Hi, I'm Dustin Comm
with the Maranatha Minute.
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.53
International
travel is limited right now
00:00:03.57\00:00:05.63
but a group of
Maranatha volunteers
00:00:05.67\00:00:07.34
recently served in Pennsylvania.
00:00:07.37\00:00:09.67
These participants
braved extreme heat and humidity
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to renovate part
of the girls' dorm
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at Blue Mountain Academy.
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Volunteers installed flooring,
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constructed closets
and applied fresh paint.
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And although the
group was smaller,
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they finished 17
rooms during the project
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just in time for the school
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to open its
doors with more space.
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Because of COVID-19,
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extra safety measures
were in place like face masks,
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social distancing, and
daily temperature checks.
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Yet for many volunteers,
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it was a chance to
do something normal
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during this unique time.
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And despite the COVID context,
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the group still
bonded as they work together
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to reach their goal.
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Learn how Maranatha
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has continued its work worldwide
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despite the pandemic
during Mission Maranatha,
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our two hour television
special on September 19.
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Visit our website to learn more.
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Tucked into the
conifer hills of Central Oregon
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along the south Umpqua River
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is what some say
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is the most remote
Seventh-day Adventist Academy
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in North America,
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Milo Adventist Academy.
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This rural campus
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sits at the foothills
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of the Southern
Cascade Mountains.
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There is no
cell phone reception,
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the internet is spotty,
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and the nearest grocery store
is about an hour's drive away.
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But the lack of
convenience has made up for
00:02:04.05\00:02:06.25
by the beauty of the location.
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The secondary boarding
school was established in 1965
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and over the years
more than 3,000 students
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have walked through the halls,
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lived in the dorms and
graduated from the program.
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But more than five decades
of educating young people
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has taken a toll on
the physical campus,
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which is why Randy Thornton,
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Principal of Milo
contacted Maranatha
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more than four years ago.
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I've been familiar,
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been aware of
Maranatha for decades,
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growing up in Adventism,
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and seeing the amazing work
they've done for a long time.
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And I got to admit,
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I just saw an
opportunity for Milo
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to be blessed with a
lot of volunteer labor.
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We had a lot of
things that we needed here.
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The first year welcomed a
group of high school students
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on Ultimate Workout, a
mission trip for teenagers.
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The Milo project
was the first time
00:03:04.95\00:03:07.02
Ultimate Workout was
held in the United States
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rather than overseas
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and the experience
made an impact on Randy.
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The thing about Maranatha
that has really captivated me,
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I'm certainly grateful
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for all of the
incredible physical plant work
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that gets done.
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But your model
of building people
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and the way that I see people
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changed in serving
is just incredible.
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And so that really yeah,
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we keep on hoping
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that we'll get a
project every summer
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because we got a lot of things
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we'd like to accomplish
for God's kids here at Milo.
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Randy's hopes were fulfilled.
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Maranatha
renovation projects at Milo
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have become almost
an annual tradition.
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But in 2020, the
streak was about to be broken
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because of an unexpected
threat called COVID-19.
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By early March,
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the novel Coronavirus
had been declared a pandemic
00:04:02.60\00:04:05.04
and the US government
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began to unroll a
series of travel restrictions.
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Most Maranatha projects
had to be postponed for months.
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But by early summer
in the United States,
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some areas were
starting to open up
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for carefully
monitored activities
00:04:17.49\00:04:19.55
and volunteers were
getting antsy to serve.
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So when the annual Milo project
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started creeping
up on the calendar,
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volunteers started
knocking on the figurative door.
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Leroy Callum is a
longtime volunteer
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and leader for
Maranatha project.
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Like the typical
Maranatha volunteer,
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he's one who can
rarely sit still.
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Well, I just know that the
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where I can get
the list of sounds man,
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and it seemed like it
grew and grew and grew
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and people I've talked to said,
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you know, I need to
get out of the house
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because I did call
a few people and say,
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"You know, what do you think?"
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And they said,
"Well, I'm getting bored.
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I need to get on
get doing something.
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So let's get out and do it."
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So most of people I
think are really receptive
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about getting out and
let's get something done.
00:05:03.47\00:05:08.24
Ed Jensen is a
Maranatha board member
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and volunteer.
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He has served as
the project coordinator
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for multiple Maranatha projects.
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And he was slated to lead Milo.
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I went on a project
in February to Alabama.
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And then I had three projects
lined up in April and May.
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But they were all,
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those months are
totally blocked out.
00:05:28.02\00:05:29.99
So June was the next
month after April and May.
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And I thought, well,
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they'll probably
block out June too,
00:05:34.66\00:05:36.00
because the outside
statistics of COVID infections
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and all were
going a little crazy.
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So I fully expected this
when they never happened.
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But then they never,
nobody was saying no,
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nobody was saying no.
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After a thorough
discussion with leadership,
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site visits and
research on Oregon guidelines,
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Maranatha
decided to move forward
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with the project in faith
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and with a long
list of protocols
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for safety and health.
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Soon, there were 50
volunteers registered,
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the maximum number of
people allowed to gather
00:06:06.49\00:06:08.93
under COVID-19
rules for Douglas County
00:06:08.96\00:06:11.43
where Milo Academy is located.
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Given its rural location
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and low number of
cases in the county,
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Milo appeared
to be an ideal site
00:06:17.67\00:06:19.87
for a first
project during COVID.
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As it looked
through the volunteers,
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he saw that a number of
them were medical professionals,
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quickly he began
calling and asking them
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to be part of a
medical team for safety.
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I was a nurse for over 30 years,
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but I was an
infection control nurse
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for 25 years.
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At first when Ed called me,
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I thought about it for a minute.
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And then I said,
"Well, you know, Ed,
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I've done this a long time,
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doesn't take too long to
get my brain back working."
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So I said, he,
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and I had worked with Ed before.
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So I said, "Yes,
I'll do it. I'll do it."
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I just in asking questions
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and discussing
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with our project coordinator.
00:07:01.28\00:07:03.59
And the questions I was asking,
00:07:03.62\00:07:05.25
he became obvious
that I'm a physician,
00:07:05.29\00:07:08.16
and that I had some
background experience
00:07:08.19\00:07:10.09
with COVID and planning.
00:07:10.13\00:07:12.23
And so then I was
asked to just kind of be
00:07:12.26\00:07:14.43
a meeting of the minds,
00:07:14.46\00:07:15.86
so to speak of a
group working together
00:07:15.90\00:07:18.90
to come up with
all of our different,
00:07:18.93\00:07:22.60
all of our different
background information
00:07:22.64\00:07:24.47
to put together to
see if we could come up
00:07:24.51\00:07:26.01
with the safest
plan for everybody.
00:07:26.04\00:07:28.04
Arlene, Michelle
and two more nurses,
00:07:28.08\00:07:30.45
Lori and Julie
formed a medical team.
00:07:30.48\00:07:33.48
Together, they created
a system of safety checks.
00:07:33.52\00:07:37.19
In the mornings, we
take their temperature,
00:07:37.22\00:07:39.92
and they used hand sanitizer.
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We do it again in the evening
and do the hand sanitizer.
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We recorded just that,
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yes, they passed not what
was but just that they pass,
00:07:48.00\00:07:51.93
we want to have a trail
00:07:51.97\00:07:53.54
so that if Douglas County
Health Department does show up,
00:07:53.57\00:07:56.71
we have proof
that we are monitoring
00:07:56.74\00:07:58.81
and tracking everybody.
00:07:58.84\00:08:00.98
There's markers on the floor
when they come in the door.
00:08:01.01\00:08:04.61
And we have our
own hand sanitizer
00:08:04.65\00:08:07.48
separate from
the one on the wall.
00:08:07.52\00:08:10.09
And then you'd go through line.
00:08:10.12\00:08:12.82
We keep our six feet away,
00:08:12.85\00:08:14.22
we wear masks and the tray line.
00:08:14.26\00:08:18.59
And then we
cleaned the tables, chairs
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after every meal.
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One thing that I
was really grateful for
00:08:24.37\00:08:26.67
is that that Ed
Jensen in behalf of Maranatha
00:08:26.70\00:08:30.81
was number one concerned
about our population, our kids.
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And, but you know
we've been all here together.
00:08:35.94\00:08:38.81
So again, we
already know we don't have,
00:08:38.85\00:08:42.05
but as more people
come on from outside,
00:08:42.08\00:08:45.55
he was very concerned
00:08:45.59\00:08:46.99
about making sure
that we were safe,
00:08:47.02\00:08:49.39
and that we were comfortable.
00:08:49.42\00:08:50.76
And I was really
grateful for that.
00:08:50.79\00:08:54.40
With the safety protocol
in place and in practice,
00:08:54.43\00:08:57.50
volunteers could
focus on the work.
00:08:57.53\00:08:59.97
It's a work that
Milo is grateful for.
00:09:00.00\00:09:02.94
So the scope of
the projects this year
00:09:02.97\00:09:04.57
is two house remodels.
00:09:04.61\00:09:07.71
Our oval that
keeps the students dry
00:09:07.74\00:09:09.51
in the wintertime
00:09:09.54\00:09:10.88
from the wet rains is
being refaced and resided
00:09:10.91\00:09:15.22
so that it's doesn't rot
away and fall away on us.
00:09:15.25\00:09:18.15
So that's a big plus.
00:09:18.19\00:09:19.85
And there's a lot
of renovating going on
00:09:19.89\00:09:22.32
in the girls' dorm
rooms, painting, decorating,
00:09:22.36\00:09:24.86
refinishing cabinets
00:09:24.89\00:09:26.23
that are starting to look rough.
00:09:26.26\00:09:28.43
So we have like
eight major buildings
00:09:28.46\00:09:30.67
on the campus over
proper plus 13 acres we mow,
00:09:30.70\00:09:34.34
plus we have a
400 acre property,
00:09:34.37\00:09:36.34
plus a junior camp.
00:09:36.37\00:09:37.71
And we have one
maintenance person
00:09:37.74\00:09:39.07
that takes care of all of that.
00:09:39.11\00:09:40.84
So the idea of
the project's person
00:09:40.88\00:09:43.01
which is myself
is to do the projects
00:09:43.04\00:09:45.65
that maintenance
would never ever look at
00:09:45.68\00:09:47.25
because there's
just not enough time
00:09:47.28\00:09:48.85
and hours in a day
00:09:48.88\00:09:50.22
because they're so busy
00:09:50.25\00:09:51.59
taking care of the
rest of the campus.
00:09:51.62\00:09:54.49
We really want to
thank Maranatha coming
00:09:54.52\00:09:56.22
because without them,
00:09:56.26\00:09:58.09
it would take us a lot
longer to improve our campus
00:09:58.13\00:10:01.30
and every year we
can see improvements
00:10:01.33\00:10:03.73
but it improves much
faster and much better
00:10:03.77\00:10:07.57
with Maranatha's
help for two weeks
00:10:07.60\00:10:09.14
because 50 people in two weeks
00:10:09.17\00:10:11.87
can do a lot more
than one person can do
00:10:11.91\00:10:13.78
in 52 weeks.
00:10:13.81\00:10:15.28
Year by year,
00:10:15.31\00:10:16.64
the campus is
changing for the better,
00:10:16.68\00:10:18.41
thanks to Maranatha volunteers.
00:10:18.45\00:10:20.55
With every project,
the family of students,
00:10:20.58\00:10:22.98
faculty and
staff gets stronger too
00:10:23.02\00:10:25.19
as they have the
privilege of people investing
00:10:25.22\00:10:27.59
in their community.
00:10:27.62\00:10:29.39
But campus renovations
aren't the only things
00:10:29.42\00:10:31.66
happening on these projects.
00:10:31.69\00:10:33.33
With each
Maranatha mission trip,
00:10:33.36\00:10:35.13
another community is
strengthened and built,
00:10:35.16\00:10:38.03
the volunteers.
00:10:38.07\00:10:40.97
I believe that it's
important to maintain
00:10:41.00\00:10:43.81
some semblance of normality,
even amid a pandemic, it's...
00:10:43.84\00:10:50.31
We need to, means don't go away
00:10:50.35\00:10:52.48
just because there's a pandemic,
00:10:52.51\00:10:54.32
and many projects
have already been canceled.
00:10:54.35\00:10:57.85
So I think it's important
to make a start somewhere
00:10:57.89\00:11:01.82
and get out there
00:11:01.86\00:11:03.19
and start maybe
stretching God's promises
00:11:03.22\00:11:07.63
and calling on him to say,
00:11:07.66\00:11:10.93
Lord, we want to
continue this organization
00:11:10.97\00:11:13.64
and continue our volunteering,
00:11:13.67\00:11:16.17
and go ahead and
step out in faith
00:11:16.20\00:11:18.91
and do the work that
you've called us to do.
00:11:18.94\00:11:23.24
When we come back hear
more about the unique community
00:11:23.28\00:11:26.18
found on North America projects
00:11:26.21\00:11:28.02
and how the experience
is touching people's lives.
00:11:28.05\00:11:31.05
With international
mission trips postponed,
00:11:43.83\00:11:45.87
you may not feel like
00:11:45.90\00:11:47.24
you can help the
mission from home.
00:11:47.27\00:11:49.30
It's a unique time,
00:11:49.34\00:11:50.67
but thankfully
Maranatha's international crews
00:11:50.71\00:11:53.07
are pushing the work
forward where they can,
00:11:53.11\00:11:55.64
but we can't do it
without your financial support.
00:11:55.68\00:11:58.78
At this time,
we're excited to unveil
00:11:58.81\00:12:01.08
our new online
fundraising platform.
00:12:01.12\00:12:04.05
This customizable
website allows you to create
00:12:04.09\00:12:06.35
your own fundraising
campaign for Maranatha.
00:12:06.39\00:12:09.69
You create the goal
00:12:09.72\00:12:11.06
and decide where
donations will be sent.
00:12:11.09\00:12:13.40
From there, share it
with family and friends
00:12:13.43\00:12:15.66
and work together
to reach your target.
00:12:15.70\00:12:18.30
One hundred
percent of your donations
00:12:18.33\00:12:20.20
go to the
Maranatha program you choose.
00:12:20.24\00:12:23.30
Some donors may create a
campaign for their birthday
00:12:23.34\00:12:25.94
for growing presence
and directing their gifts
00:12:25.97\00:12:27.81
to Maranatha instead.
00:12:27.84\00:12:29.58
Others may secure sponsorships
for an upcoming fun run
00:12:29.61\00:12:32.71
or marathon in Maranatha's name.
00:12:32.75\00:12:35.42
To get started with your
own Maranatha fundraiser,
00:12:35.45\00:12:37.85
go to maranatha.org/fundraise.
00:12:37.89\00:12:40.36
Mark your calendar,
00:12:43.79\00:12:45.13
September 19 is
Mission Maranatha,
00:12:45.16\00:12:47.76
a television broadcast event.
00:12:47.80\00:12:49.93
Beginning at 2 pm Pacific,
00:12:49.96\00:12:51.60
you will discover firsthand
00:12:51.63\00:12:53.13
how Maranatha
Volunteers International
00:12:53.17\00:12:55.50
has advanced
the mission in 2020.
00:12:55.54\00:12:58.11
At 4:30 pm Pacific,
00:12:58.14\00:12:59.67
the doors will open to
a virtual meet and greet,
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a time for you to see
your Maranatha friends,
00:13:02.58\00:13:05.01
a time to find out
how you can get involved.
00:13:05.05\00:13:07.62
Mission Maranatha will bring you
00:13:07.65\00:13:09.22
fresh reports from India,
00:13:09.25\00:13:11.25
Kenya, Zambia, Cote d'Ivoire,
Brazil, and North America,
00:13:11.29\00:13:17.26
you'll witness
00:13:17.29\00:13:18.63
the remarkable
stories of volunteers
00:13:18.66\00:13:20.73
and answered prayer
00:13:20.76\00:13:22.30
as the world courses
through rapid change.
00:13:22.33\00:13:25.77
Mission Maranatha,
00:13:25.80\00:13:27.17
September 19 at 2 pm Pacific
on the Maranatha channel,
00:13:27.20\00:13:31.04
3ABN and Hope channel,
00:13:31.07\00:13:33.21
and be sure to register
for our 4:30 pm Virtual Lobby.
00:13:33.24\00:13:37.45
The mission is calling.
00:13:37.48\00:13:38.91
The mission is Maranatha.
00:13:38.95\00:13:40.82
After a long spring
season of sheltering in place
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due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:13:50.66\00:13:52.56
By summer,
Americans were anxious
00:13:52.59\00:13:54.66
to jump back into life.
00:13:54.70\00:13:56.53
While most were
eager for haircuts,
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beaches and restaurants,
00:13:58.57\00:13:59.97
Maranatha
volunteers were eager to serve.
00:14:00.00\00:14:03.14
Given the remaining restrictions
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for international travel,
00:14:04.57\00:14:05.91
the best option
for mission trips
00:14:05.94\00:14:07.61
was more local.
00:14:07.64\00:14:09.31
Each year, Maranatha organizes
about 60 projects a year
00:14:09.34\00:14:13.05
mobilizing more than
2,200 volunteers each year
00:14:13.08\00:14:16.58
to countries around the world.
00:14:16.62\00:14:18.15
And almost half
of these projects
00:14:18.19\00:14:19.85
take place in the
United States or Canada,
00:14:19.89\00:14:23.02
called North America projects.
00:14:23.06\00:14:24.89
These mission
trips are different
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from the international ones
00:14:26.29\00:14:27.63
and that they do not
require a participation fee.
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Except for travel,
food and lodging are covered
00:14:30.60\00:14:33.07
in exchange for
the volunteer service.
00:14:33.10\00:14:35.20
This arrangement has
made it easier for people,
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especially retired folks
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to go on
multiple projects a year.
00:14:39.37\00:14:42.31
Susie Fox is among
these repeat volunteers
00:14:42.34\00:14:44.98
in North America.
00:14:45.01\00:14:46.55
I had retired
early and so I decided,
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I needed to do
something for to keep busy.
00:14:49.95\00:14:54.92
And I did a few by myself
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and then when
my husband retired,
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he really needed
something to keep himself busy.
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So we got involved
with Maranatha in 2010.
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And we've done
00:15:08.20\00:15:10.14
anywhere from
three to six projects
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a year since then.
00:15:12.34\00:15:15.34
2020 was no different.
00:15:15.38\00:15:16.85
Susie and her husband
Fred had planned to serve
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on a number of
Maranatha projects
00:15:19.15\00:15:20.75
in North
America and one overseas
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until COVID hit.
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We were scheduled,
00:15:24.69\00:15:26.02
we were looking forward
to going back to Paradise
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because we had done
that one in the fall.
00:15:27.96\00:15:29.86
And we were very disappointed.
00:15:29.89\00:15:31.59
Maranatha canceled,
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outlined or
basically postponed it.
00:15:35.10\00:15:37.67
And so we were hoping
00:15:37.70\00:15:40.20
they wouldn't
postpone the Milo one.
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Milo is special to us.
00:15:42.37\00:15:44.51
Both my husband and I,
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because we went to school here
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and we graduated a
long, long time ago.
00:15:47.28\00:15:50.21
And it is been always a special,
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soft spot in our heart for Milo.
00:15:57.59\00:16:00.36
We always tried to
come and help them.
00:16:00.39\00:16:03.93
This year, it's...
00:16:03.96\00:16:05.59
We have about
eight or nine of us
00:16:05.63\00:16:09.23
that are alumni
from our generation
00:16:09.26\00:16:12.30
of attendees here at Milo
00:16:12.33\00:16:15.00
and we feel like that
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had we not come to Milo
00:16:17.44\00:16:18.77
who knows where
we would be today,
00:16:18.81\00:16:20.31
whether we'd still
be in the church or,
00:16:20.34\00:16:23.01
so we feel like
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Christians
education is important.
00:16:24.41\00:16:27.18
But while this
project is extraordinary
00:16:27.22\00:16:29.28
because of her
personal connection
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to the place,
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Susie Fox says
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each Maranatha
project is personal
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in how it creates belonging
and a sense of purpose.
00:16:34.99\00:16:38.39
We do the projects
because as time has gone on,
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we have developed a family,
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a lot of the same
people came on the,
00:16:45.00\00:16:48.50
come on the projects,
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and we're just, it's
just our second family.
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It keeps us busy.
00:16:55.84\00:16:57.25
We like doing
things with our hands
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and feel like that
we're doing something for God
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or for the community.
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And this is one
thing that we could do.
00:17:04.75\00:17:06.09
I'm not
evangelist or out, you know,
00:17:06.12\00:17:08.92
giving Bible
studies necessarily,
00:17:08.96\00:17:11.39
but this is
something we really feel like
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that there's a need
and we enjoy doing it.
00:17:13.43\00:17:16.87
As a retired
missionary and contractor,
00:17:16.90\00:17:19.37
these North
American mission trips
00:17:19.40\00:17:20.84
are all in Leroy's
wheelhouse and as a fellow doer,
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these projects keep him busy.
00:17:24.27\00:17:26.27
But Leroy says
00:17:26.31\00:17:27.64
it's about more than
the work and activity.
00:17:27.68\00:17:29.71
It's about the people.
00:17:29.74\00:17:32.11
As I traveled and met
people and talked with people,
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there's a lot of people that
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that come to
Maranatha are broken.
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They have broken families,
they have broken relationships.
00:17:42.32\00:17:46.90
And there's just a
lot of stories out there
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that when they come
here, they're accepted.
00:17:52.07\00:17:56.54
Nobody judges them
from what their past was
00:17:56.57\00:17:59.27
or where they've been or
what they've come through.
00:17:59.31\00:18:02.58
They just love them and say,
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hey, you're part of
our Maranatha families.
00:18:04.75\00:18:09.18
The COVID guidelines for
this project have made it
00:18:09.22\00:18:11.59
particularly difficult for Leroy
00:18:11.62\00:18:13.56
as he finds it hard to not
hug his old and new friends
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and practice social distancing.
00:18:17.39\00:18:19.16
But even with
these new limitations,
00:18:19.19\00:18:21.16
the community is
still being built.
00:18:21.20\00:18:24.87
Michelle is on her
second Maranatha project
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and her first with her family.
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As a physician,
she had reservations
00:18:29.00\00:18:30.84
about the project
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but felt reassured by
the safety protocol in place
00:18:32.24\00:18:35.04
and the isolation
of Milo's location.
00:18:35.08\00:18:37.75
She also felt the
project would be a good way
00:18:37.78\00:18:40.02
to introduce
her kids to service.
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I have two 12-year olds
and I have a 15-year-old
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who are unable to
go to school right now.
00:18:45.92\00:18:50.13
So my 15-year-old is a
sophomore in high school
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and he is thrilled,
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he's able to learn
from some of our contractors
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and retired tradesmen
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and is just excited
to be able to be of use.
00:19:01.87\00:19:06.47
And the younger two as
well are excited to be of use.
00:19:06.51\00:19:10.85
Of course, they're
young, and they're energetic,
00:19:10.88\00:19:12.81
and so they always bring
something to the project.
00:19:12.85\00:19:16.08
As a physician,
00:19:16.12\00:19:17.45
Michelle did plenty of research
00:19:17.49\00:19:18.82
before bringing
her family to Oregon.
00:19:18.85\00:19:20.69
Ultimately, her
decision was motivated
00:19:20.72\00:19:22.92
by the importance of community.
00:19:22.96\00:19:26.96
We have this time together
00:19:27.00\00:19:29.13
and time is something
00:19:29.16\00:19:30.50
that is one of our
most precious resources.
00:19:30.53\00:19:34.90
The money doesn't matter.
00:19:34.94\00:19:36.27
The job title doesn't matter.
00:19:36.30\00:19:38.04
The certain accomplishments
00:19:38.07\00:19:39.97
that we work so
hard for in a day,
00:19:40.01\00:19:41.34
they really don't matter.
00:19:41.38\00:19:43.21
But the time together
00:19:43.24\00:19:44.58
and the time to be
able to be together
00:19:44.61\00:19:46.15
as a family is really precious
00:19:46.18\00:19:48.95
and then to be
able to join together
00:19:48.98\00:19:50.49
with other members of
the community like-minded,
00:19:50.52\00:19:53.12
keeping our distance being safe,
00:19:53.15\00:19:55.22
protecting each
other as we work together.
00:19:55.26\00:19:58.46
I read an article that
said, we don't social distance,
00:19:58.49\00:20:01.70
we physically distance.
00:20:01.73\00:20:04.00
Times are uncertain
and the stakes are high.
00:20:04.03\00:20:07.80
But if you think about it,
00:20:07.84\00:20:09.17
and you go back through history,
00:20:09.20\00:20:10.54
it's not the first time.
00:20:10.57\00:20:12.24
And what we're
building with Maranatha
00:20:12.27\00:20:14.34
will outlast COVID
and it will outlast us.
00:20:14.38\00:20:18.81
And so I think what
we ultimately decided
00:20:18.85\00:20:21.12
is that the best we can do
is to listen conscientiously
00:20:21.15\00:20:25.85
to our leaders,
00:20:25.89\00:20:27.66
and come together as a community
00:20:27.69\00:20:30.26
and do good works.
00:20:30.29\00:20:32.29
And that's what I hope my
kids take away from the trip
00:20:32.33\00:20:35.13
is that we have to come together
00:20:35.16\00:20:37.77
as a community,
00:20:37.80\00:20:39.13
and it is upon
us to do good works.
00:20:39.17\00:20:43.44
This community is what has drawn
00:20:43.47\00:20:45.17
the same volunteers on
multiple mission trips.
00:20:45.21\00:20:48.48
When we come back,
00:20:48.51\00:20:49.84
we meet a man who has
found new community in service
00:20:49.88\00:20:52.91
through Maranatha.
00:20:52.95\00:20:54.28
Some companies
spend millions of dollars
00:21:07.30\00:21:09.46
to bring you
these sounds and images.
00:21:09.50\00:21:13.23
I made it.
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.57
These sounds and images
are created from the dollars
00:21:15.60\00:21:18.24
you give to Maranatha.
00:21:18.27\00:21:21.18
Your support of our
well drilling efforts
00:21:21.21\00:21:23.21
is bringing
clean accessible water
00:21:23.24\00:21:25.21
to communities in Africa,
00:21:25.25\00:21:27.05
India and Brazil
00:21:27.08\00:21:29.08
because while this
sells soda, this saves lives.
00:21:29.12\00:21:34.12
For more than a decade,
00:21:38.83\00:21:40.40
Maranatha mission stories
is taking you around the world,
00:21:40.43\00:21:43.87
showing you the need
00:21:43.90\00:21:45.23
and challenging
you to get involved.
00:21:45.27\00:21:48.70
Now we're introducing new
ways for you to stay informed
00:21:48.74\00:21:52.01
and inspired about the mission.
00:21:52.04\00:21:55.08
Watch your favorite episode
of Maranatha mission stories,
00:21:55.11\00:21:58.18
as well as
other Maranatha videos
00:21:58.21\00:22:00.05
on your Apple TV.
00:22:00.08\00:22:02.72
Visit the App Store,
00:22:02.75\00:22:04.09
search for the Maranatha channel
00:22:04.12\00:22:06.09
and hit install.
00:22:06.12\00:22:09.52
You'll have access
00:22:09.56\00:22:10.89
to all of our
latest video content,
00:22:10.93\00:22:12.76
and you can watch anytime.
00:22:12.79\00:22:14.86
Our videos are available
on demand 24 hours a day.
00:22:14.90\00:22:19.30
Our content can also be viewed
on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
00:22:19.33\00:22:24.34
The Maranatha channel,
00:22:24.37\00:22:25.84
bringing mission
adventures to your living room.
00:22:25.87\00:22:28.58
We're friends. You're friend.
00:22:37.02\00:22:38.72
Know a kid who
loves mission stories?
00:22:38.75\00:22:41.32
Tell them about Maranatha kids.
00:22:41.36\00:22:46.43
Maranatha kids is a fun
and easy way for your children
00:22:46.46\00:22:49.96
to explore the mission field
00:22:50.00\00:22:51.73
and learn how even kids
can make a difference for God.
00:22:51.77\00:22:55.47
Each week we'll
email you a short video
00:22:55.50\00:22:57.81
featuring a person, place
00:22:57.84\00:22:59.77
or facet of the
work Maranatha does
00:22:59.81\00:23:02.01
around the world.
00:23:02.04\00:23:03.95
You'll also
receive a discussion guide
00:23:03.98\00:23:05.95
with additional information,
00:23:05.98\00:23:07.92
questions to consider
00:23:07.95\00:23:09.32
as well as things to pray about.
00:23:09.35\00:23:13.39
You can also join
00:23:13.42\00:23:14.76
the Maranatha
kids Facebook group
00:23:14.79\00:23:16.52
for additional content
00:23:16.56\00:23:18.03
and to connect with
other mission minded families.
00:23:18.06\00:23:23.53
Visit
maranatha.org/kids to sign up
00:23:23.57\00:23:28.30
and get your
little volunteer started
00:23:28.34\00:23:30.34
on their mission adventure.
00:23:30.37\00:23:32.01
All of Maranatha's mission trips
00:23:37.88\00:23:39.48
focus on building community,
00:23:39.51\00:23:41.38
not just for the
people who are being served,
00:23:41.42\00:23:43.49
but those who are serving.
00:23:43.52\00:23:45.32
Friendships
created on experience
00:23:45.35\00:23:47.42
are what makes
each project so special.
00:23:47.46\00:23:50.03
And while these
relationships are formed
00:23:50.06\00:23:51.86
on international projects,
00:23:51.89\00:23:53.23
the ones formed
00:23:53.26\00:23:54.60
through North
American mission trips
00:23:54.63\00:23:55.96
are arguably stronger,
00:23:56.00\00:23:57.83
since these mission
trips are mostly free,
00:23:57.87\00:23:59.90
volunteers can participate
in multiple experiences a year,
00:23:59.93\00:24:03.61
which means they see
many of the same faces
00:24:03.64\00:24:05.91
on the project.
00:24:05.94\00:24:07.58
The familiarity contributes
00:24:07.61\00:24:09.18
to deeper and
long-lasting friendships.
00:24:09.21\00:24:11.91
This special community
00:24:11.95\00:24:13.28
is why Wesley
Wilson loves Maranatha.
00:24:13.31\00:24:16.15
Wes is a
relatively new volunteer,
00:24:16.18\00:24:18.25
but he is discovering
an unexpected dedication
00:24:18.29\00:24:21.09
to this lifestyle.
00:24:21.12\00:24:22.72
Well, I'd heard about Maranatha
00:24:22.76\00:24:24.53
back in probably
the 80s and the 90s.
00:24:24.56\00:24:28.30
And I thought, oh, I
would like to do that
00:24:28.33\00:24:30.17
but I couldn't
afford it raising a family.
00:24:30.20\00:24:33.34
Fast forward a couple decades
00:24:33.37\00:24:34.87
and Wes was
retired and a widower.
00:24:34.90\00:24:38.01
Well, I watch 3ABN quite a bit.
00:24:38.04\00:24:41.54
And what's her name?
00:24:41.58\00:24:44.15
Hilary Macias,
00:24:44.18\00:24:45.95
she was on there and
she would promote Maranatha
00:24:45.98\00:24:49.32
and you need to
come and all that.
00:24:49.35\00:24:51.72
Man, it's kind of
like the Lord was saying,
00:24:51.75\00:24:53.76
yeah, you better go.
00:24:53.79\00:24:55.79
So I put it off and
I watched another one,
00:24:55.82\00:24:58.93
and he got more
stringent, more urgent.
00:24:58.96\00:25:01.96
Okay, Lord, I'll
go and that wound up
00:25:02.00\00:25:04.23
being the Vancouver project.
00:25:04.27\00:25:06.30
So I loaded it up
00:25:06.33\00:25:07.67
and I went up to
Vancouver, Washington
00:25:07.70\00:25:11.71
and drove up there
00:25:11.74\00:25:13.07
and, oh, wow, boy,
00:25:13.11\00:25:16.08
I really, do I
really want to do this?
00:25:16.11\00:25:19.21
Wes was nervous
00:25:19.25\00:25:20.58
until a fellow volunteer came up
00:25:20.62\00:25:22.05
and gave him a big
hug to welcome him.
00:25:22.08\00:25:25.15
I like the
fellowship and a friendship.
00:25:25.19\00:25:27.59
And the more that I work,
00:25:27.62\00:25:29.19
the friendlier I got
and I enjoyed the work.
00:25:29.22\00:25:33.56
The part of feeling
included with people
00:25:33.60\00:25:37.17
is a big part of
the human experience.
00:25:37.20\00:25:39.93
But people who joined Maranatha
you become part of the group.
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You make friends with them,
they treat you as an equal.
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And they welcome you
at every step of the way.
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This sense of community
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is what draws
thousands of people
00:25:56.18\00:25:57.99
to Maranatha
mission trips every year.
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Some come in
search of adventure,
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others want to stay active,
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all come seeking a
purpose and a way to give back
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even in the midst of a pandemic.
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Well, one of the
things about Maranatha
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is that the people
that are part of Maranatha,
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they want to be a
blessing, they want to serve.
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And it's just amazing
to be with people who are,
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love the Lord
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and want to be a
blessing to others.
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It's just invigorating
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to be among a group
of people like that.
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The Coronavirus
pandemic has certainly upended
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the service aspect of
Maranatha that we all love.
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It's hard to predict
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when Maranatha
volunteer projects
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will return to normal
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with a full schedule of
opportunities for service.
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For now, we're taking
it one project at a time.
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Yet most of Maranatha's
construction projects
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have always been built by
our local and country crews,
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and now more than ever,
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they are needed
to continue the work.
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Since March, these teams
have been building churches,
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schools and water wells
in countries like India,
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Brazil, Zambia,
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Kenya,
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and Cote d'Ivoire.
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Whether in Milo, Oregon,
or Abbebroukoi, Cote d'Ivoire,
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the work has never stopped.
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And this mission needs
your continued support.
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Please make a
donation to Maranatha
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as we carry
forward this commission.
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After all, we
may cherish the joy
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that comes with service.
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But the ultimate
goal of Maranatha
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is to build people, communities
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and the gospel
throughout the world.
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