatha's
third consecutive project
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at Camp Kulaqua,
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and one of the many at
camps, schools, and churches
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in the United States and Canada.
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If your organization
could use Maranatha's help,
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check out
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our North American
project assistance page
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on our website.
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Fifty years ago,
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Maranatha's founders
didn't set out to build
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11,000 structures,
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drill a thousand wells
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or mobilize more
than 85,000 volunteers.
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Their sights weren't
set on specific numbers.
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Their one desire was
to simply help others,
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to allow God
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to determine the
course for the organization
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and because of God's leading
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doors have
opened to opportunities
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we never would have imagined.
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Today, we'll look at
two very different ways.
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The mission of
Maranatha is touching lives
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around the world
and in our backyard.
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First, we'll explore
a Maranatha tradition
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that had fallen by the wayside,
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but made a
comeback in celebration
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of Maranatha's 50
years of missions.
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Maranatha
conventions haven't been around
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for as long as the
organization itself,
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but the tradition
of a missions gathering
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stretches back quite a ways.
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The first
convention was held in 1976,
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43 years ago in
Thousand Oaks, California.
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Back then projects
were few and far between,
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so the focus was
mostly on spiritual growth
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and social
fellowship among the volunteers.
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Eventually, as
Maranatha grew in scope,
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conventions evolve to become
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a time to learn
about new projects
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and opportunities.
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A local convention project,
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such as a school
campus renovation
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became an
essential part of the event.
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By the mid 2000s most
school and camp venues
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were too small for
the growing interest
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in Maranatha's mission.
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Conventions
moved to megachurches
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and the shift away from
school and camp locations
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put an end to
convention projects.
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In 2019 as a special part
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of the
50th-anniversary celebration,
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Maranatha organized
three convention projects
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at locations in
Northern California,
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Pacific Union
College, Rio Lindo Academy,
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and Leoni Meadows Camp.
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The first and largest project
was at Pacific Union College.
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Nestled in the
mountains above the Napa Valley,
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Pacific Union College provides
quality Christian education
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for nearly 1000
students each year.
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The campus was
established 130 years ago,
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which means tens of
thousands of students
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have passed
through the institution
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on the way to
their successful futures.
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But the school's long history
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also means some of the buildings
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are showing their age.
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College administration
reached out to Maranatha
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about remodeling one
of the men's dormitories,
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and Maranatha agreed to help.
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The effort recruited volunteers
from all over the country
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and all over the campus.
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Among the college
recruits was Howard Munson,
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a professor in the
history department.
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So I first heard
about this project
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at a faculty meeting,
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and it was super welcome news
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because for years
people have talked about
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how the dorms need
help, the dorms need help,
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but nothing has changed.
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And finally, if
Maranatha is gonna come in,
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then something's gonna change.
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So as soon as I knew
that Maranatha was coming in
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to do the work,
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then I knew I wanted
to volunteer to help.
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The scope of the
project included demolition,
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replacing the
subfloor and laying new floor,
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building and installing
new cabinets and painting.
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It's lots of fun
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'cause it's very rewarding work
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knowing that students
are gonna have nicer rooms,
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but just to see how
much better they look
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and having heard
lots of horror stories
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about what it
looked like before,
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to see so many rooms
being transformed so quickly
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by a host of volunteers,
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it just makes you
wanna volunteer more.
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The construction was led
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by a veteran
construction superintendent,
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Leroy Kelm.
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He kept the work moving forward
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and focused not only on
giving the dorm a facelift,
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but creating connections
between the volunteers.
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I really love
the Maranatha family
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and the people that
come are just jewels.
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They work hard.
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They have a lot of fun,
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and I like to have fun on jobs
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because if you're grumpy,
you don't get anything done.
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So if you come, have a good time
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and we get a lot of work done.
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And my other philosophy
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is we're here to
build relationships,
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not build buildings.
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And if you build a
relationship with my crew,
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then the building or renovation
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or whatever just
takes care of itself.
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You don't have to
worry about that part.
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Jim Frei is one
of the volunteers
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working at PUC
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and he can attest
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to the importance
of building friendships
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on these projects.
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Jim signed up
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for his very
first Maranatha project
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in 2002,
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although uncertain
about what he had joined,
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Jim loaded up his trailer
and drove more than 950 miles
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to the worksite in
Monument Valley, Utah.
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But when he got there,
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his apprehension
nearly got the best of it.
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And he nearly left
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before stepping a
foot on the project.
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The welcoming spirit of
the volunteers touched him.
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They just treated me
like a long lost soul.
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And I said, wait,
this is some organization,
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you know, they'll
take big people like me
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and they accept
them in by deal and just,
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you know, and
that's what we find
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over the years.
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That's one of the beauties of it
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is everybody is welcomed
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that I don't know of anybody
they've ever turned away.
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Yeah, no matter what you can do
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Since that
first project in 2002,
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Jim has been on
nearly 100 projects
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in North America.
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His life is now
all about service.
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When I decided to retire,
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then I decided I
wanted to pay the Lord back.
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I, made the commitment to
him said, Lord, you got me here.
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Like I said, you got me here.
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What can I do?
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And when I went
to that first project
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and then I went to a second
one in Grants Pass, I think,
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and then a third one in Laramie.
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And I was just,
you know just hooked,
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but what I made
a vow to the Lord,
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that God, You got me here,
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You provided, You did
all this, so I will go.
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As long as you provide
the means and the health,
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you know, as long
as I'm able, I will go.
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I'm here
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because this is
where He wants me.
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And that's the way
I have to look at it.
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Not all the
volunteers on this project
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have scores of mission
trips under their belts,
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Tina Van Phillips,
and her husband, Carlos,
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decided to forego
their annual vacation
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and give service a try.
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Every year we go on vacation
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and this year I wanted
to do something different.
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And I always talk about
going on a Maranatha trip
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and so I looked in the program,
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and they were saying that
they had one in California
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and I was like, wow,
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this is the same
time as our vacation.
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So I surprised my husband.
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I said, "Do you know
where we're going this year?"
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And he said, "No.
Where you would like to go."
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And I said, "Well, we're going
to Maranatha trip this year."
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He said, "What?"
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I said, "Yeah,
this is going to be
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our vacation this year."
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Just like Jim, the
couple found the work
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to be rewarding
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and discovered a
brand new family.
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Oh, it's seem more
than a vacation to me.
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It's relaxing, I love to work.
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I love to do painting
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and all these other objects
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that maybe not to have us to do.
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And it had been
a wonderful stay.
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The people are so
nice. They're like a family.
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I like these projects
for, for the fellowship,
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the camaraderie,
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everybody's here
for the same reason.
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No, if you make a
mistake, everybody says,
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"Okay, let's fix it and go on."
00:10:05.63\00:10:07.64
You know,
there's nobody hollering
00:10:07.67\00:10:09.60
and screaming at each other.
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It's just like a
big, happy family.
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Yeah.
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It's about like
a big happy family.
00:10:15.48\00:10:16.81
Yeah.
00:10:16.85\00:10:18.18
And, in fact, that's what we say
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after somebody has
been here once or twice say,
00:10:19.58\00:10:22.18
welcome to the family.
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The Maranatha family
00:10:26.29\00:10:27.62
was able to make a major
impact for students at PUC.
00:10:27.66\00:10:30.53
And the school is
immensely grateful.
00:10:30.56\00:10:33.50
I just want to say thank you
to Maranatha as an organization
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and to all the
Maranatha volunteers
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that have come
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from all over
the country to help.
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It is greatly appreciated.
00:10:42.24\00:10:43.81
Whether you're a PUC alum,
00:10:43.84\00:10:45.31
or you just have
a heart for service,
00:10:45.34\00:10:48.61
thank you so much.
00:10:48.64\00:10:51.61
After
completing the work at PUC,
00:10:51.65\00:10:53.72
volunteers headed
to two other projects
00:10:53.75\00:10:55.85
in Northern California.
00:10:55.88\00:10:58.25
At Rio Lindo Academy,
00:10:58.29\00:10:59.65
they helped to
renovate dorm rooms
00:10:59.69\00:11:01.06
as well as faculty housing.
00:11:01.09\00:11:02.66
At Leoni Meadows Camp,
they helped remodel the lodge,
00:11:06.33\00:11:09.16
worked on landscaping
00:11:09.20\00:11:10.53
as well as
maintenance on the train track.
00:11:10.57\00:11:12.17
In just a month,
00:11:15.37\00:11:16.71
three North
American institutions
00:11:16.74\00:11:18.41
received much-needed assistance
00:11:18.44\00:11:20.11
in the upkeep of
their facilities.
00:11:20.14\00:11:24.25
It's a mission field
that's often overlooked,
00:11:24.28\00:11:26.95
but thanks to the dedicated work
00:11:26.98\00:11:28.65
of hundreds of
volunteers each year,
00:11:28.68\00:11:30.79
churches, schools, and camps
00:11:30.82\00:11:32.65
are able to
continue their ministry.
00:11:32.69\00:11:35.32
People think that
you need to go overseas
00:11:35.36\00:11:37.26
to do to
actually do mission work.
00:11:37.29\00:11:40.53
But North America
00:11:40.56\00:11:42.50
is a huge
mission field in itself.
00:11:42.53\00:11:45.33
Our facilities
need a lot of work.
00:11:45.37\00:11:47.20
They have a lot of
backlog maintenance,
00:11:47.24\00:11:49.54
and by helping to keep
these institutions going,
00:11:49.57\00:11:53.64
we are helping to
maintain these institutions
00:11:53.68\00:11:56.14
so they can further
educate our young people.
00:11:56.18\00:11:59.28
So they can go
out into the world
00:11:59.31\00:12:01.12
and do the work that we can't.
00:12:01.15\00:12:04.22
At the close of the projects,
00:12:04.25\00:12:05.69
a number of volunteers gathered
00:12:05.72\00:12:07.32
at Maranatha's
50th-anniversary convention
00:12:07.36\00:12:09.99
where they fellowshipped,
shared their stories,
00:12:10.03\00:12:12.29
and left energized
to continue God's work.
00:12:12.33\00:12:16.67
This year more
than 800 volunteers
00:12:16.70\00:12:19.03
served on Maranatha
projects in North America.
00:12:19.07\00:12:22.20
Their work not only saves
00:12:22.24\00:12:23.57
organization's
thousands of dollars in labor,
00:12:23.61\00:12:25.97
but also
further solidifies bonds
00:12:26.01\00:12:28.21
in the Maranatha family.
00:12:28.24\00:12:30.15
Next, learn how
a change in scope
00:12:30.18\00:12:32.68
amplified Maranatha's impact.
00:12:32.71\00:12:34.62
For more than a decade,
00:12:49.20\00:12:50.63
Maranatha mission stories
has taken you around the world,
00:12:50.67\00:12:54.14
showing you the need
00:12:54.17\00:12:55.50
and challenging
you to get involved.
00:12:55.54\00:12:58.97
Now we're introducing new
ways for you to stay informed
00:12:59.01\00:13:02.34
and inspired about the mission.
00:13:02.38\00:13:05.41
Watch your favorite episode
of Maranatha mission stories,
00:13:05.45\00:13:08.45
as well as
other Maranatha videos
00:13:08.48\00:13:10.39
on your Apple TV.
00:13:10.42\00:13:13.05
Visit the App Store,
00:13:13.09\00:13:14.42
search for the Maranatha channel
00:13:14.46\00:13:16.39
and hit install.
00:13:16.42\00:13:19.89
You'll have access
00:13:19.93\00:13:21.26
to all of our
latest video content,
00:13:21.30\00:13:23.10
and you can watch anytime.
00:13:23.13\00:13:25.13
Our videos are available
on demand 24 hours a day.
00:13:25.17\00:13:29.64
Our content can also be viewed
on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
00:13:29.67\00:13:34.68
The Maranatha channel,
00:13:34.71\00:13:36.21
bringing mission
adventures to your living room.
00:13:36.24\00:13:38.91
Churches and schools,
00:13:45.89\00:13:47.79
Maranatha was founded
00:13:47.82\00:13:49.16
with the goal of
providing spiritual shelter
00:13:49.19\00:13:51.19
and educational
opportunities for those in need.
00:13:51.23\00:13:54.46
As a result of this laser focus,
00:13:54.50\00:13:56.56
more than 11,000 structures
00:13:56.60\00:13:58.53
have been
constructed around the world,
00:13:58.57\00:14:01.04
but when presented
with an overwhelming need,
00:14:01.07\00:14:04.04
water, our scope
expanded in a way
00:14:04.07\00:14:06.47
that reached more people
00:14:06.51\00:14:07.84
than we could
have ever imagined.
00:14:07.88\00:14:09.41
For nearly four decades.
00:14:17.75\00:14:19.35
Maranatha
Volunteers International
00:14:19.39\00:14:21.42
was known for one
thing, construction.
00:14:21.46\00:14:24.93
Thousands of churches
and schools around the world
00:14:24.96\00:14:27.53
stood as a testament to
Maranatha's focused mission
00:14:27.56\00:14:30.93
of building up God's church.
00:14:30.97\00:14:33.77
But around 2007,
00:14:33.80\00:14:35.54
while beginning
extensive work in Mozambique,
00:14:35.57\00:14:38.47
the lack of
water in remote areas
00:14:38.51\00:14:40.91
became a cause for concern.
00:14:40.94\00:14:43.71
Water is a very
critical to the job
00:14:43.75\00:14:45.98
because once they start pouring,
00:14:46.01\00:14:47.92
boy, they never quit?
00:14:47.95\00:14:49.28
I mean, they keep
that mixer running
00:14:49.32\00:14:50.65
just fast as
about nine guys can go.
00:14:50.69\00:14:53.89
They pour continuously,
00:14:53.92\00:14:55.26
not quite as fast as we
can do ready-mix back home,
00:14:55.29\00:14:57.66
but they can really put out the,
00:14:57.69\00:14:59.63
put out the concrete.
00:14:59.66\00:15:03.33
Typically you
wouldn't see us doing this.
00:15:03.37\00:15:05.43
We're out in the bush.
00:15:05.47\00:15:06.97
And as you're out in the bush,
you got to take what you get.
00:15:07.00\00:15:09.90
There's no water
out of a hydrant.
00:15:09.94\00:15:12.54
There's no
electricity around here.
00:15:12.57\00:15:14.01
I'm going to guess
for probably 15 miles.
00:15:14.04\00:15:16.58
And this is the
way they get the water
00:15:16.61\00:15:18.68
to mix concrete.
00:15:18.71\00:15:20.05
The need for accessible
water at the construction site
00:15:26.92\00:15:29.96
was a massive
challenge for Maranatha.
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.89
But God had a solution
00:15:32.93\00:15:34.60
that would do more than
provide water for the mixer.
00:15:34.63\00:15:38.73
What happened?
00:15:38.77\00:15:40.57
God worked through some people,
00:15:40.60\00:15:43.54
specifically, a
guy named Gary Burke.
00:15:43.57\00:15:45.64
He's a well driller,
00:15:45.67\00:15:47.18
and we knew that
they needed water,
00:15:47.21\00:15:49.08
but we built
churches, we don't drill wells,
00:15:49.11\00:15:51.71
right, wrong.
00:15:51.75\00:15:56.48
He started changing
our thinking on that.
00:15:56.52\00:15:58.29
Why don't we?
00:15:58.32\00:15:59.65
And then the
light start coming on.
00:15:59.69\00:16:01.02
Okay.
00:16:01.06\00:16:02.39
So what if we drill a well
00:16:02.42\00:16:05.26
by all the
churches that we built.
00:16:05.29\00:16:07.43
Now, there's a winner.
00:16:07.46\00:16:09.33
People can come to the
church for two kinds of water
00:16:09.36\00:16:12.93
and there it's right there.
00:16:12.97\00:16:15.40
Plus your, what an impact
on the people and their lives
00:16:15.44\00:16:18.37
and making a difference.
00:16:18.41\00:16:20.41
Maranatha asked Gary
Burns to go to Mozambique,
00:16:20.44\00:16:23.95
to start Maranatha's
well drilling program.
00:16:23.98\00:16:27.28
He agreed to go
00:16:27.32\00:16:28.68
and water became an ongoing part
00:16:28.72\00:16:30.65
of Maranatha's mission.
00:16:30.69\00:16:33.29
So we
commissioned a rig to be built.
00:16:33.32\00:16:35.86
And Gary started drilling wells,
00:16:35.89\00:16:38.36
and it was something that
immediately we could tell,
00:16:38.39\00:16:42.63
hit a very big need,
00:16:42.66\00:16:45.10
and it answered
00:16:45.13\00:16:46.47
a really important
need for the people.
00:16:46.50\00:16:48.70
And as we were
building churches,
00:16:48.74\00:16:50.24
we would drill a well.
00:16:50.27\00:16:51.61
Adding water to
what Maranatha does
00:16:56.44\00:16:59.31
the churches and the schools
00:16:59.35\00:17:00.88
have a unique, impact,
00:17:00.92\00:17:05.69
which is multiple.
00:17:05.72\00:17:08.22
When we started
putting water wells,
00:17:08.26\00:17:10.73
the women had so
much additional time
00:17:10.76\00:17:13.66
that they said,
00:17:13.70\00:17:15.23
Hey, I should learn
how to read and write.
00:17:15.26\00:17:18.83
Let's go to the
place called the church.
00:17:18.87\00:17:22.47
Let's learn there.
00:17:22.50\00:17:23.84
They have these books
they're called Bibles.
00:17:23.87\00:17:26.07
Let's learn how to do that.
00:17:26.11\00:17:27.44
And many places,
00:17:27.48\00:17:29.01
they got
chalkboards and they learned.
00:17:29.04\00:17:30.98
It's really cool to be there
00:17:31.01\00:17:32.61
when they
actually write their name
00:17:32.65\00:17:34.68
for the first time.
00:17:34.72\00:17:36.38
So there is, how in
a very physical way,
00:17:36.42\00:17:40.72
it changes people's lives.
00:17:40.76\00:17:42.62
They have more time.
00:17:42.66\00:17:45.03
Their health is improved.
00:17:45.06\00:17:47.10
Now, let's talk
on a spiritual level.
00:17:47.13\00:17:49.13
If all of a sudden
you're in a village
00:17:49.16\00:17:50.73
where you have
grown up for generations,
00:17:50.77\00:17:52.93
having to walk and get water.
00:17:52.97\00:17:55.17
And this new building comes in.
00:17:55.20\00:17:57.34
Something called the church
00:17:57.37\00:17:58.71
from a group called
the Seventh-day Adventist,
00:17:58.74\00:18:00.88
and now there's a well and
they provide you water free
00:18:00.91\00:18:04.51
because you could buy
it but you can't afford it.
00:18:04.55\00:18:07.08
Now it's free.
00:18:07.12\00:18:08.45
You're gonna be interested
on what happens on Sabbath.
00:18:08.48\00:18:11.05
When you go get
water in the morning,
00:18:11.09\00:18:13.29
you're gonna hear
the member singing,
00:18:13.32\00:18:15.46
and hopefully, they're
gonna invite you to come in
00:18:15.49\00:18:18.13
and you're gonna
learn about that.
00:18:18.16\00:18:19.79
And that became
00:18:19.83\00:18:21.16
not only an
excellent outreach opportunity,
00:18:21.20\00:18:25.03
but it was something that
00:18:25.07\00:18:26.60
the Adventist
Church in Mozambique
00:18:26.63\00:18:29.24
started being
seen by the government
00:18:29.27\00:18:31.87
and by the community at large,
00:18:31.91\00:18:34.28
as a church that was meeting
00:18:34.31\00:18:35.81
the physical needs of the people
00:18:35.84\00:18:37.48
and it raised their
profile almost immediately.
00:18:37.51\00:18:41.12
When Maranatha
started working in Mozambique,
00:18:41.15\00:18:43.72
it was responding to a
need for churches and schools.
00:18:43.75\00:18:47.76
But with God's blessing,
00:18:47.79\00:18:49.26
the project resulted in
nearly a thousand churches,
00:18:49.29\00:18:52.43
several schools,
and almost 800 wells.
00:18:52.46\00:18:56.97
Seeing how impactful it
was to provide a water well
00:18:57.00\00:19:00.37
next to a newly constructed
church in Mozambique.
00:19:00.40\00:19:03.87
Maranatha in 2014,
00:19:03.91\00:19:06.74
again, contracted
wells to be drilled
00:19:06.78\00:19:09.14
while working in Zimbabwe.
00:19:09.18\00:19:11.71
Another generous donor
00:19:11.75\00:19:13.21
sponsored a new rig to be built.
00:19:13.25\00:19:15.98
Maranatha organized
new well drilling crews
00:19:16.02\00:19:18.65
who could travel
throughout Zimbabwe and Kenya
00:19:18.69\00:19:21.72
and provide sources
of fresh clean water.
00:19:21.76\00:19:25.73
In Kenya, church
leaders saw an opportunity
00:19:25.76\00:19:28.56
to share the hope of
the Adventist message
00:19:28.60\00:19:31.27
in regions
previously out of reach.
00:19:31.30\00:19:34.27
Regions so desolate
that people are nomadic.
00:19:34.30\00:19:37.67
Rainfall in these areas
00:19:37.71\00:19:39.04
are sometimes limited
to a couple inches a year.
00:19:39.07\00:19:42.08
So people move
following the water.
00:19:42.11\00:19:46.82
When Maranatha
enters a place like Kenya,
00:19:46.85\00:19:50.42
and you're
working amongst people
00:19:50.45\00:19:53.46
that have not perhaps
even heard about Jesus Christ,
00:19:53.49\00:19:59.06
they don't have
a lot of the things
00:19:59.09\00:20:01.46
that we think of in
life to be important.
00:20:01.50\00:20:04.77
They live a
pretty simple lifestyle,
00:20:04.80\00:20:07.07
but when you
want to talk to them
00:20:07.10\00:20:09.74
about Jesus Christ,
00:20:09.77\00:20:11.57
if you haven't helped them
00:20:11.61\00:20:14.01
to meet some of
the basic human needs
00:20:14.04\00:20:16.48
that they have like clean water,
00:20:16.51\00:20:19.11
it's harder to reach them.
00:20:19.15\00:20:22.02
But when you can go in
and you can provide water,
00:20:22.05\00:20:26.69
you can make friends with them.
00:20:26.72\00:20:28.19
You can help to teach
them how to plant gardens
00:20:28.22\00:20:32.16
say that's using the
water that's now available.
00:20:32.19\00:20:36.30
They begin to understand
that you care about them,
00:20:36.33\00:20:38.70
and then they become open
00:20:38.73\00:20:40.70
and receptive to perhaps
thinking about other things
00:20:40.74\00:20:44.04
that you might present
00:20:44.07\00:20:45.41
such as the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:20:45.44\00:20:47.78
For example, in Kenya,
00:20:52.61\00:20:53.95
I can remember
talking to a pastor there.
00:20:53.98\00:20:55.78
I said,
00:20:55.82\00:20:57.39
tell me what's the
most important thing
00:20:57.42\00:20:59.69
for you as a pastor to
have in your territory.
00:20:59.72\00:21:03.66
I said, "Do you need a
church? Or what do you need?"
00:21:03.69\00:21:06.66
He said, "No."
00:21:06.70\00:21:08.96
He said,
00:21:09.00\00:21:10.63
"I don't need a church first.
I don't need a school first.
00:21:10.67\00:21:13.77
I need the well first
00:21:13.80\00:21:15.84
because we need to take
care of the people first.
00:21:15.87\00:21:19.24
Once that's taken care of,
then come build me the church.
00:21:19.27\00:21:23.01
Then come build me the school."
00:21:23.04\00:21:24.38
We were involved
in a project in Kenya,
00:21:30.19\00:21:32.42
in a village called Chimberi.
00:21:32.45\00:21:34.46
The reason we went there
00:21:34.49\00:21:35.82
is we were gonna put a
one-day church building,
00:21:35.86\00:21:38.23
well, we went there.
00:21:38.26\00:21:39.59
This place is so
desolate, I kid you not.
00:21:39.63\00:21:42.86
It is so dry.
00:21:42.90\00:21:46.20
Over time we
promised them a well
00:21:46.23\00:21:48.97
and they have a well.
00:21:49.00\00:21:50.34
About a year later
after the well was drilled,
00:21:50.37\00:21:54.11
we went there,
00:21:54.14\00:21:56.34
the little children whose skin,
00:21:56.38\00:21:58.38
if you've pressed it
tight would hardly bounced back
00:21:58.41\00:22:01.88
because of lack of water.
00:22:01.92\00:22:03.25
They're running
around, their eyes are bright.
00:22:03.28\00:22:06.35
They're connecting,
00:22:06.39\00:22:07.72
they're laughing
instead of just dragging.
00:22:07.76\00:22:11.09
Unbelievable.
00:22:11.13\00:22:12.46
You would not think
you're in the same town.
00:22:12.49\00:22:14.30
All of a sudden,
they're hundreds of goats.
00:22:14.33\00:22:16.23
And they're competing
with the people to get water.
00:22:16.26\00:22:20.34
There's one lady, in particular,
00:22:20.37\00:22:22.10
she is mom of a
number of kids there.
00:22:22.14\00:22:26.07
And she said, "You have no
idea what this water means."
00:22:26.11\00:22:30.71
And then she proceeded to say,
00:22:30.75\00:22:32.81
"Water for us is
life, water is opportunity."
00:22:32.85\00:22:36.79
And then she says,
00:22:36.82\00:22:38.15
"If you have water,
you can go anywhere.
00:22:38.19\00:22:41.46
You can be anything."
00:22:41.49\00:22:44.66
So when I'm sitting
there watching this,
00:22:44.69\00:22:47.76
you go, she's right.
00:22:47.80\00:22:50.50
You know, here in
the Western world,
00:22:50.53\00:22:52.27
we think, oh, you
know, I can figure it out.
00:22:52.30\00:22:54.74
I've got access to
education. I got friends.
00:22:54.77\00:22:57.74
I can break out of
whatever cycle I'm in.
00:22:57.77\00:23:01.81
In a place like that
in Kenya you really can't.
00:23:01.84\00:23:07.25
You can't break out
00:23:07.28\00:23:11.02
if your whole life
is about just surviving.
00:23:11.05\00:23:14.86
And how can you move from that
00:23:14.89\00:23:18.03
to believing in
this wonderful creator
00:23:18.06\00:23:21.00
that made you
and gives you hope?
00:23:21.03\00:23:24.47
I mean, that's a big leap,
00:23:24.50\00:23:26.87
but all of a
sudden you have water.
00:23:26.90\00:23:30.71
Physical need is met,
00:23:30.74\00:23:32.07
you can actually
think about something else.
00:23:32.11\00:23:34.74
Yes, you can go anywhere.
00:23:34.78\00:23:36.41
You can be
anything if you have water.
00:23:36.44\00:23:40.85
Maranatha has expanded
its well drilling operations
00:23:40.88\00:23:43.99
to include remote areas
of India, Brazil, in Zambia.
00:23:44.02\00:23:50.89
And with all of our wells,
00:23:50.93\00:23:52.53
the water is free to
anyone in the community.
00:23:52.56\00:23:57.80
In just over a decade,
00:23:57.83\00:23:59.63
we have been
able to provide water
00:23:59.67\00:24:01.50
in more than 1000 communities.
00:24:01.54\00:24:04.37
And with your
support and prayers,
00:24:04.41\00:24:06.64
we've
established new relationships
00:24:06.68\00:24:09.14
that lead to Jesus,
the wellspring of life.
00:24:09.18\00:24:12.75
Providing water
completely changes a community,
00:24:18.19\00:24:21.46
and you can be a part
of this transformation.
00:24:21.49\00:24:24.76
Support
Maranatha's water program
00:24:24.79\00:24:26.93
and bring life to
thousands of people
00:24:26.96\00:24:29.06
in Africa,
India, or South America.
00:24:29.10\00:24:32.40
Call the number on your screen
or visit maranatha.org to give.
00:24:32.43\00:24:36.34
In 2020,
00:24:49.65\00:24:50.99
many of Maranatha's
00:24:51.02\00:24:52.35
International Volunteer
projects were put on hold,
00:24:52.39\00:24:54.52
but in December
00:24:54.56\00:24:55.89
we held our first
overseas volunteer project
00:24:55.92\00:24:57.93
in nearly nine months in Africa.
00:24:57.96\00:25:00.50
This March, join us
on the same continent
00:25:00.53\00:25:02.73
in the country of Zambia.
00:25:02.76\00:25:04.67
Volunteers on this mission
trip will construct a building
00:25:04.70\00:25:07.14
for the Liomba Adventist School.
00:25:07.17\00:25:09.50
The school was
established in 1928,
00:25:09.54\00:25:12.21
and many of the
buildings are deteriorating.
00:25:12.24\00:25:15.21
There isn't enough space
00:25:15.24\00:25:16.58
for the 360 students who attend,
00:25:16.61\00:25:18.81
and staff
housing is also limited
00:25:18.85\00:25:20.95
with one teacher
00:25:20.98\00:25:22.32
bedding down in a
classroom each night.
00:25:22.35\00:25:25.25
Maranatha is
responding to this need
00:25:25.29\00:25:27.36
by building new classrooms,
00:25:27.39\00:25:29.12
bathrooms and
staff housing at Liomba.
00:25:29.16\00:25:32.83
Volunteers on this project
00:25:32.86\00:25:34.30
will help us construct
one of these buildings.
00:25:34.33\00:25:37.17
There will also be opportunities
00:25:37.20\00:25:38.60
to conduct community outreach
00:25:38.63\00:25:40.07
through activities like
children's ministry programs
00:25:40.10\00:25:42.77
and health education.
00:25:42.80\00:25:44.71
Learn more about this project
at maranatha.org/volunteer.
00:25:44.74\00:25:48.54
These women
spend 560 minutes a day
00:26:00.66\00:26:03.99
fetching water.
00:26:04.03\00:26:05.36
Water is life,
00:26:08.53\00:26:11.53
but your life
shouldn't revolve around water.
00:26:11.57\00:26:14.14
We're raising
money for water wells.
00:26:19.87\00:26:23.35
Make a donation,
00:26:23.38\00:26:24.71
give women the gift of time,
00:26:28.65\00:26:31.12
health, family.
00:26:32.62\00:26:35.36
Sponsor a well.
00:26:38.36\00:26:41.80
Give water, give life.
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.73
The core of Maranatha's
mission is to build people.
00:26:58.21\00:27:01.25
You go for a party.
00:27:04.35\00:27:06.02
This determination
takes different forms
00:27:06.05\00:27:08.32
in different environments.
00:27:08.36\00:27:11.83
Hello, is it comfortable?
00:27:11.86\00:27:14.03
Yeah. Yes.
00:27:14.06\00:27:15.40
In some places,
00:27:15.43\00:27:16.77
it includes providing water
00:27:16.80\00:27:18.13
for a thirsty
community in Africa.
00:27:18.17\00:27:19.50
It could involve
improving the college experience
00:27:23.07\00:27:25.61
for students in California.
00:27:25.64\00:27:27.04
It means gathering with people
00:27:32.05\00:27:34.35
who are linked by the
common desire to serve.
00:27:34.38\00:27:38.45
Yeah. Okay.
00:27:38.49\00:27:39.85
There you go. First one.
00:27:39.89\00:27:41.42
Let's go.
00:27:41.46\00:27:43.02
I love you so much
00:27:43.06\00:27:47.73
Whatever the form,
00:27:47.76\00:27:49.10
it's a mission that needs you.
00:27:49.13\00:27:51.33