Hi, I'm Dustin Comm
with the Maranatha Minute.
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.67
Forty volunteers
recently finished a project
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at Camp Lawroweld in Maine.
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Built around 1900 to
serve Yale University,
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the camp is now showing its
age more than a century later.
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Volunteers remodeled the lodge
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with new
flooring, pine paneling,
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tile, showers,
plumbing and electrical.
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They also renovated
a boys' staff house,
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painted furniture
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and poured a new floor
for the girls' bathhouse.
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In addition, all
of the screen doors
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throughout the
camp were replaced
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which were torn and
allowing animals inside.
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This was
Maranatha's first project
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at Camp Lawroweld.
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And it was such a
success that camp leadership
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began filling
out the application
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for a future project
before this one had ended.
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Join us on another
mission trip in the US
00:00:47.54\00:00:50.01
like on our upcoming
project in Paradise, California,
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starting on October 26.
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Learn more at
maranatha.org/volunteer.
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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
is the most remote
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Seventh-day Adventist
Academy in North America,
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Milo Adventist Academy.
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This rural campus
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
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has made up for by the
beauty of the location.
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The secondary boarding
school was established in 1954
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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, I
just saw an opportunity
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for Milo 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
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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
for all of the incredible
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physical plant
work that gets done.
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But your model
of building people
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and the way that
I see people changed
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in serving is just incredible.
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And so that really, yeah,
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we keep on hoping that
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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
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at Milo have become
almost an annual tradition.
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But in 2020,
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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,
the novel Coronavirus
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had been declared a pandemic
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and the US government
began to unroll a series
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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
00:04:17.52\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 where I can get
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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.
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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.
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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,
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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,
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nobody was saying
no, 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
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to gather under COVID-19
rules for Douglas County
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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
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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
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were medical professionals,
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quickly he began calling
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and asking them to be
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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 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.
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I'll do it."
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I just end asking questions
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and discussing
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with our project coordinator.
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And the questions I was asking,
00:07:03.72\00:07:05.32
he became obvious
that I'm a physician,
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and that I had some
background experience
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with COVID and planning.
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And so then I was
asked to just kind of be
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a meeting of the minds,
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so to speak of a group
working together to come up
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with all of our different,
all of our different background
00:07:19.50\00:07:23.81
information to
put together to see
00:07:23.84\00:07:25.17
if we could come up
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with the safest
plan for everybody.
00:07:26.57\00:07:28.08
Arlene, Michelle
and two more nurses,
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Lori and Julie
formed a medical team.
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Together, they created
a system of safety checks.
00:07:33.42\00:07:37.25
In the mornings, we
take their temperature,
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and they used hand sanitizer.
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We do it again in the evening
and do the hand sanitizer.
00:07:42.69\00:07:46.16
We recorded just
that, yes, they passed
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not what was but
just that they pass,
00:07:49.20\00:07:51.93
we want to have a trail
00:07:51.97\00:07:53.60
so that if Douglas County
Health Department does show up,
00:07:53.64\00:07:56.60
we have proof that
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we are monitoring
and tracking everybody.
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There's markers on the floor
when they come in the door.
00:08:01.04\00:08:04.58
And we have our
own hand sanitizer
00:08:04.61\00:08:07.52
separate from
the one on the wall.
00:08:07.55\00:08:10.05
And then you'd go through line.
00:08:10.09\00:08:12.72
We keep our six feet away,
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we wear masks and the tray line.
00:08:14.29\00:08:18.73
And then we cleaned the
tables, chairs after every meal.
00:08:18.76\00:08:24.40
One thing that I was
really grateful for is that
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that Ed Jensen in
behalf of Maranatha
00:08:28.40\00:08:30.91
was number one concerned
about our population, our kids.
00:08:30.94\00:08:35.94
And, but you know
we've been all here together.
00:08:35.98\00:08:38.88
So again, we
already know we don't have,
00:08:38.91\00:08:42.05
but as more people
come on from outside,
00:08:42.08\00:08:45.69
he was very concerned
00:08:45.72\00:08:47.06
about making sure
that we were safe,
00:08:47.09\00:08:49.46
and that we were comfortable.
00:08:49.49\00:08:50.83
And I was really
grateful for that.
00:08:50.86\00:08:54.50
With the safety protocol
in place and in practice,
00:08:54.53\00:08:57.67
volunteers could
focus on the work.
00:08:57.70\00:08:59.97
It's a work that
Milo is grateful for.
00:09:00.00\00:09:02.97
So the scope of
the projects this year
00:09:03.00\00:09:04.71
is two house remodels.
00:09:04.74\00:09:07.38
Our oval that keeps the students
00:09:07.41\00:09:09.24
dry in the wintertime
00:09:09.28\00:09:10.68
from the wet rains is
being refaced and resided
00:09:10.71\00:09:15.25
so that it's doesn't rot
away and fall away on us.
00:09:15.28\00:09:18.15
So that's a big plus.
00:09:18.19\00:09:19.79
And there's a lot of renovating
00:09:19.82\00:09:22.02
going on in the
girls' dorm rooms,
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painting,
decorating, refinishing cabinets
00:09:23.46\00:09:25.96
that are starting to look rough.
00:09:25.99\00:09:28.36
So we have like
eight major buildings
00:09:28.40\00:09:30.73
on the campus over proper,
00:09:30.77\00:09:32.73
plus 13 acres we mow,
00:09:32.77\00:09:34.40
plus we have a
400 acre property,
00:09:34.44\00:09:36.40
plus a junior camp.
00:09:36.44\00:09:37.77
And we have one
maintenance person
00:09:37.81\00:09:39.14
that takes care of all of that.
00:09:39.17\00:09:40.88
So the idea of
the project's person
00:09:40.91\00:09:43.04
which is myself
is to do the projects
00:09:43.08\00:09:45.61
that maintenance
would never ever look at
00:09:45.65\00:09:47.35
because there's
just not enough time
00:09:47.38\00:09:48.82
and hours in a day
because they're so busy
00:09:48.85\00:09:51.29
taking care of the
rest of the campus.
00:09:51.32\00:09:54.52
We really want to
thank Maranatha for coming
00:09:54.56\00:09:56.29
because without them,
00:09:56.32\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\00:10:03.67
but it improves much faster
00:10:03.70\00:10:06.30
and much better
with Maranatha's help
00:10:06.33\00:10:08.14
for two weeks
00:10:08.17\00:10:09.50
because 50 people in two weeks
00:10:09.54\00:10:11.94
can do a lot more than
one person can do in 52 weeks.
00:10:11.97\00:10:15.31
Year by year,
00:10:15.34\00:10:16.68
the campus is
changing for the better,
00:10:16.71\00:10:18.45
thanks to Maranatha Volunteers.
00:10:18.48\00:10:20.58
With every project,
the family of students,
00:10:20.62\00:10:22.98
faculty and
staff gets stronger too
00:10:23.02\00:10:25.25
as they have the
privilege of people investing
00:10:25.29\00:10:27.66
in their community.
00:10:27.69\00:10:29.42
But campus renovations
00:10:29.46\00:10:30.79
aren't the only things happening
00:10:30.83\00:10:32.16
on these projects.
00:10:32.19\00:10:33.53
With each
Maranatha mission trip,
00:10:33.56\00:10:35.16
another
community is strengthened
00:10:35.20\00:10:36.90
and built, the volunteers.
00:10:36.93\00:10:40.94
I believe that it's
important to maintain
00:10:40.97\00:10:43.84
some semblance of normality,
00:10:43.87\00:10:45.91
even amid a pandemic, it's...
00:10:45.94\00:10:50.38
We need to, means don't go away
00:10:50.41\00:10:52.51
just because there's a pandemic,
00:10:52.55\00:10:54.42
and many projects have
already been cancelled.
00:10:54.45\00:10:57.92
So I think it's important
to make a start somewhere
00:10:57.95\00:11:01.79
and get out there
00:11:01.82\00:11:03.16
and start maybe
stretching God's promises
00:11:03.19\00:11:07.70
and calling on Him to say,
00:11:07.73\00:11:11.00
Lord, we want to
continue this organization
00:11:11.03\00:11:13.70
and continue our volunteering,
00:11:13.74\00:11:16.20
and go ahead and
step out in faith
00:11:16.24\00:11:18.97
and do the work that
you've called us to do.
00:11:19.01\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\00:11:28.05
and how the experience
is touching people's lives.
00:11:28.08\00:11:30.59
Right now you may be at home
00:11:44.10\00:11:45.77
wishing you could travel
to another country to serve.
00:11:45.80\00:11:48.74
We know people are
itching to volunteer
00:11:48.77\00:11:51.01
and yet
international travel is limited.
00:11:51.04\00:11:54.11
But you can volunteer to
carry the mission forward
00:11:54.14\00:11:56.58
right where you
are by organizing
00:11:56.61\00:11:58.65
a personal
fundraiser for Maranatha,
00:11:58.68\00:12:01.08
and we have a newly
redesigned tool to help.
00:12:01.12\00:12:04.19
Introducing our revamped
online fundraising platform,
00:12:04.22\00:12:08.22
this tool allows supporters
00:12:08.26\00:12:09.66
to create their
own custom web page
00:12:09.69\00:12:11.79
to raise money for
the mission of Maranatha.
00:12:11.83\00:12:14.50
Once you've personalized
your page by adding photos,
00:12:14.53\00:12:17.70
video and text,
00:12:17.73\00:12:19.50
share the fundraiser
with family and friends
00:12:19.53\00:12:21.97
and invite them to get involved.
00:12:22.00\00:12:24.01
One hundred
percent of the donations
00:12:24.04\00:12:25.91
go to the
Maranatha program you select.
00:12:25.94\00:12:28.98
To get started with your
own Maranatha fundraiser,
00:12:29.01\00:12:31.61
go to maranatha.org/fundraise.
00:12:31.65\00:12:35.18
Make sure to create an
account first if you haven't,
00:12:35.22\00:12:37.69
then get to work contributing
00:12:37.72\00:12:39.55
to the mission
right from your home.
00:12:39.59\00:12:43.73
It's unique, it's
simple, it's affordable.
00:12:43.76\00:12:46.80
This is the One-Day Church,
00:12:46.83\00:12:48.60
Maranatha's worship solution
in remote areas of Africa
00:12:48.63\00:12:52.33
for church families
who have no church home.
00:12:52.37\00:12:55.14
A frame and a
roof is the beginning,
00:12:55.17\00:12:57.04
local church
members do the rest.
00:12:57.07\00:12:59.27
The One-Day
Church starts at $7,500,
00:12:59.31\00:13:02.21
a price which can be
divided into $1,500 shares.
00:13:02.24\00:13:06.05
Each share comes
with a photo of the church
00:13:06.08\00:13:08.25
you helped build
the One-Day Church,
00:13:08.28\00:13:11.32
a home for our church family.
00:13:11.35\00:13:12.99
Anyone can build a church.
00:13:24.90\00:13:26.57
Simply give just $10 each month,
00:13:26.60\00:13:29.04
and your donation,
along with thousands of others
00:13:29.07\00:13:32.11
will fund a new place
of worship every month.
00:13:32.14\00:13:36.51
The potential for
change is all around you.
00:13:36.54\00:13:39.71
All you have to do is look.
00:13:39.75\00:13:41.62
After a long spring
season of sheltering in place
00:13:47.69\00:13:50.66
due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:13:50.69\00:13:52.56
By summer,
Americans were anxious
00:13:52.59\00:13:54.76
to jump back into life.
00:13:54.80\00:13:56.63
While most were
eager for haircuts,
00:13:56.67\00:13:58.67
beaches and restaurants,
Maranatha volunteers
00:13:58.70\00:14:01.24
were eager to serve.
00:14:01.27\00:14:03.17
Given the remaining restrictions
00:14:03.20\00:14:04.54
for international travel,
00:14:04.57\00:14:05.97
the best option
for mission trips
00:14:06.01\00:14:07.68
was more local.
00:14:07.71\00:14:09.34
Each year, Maranatha organizes
00:14:09.38\00:14:11.21
about 60 projects a year
00:14:11.25\00:14:13.15
mobilizing more than
2,200 volunteers each year
00:14:13.18\00:14:16.65
to countries around the world.
00:14:16.69\00:14:18.25
And almost half
of these projects
00:14:18.29\00:14:19.92
take place in the
United States or Canada,
00:14:19.95\00:14:23.06
called North America projects.
00:14:23.09\00:14:24.96
These mission
trips are different
00:14:24.99\00:14:26.33
from the international ones
and that they do not require
00:14:26.36\00:14:28.86
a participation fee.
00:14:28.90\00:14:30.60
Except for
travel, food and lodging
00:14:30.63\00:14:32.43
are covered in exchange
for the volunteer service.
00:14:32.47\00:14:35.27
This arrangement has
made it easier for people,
00:14:35.30\00:14:37.87
especially retired folks to
go on multiple projects a year.
00:14:37.91\00:14:42.41
Susie Fox is among
these repeat volunteers
00:14:42.44\00:14:44.98
in North America.
00:14:45.01\00:14:46.61
I had retired
early and so I decided,
00:14:46.65\00:14:49.98
I needed to do
something for to keep busy.
00:14:50.02\00:14:55.02
And I did a few by myself
00:14:55.06\00:14:58.96
and then when
my husband retired,
00:14:58.99\00:15:00.93
he really needed
something to keep himself busy.
00:15:00.96\00:15:03.77
So we got involved
with Maranatha in 2010.
00:15:03.80\00:15:08.10
And we've done anywhere
00:15:08.14\00:15:10.54
from three to
six projects a year
00:15:10.57\00:15:13.17
since then.
00:15:13.21\00:15:15.38
2020 was no different.
00:15:15.41\00:15:16.95
Susie and her
husband Fred had planned
00:15:16.98\00:15:18.65
to serve on a number
of Maranatha projects
00:15:18.68\00:15:20.58
in North America
00:15:20.62\00:15:21.95
and one
overseas until COVID hit.
00:15:21.98\00:15:24.65
We were scheduled,
00:15:24.69\00:15:26.02
we were looking forward
to going back to Paradise
00:15:26.05\00:15:27.96
because we had done
that one in the fall.
00:15:27.99\00:15:29.89
And we were very disappointed.
00:15:29.92\00:15:32.76
Maranatha cancelled,
00:15:32.79\00:15:35.13
outlined or
basically postponed it.
00:15:35.16\00:15:37.73
And so we were hoping
00:15:37.77\00:15:40.24
they wouldn't
postpone the Milo one.
00:15:40.27\00:15:42.37
Milo is special to us.
00:15:42.40\00:15:44.51
Both my husband and I,
00:15:44.54\00:15:45.87
because we went to school here
00:15:45.91\00:15:47.24
and we graduated a
long, long time ago.
00:15:47.28\00:15:50.18
And it is been always a special,
00:15:50.21\00:15:54.12
soft spot in our heart for Milo.
00:15:57.62\00:16:00.52
We always tried to
come and help them.
00:16:00.56\00:16:03.86
This year, it's...
00:16:03.89\00:16:05.69
We have about
eight or nine of us
00:16:05.73\00:16:09.23
that are alumni
00:16:09.26\00:16:10.60
from our generation of attendees
00:16:10.63\00:16:14.04
here at Milo and
we feel like that
00:16:14.07\00:16:17.41
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\00:16:20.34
whether we'd
still be in the church
00:16:20.38\00:16:22.21
or, so we feel like
00:16:22.24\00:16:24.01
Christians
education is important.
00:16:24.05\00:16:27.25
But while this
project is extraordinary
00:16:27.28\00:16:29.35
because of her personal
connection to the place,
00:16:29.38\00:16:31.75
Susie Fox says
each Maranatha project
00:16:31.79\00:16:34.22
is personal in how
it creates belonging
00:16:34.26\00:16:36.73
and a sense of purpose.
00:16:36.76\00:16:38.49
We do the projects
00:16:38.53\00:16:39.86
because as time has gone on,
00:16:39.89\00:16:43.03
we have developed a family,
00:16:43.06\00:16:44.93
a lot of the same
people came on the,
00:16:44.97\00:16:48.57
come on the projects,
00:16:48.60\00:16:50.04
and we're just, it's
just our second family.
00:16:50.07\00:16:55.91
It keeps us busy.
00:16:55.94\00:16:57.31
We like doing
things with our hands
00:16:57.35\00:16:59.71
and feel like that
we're doing something for God
00:16:59.75\00:17:03.39
or for the community.
00:17:03.42\00:17:04.75
And this is one
thing that we could do.
00:17:04.79\00:17:06.12
I'm not
evangelist or out, you know,
00:17:06.15\00:17:08.99
giving Bible
studies necessarily,
00:17:09.02\00:17:11.36
but this is something
we really feel like that
00:17:11.39\00:17:14.40
there's a need
and we enjoy doing it.
00:17:14.43\00:17:17.00
As a retired
missionary and contractor,
00:17:17.03\00:17:19.43
these North
American mission trips
00:17:19.47\00:17:20.87
are all in Leroy's wheelhouse
00:17:20.90\00:17:23.07
and as a fellow doer,
these projects keep him busy.
00:17:23.10\00:17:26.41
But Leroy says it's about
00:17:26.44\00:17:27.88
more than the work and activity.
00:17:27.91\00:17:29.78
It's about the people.
00:17:29.81\00:17:32.18
As I traveled and met
people and talked with people,
00:17:32.21\00:17:37.02
there's a lot of people that
00:17:37.05\00:17:39.05
that come to
Maranatha are broken.
00:17:39.09\00:17:42.32
They have broken families,
they have broken relationships.
00:17:42.36\00:17:46.96
And there's just a
lot of stories out there
00:17:47.00\00:17:52.07
that when they come
here, they're accepted.
00:17:52.10\00:17:56.60
Nobody judges them
from what their past was
00:17:56.64\00:17:59.31
or where they've been or
what they've come through.
00:17:59.34\00:18:02.61
They just love them and say,
00:18:02.64\00:18:04.88
hey, you're part of
our Maranatha families.
00:18:04.91\00:18:09.22
The COVID
guidelines for this project
00:18:09.25\00:18:11.15
have made it
particularly difficult
00:18:11.19\00:18:12.75
for Leroy as he finds
it hard to not hug his old
00:18:12.79\00:18:16.16
and new friends and
practice social distancing.
00:18:16.19\00:18:19.23
But even with
these new limitations,
00:18:19.26\00:18:21.23
the community is
still being built.
00:18:21.26\00:18:24.93
Michelle is on her
second Maranatha project
00:18:24.97\00:18:27.17
and her first with her family.
00:18:27.20\00:18:29.00
As a physician,
she had reservations
00:18:29.04\00:18:30.84
about the project,
00:18:30.87\00:18:32.21
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\00:18:37.85
She also felt the
project would be a good way
00:18:37.88\00:18:40.05
to introduce
her kids to service.
00:18:40.08\00:18:42.78
I have two 12-year olds
and I have a 15-year-old
00:18:42.82\00:18:45.92
who are unable to
go to school right now.
00:18:45.95\00:18:50.19
So my 15-year-old is a
sophomore in high school
00:18:50.23\00:18:53.63
and he is thrilled,
00:18:53.66\00:18:55.26
he's able to learn
00:18:55.30\00:18:56.63
from some of our contractors
and retired tradesmen
00:18:56.67\00:18:59.60
and is just excited
00:18:59.63\00:19:03.71
to be able to be of use.
00:19:03.74\00:19:06.54
And the younger two as
well are excited to be of use.
00:19:06.57\00:19:10.58
Of course, they're
young, and they're energetic,
00:19:10.61\00:19:12.88
and so they always bring
something to the project.
00:19:12.91\00:19:16.35
As a physician,
Michelle did plenty of research
00:19:16.38\00:19:18.72
before bringing
her family to Oregon.
00:19:18.75\00:19:20.76
Ultimately, her decision
00:19:20.79\00:19:22.16
was motivated by the
importance of community.
00:19:22.19\00:19:27.03
We have this time together
00:19:27.06\00:19:29.20
and time is something
00:19:29.23\00:19:30.57
that is one of our
most precious resources.
00:19:30.60\00:19:34.87
The money doesn't matter.
00:19:34.90\00:19:36.24
The job title doesn't matter.
00:19:36.27\00:19:38.17
The certain accomplishments
00:19:38.21\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\00:19:43.24
But the time
together and the time to be
00:19:43.28\00:19:45.28
able to be together as a
family is really precious
00:19:45.31\00:19:49.05
and then to be
able to join together
00:19:49.08\00:19:50.59
with other members of
the community like-minded,
00:19:50.62\00:19:53.09
keeping our distance being safe,
00:19:53.12\00:19:55.26
protecting each
other as we work together.
00:19:55.29\00:19:58.56
I read an article that
said, we don't social distance,
00:19:58.59\00:20:01.76
we physically distance.
00:20:01.80\00:20:04.03
Times are uncertain
and the stakes are high.
00:20:04.07\00:20:07.90
But if you think about it,
00:20:07.94\00:20:09.27
and you go back through history,
00:20:09.30\00:20:10.64
it's not the first time.
00:20:10.67\00:20:12.27
And what we're building
00:20:12.31\00:20:13.64
with Maranatha
will outlast COVID
00:20:13.68\00:20:16.01
and it will outlast us.
00:20:16.04\00:20:18.85
And so I think what
we ultimately decided
00:20:18.88\00:20:21.15
is that the best
00:20:21.18\00:20:22.52
we can do is to
listen conscientiously
00:20:22.55\00:20:25.89
to our leaders,
00:20:25.92\00:20:27.76
and come together as a community
00:20:27.79\00:20:30.36
and do good works.
00:20:30.39\00:20:32.39
And that's what I
hope my kids take away
00:20:32.43\00:20:34.46
from the trip is that
00:20:34.50\00:20:36.36
we have to come
together as a community,
00:20:36.40\00:20:39.13
and it is upon
us to do good works.
00:20:39.17\00:20:43.51
This community is what has drawn
00:20:43.54\00:20:45.51
the same volunteers on
multiple mission trips.
00:20:45.54\00:20:48.64
When we come back, we meet a man
00:20:48.68\00:20:50.28
who has found new community
in service through Maranatha.
00:20:50.31\00:20:53.78
Some companies
spend millions of dollars
00:21:07.33\00:21:09.63
to bring you
these sounds and images.
00:21:09.66\00:21:13.40
I made it.
00:21:13.44\00:21:15.74
These sounds and images
00:21:15.77\00:21:17.11
are created from the
dollars you give to Maranatha.
00:21:17.14\00:21:21.24
Your support of our
well drilling efforts
00:21:21.28\00:21:23.21
is bringing
clean accessible water
00:21:23.24\00:21:25.35
to communities in Africa, India
00:21:25.38\00:21:28.05
and Brazil because
while this sells soda,
00:21:28.08\00:21:32.15
this saves lives.
00:21:32.19\00:21:33.79
For more than a decade,
00:21:39.06\00:21:40.50
Maranatha mission stories
is taking you around the world,
00:21:40.53\00:21:43.97
showing you the need
00:21:44.00\00:21:45.33
and challenging
you to get involved.
00:21:45.37\00:21:48.80
Now we're introducing new ways
00:21:48.84\00:21:50.81
for you to stay informed
and inspired about the mission.
00:21:50.84\00:21:55.14
Watch your favorite episode
of Maranatha mission stories,
00:21:55.18\00:21:58.31
as well as
other Maranatha videos
00:21:58.35\00:22:00.12
on your Apple TV.
00:22:00.15\00:22:02.88
Visit the App Store,
00:22:02.92\00:22:04.25
search for the Maranatha channel
00:22:04.29\00:22:06.22
and hit install.
00:22:06.25\00:22:09.59
You'll have access
00:22:09.62\00:22:10.96
to all of our
latest video content,
00:22:10.99\00:22:12.89
and you can watch anytime.
00:22:12.93\00:22:14.93
Our videos are available
on demand 24 hours a day.
00:22:14.96\00:22:19.37
Our content can also be viewed
on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
00:22:19.40\00:22:24.41
The Maranatha channel,
00:22:24.44\00:22:26.01
bringing mission
adventures to your living room.
00:22:26.04\00:22:28.48
We're friends. You're friend.
00:22:37.09\00:22:38.65
Know a kid who
loves mission stories?
00:22:38.69\00:22:41.29
Tell them about Maranatha kids.
00:22:41.32\00:22:46.53
Maranatha kids is a fun
and easy way for your children
00:22:46.56\00:22:50.03
to explore the mission field
00:22:50.07\00:22:51.80
and learn how even kids
can make a difference for God.
00:22:51.83\00:22:55.57
Each week we'll email you
00:22:55.60\00:22:56.94
a short video
featuring a person,
00:22:56.97\00:22:59.37
place or facet of
the work Maranatha
00:22:59.41\00:23:01.64
does around the world.
00:23:01.68\00:23:03.85
You'll also
receive a discussion guide
00:23:03.88\00:23:06.05
with additional information,
00:23:06.08\00:23:08.02
questions to consider as
well as things to pray about.
00:23:08.05\00:23:13.46
You can also join
00:23:13.49\00:23:14.82
the Maranatha
kids Facebook group
00:23:14.86\00:23:16.52
for additional
content and to connect
00:23:16.56\00:23:18.86
with other
mission minded families.
00:23:18.89\00:23:23.67
Visit
maranatha.org/kids to sign up
00:23:23.70\00:23:28.34
and get your
little volunteer started
00:23:28.37\00:23:30.37
on their mission adventure.
00:23:30.41\00:23:31.87
All of Maranatha's mission trips
00:23:37.91\00:23:39.48
focus on building community,
00:23:39.51\00:23:41.45
not just for the
people who are being served,
00:23:41.48\00:23:43.49
but those who are serving.
00:23:43.52\00:23:45.35
Friendships
created on experience
00:23:45.39\00:23:47.46
are what makes
each project so special.
00:23:47.49\00:23:50.13
And while these relationships
00:23:50.16\00:23:51.49
are formed on
international projects,
00:23:51.53\00:23:53.50
the ones formed through
North American mission trips
00:23:53.53\00:23:55.93
are arguably stronger,
since these mission trips
00:23:55.96\00:23:58.93
are mostly free,
00:23:58.97\00:24:00.30
volunteers can
participate in multiple
00:24:00.34\00:24:02.14
experiences a year,
00:24:02.17\00:24:03.57
which means they see
00:24:03.61\00:24:04.94
many of the same
faces on the project.
00:24:04.97\00:24:07.71
The familiarity contributes
00:24:07.74\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\00:24:13.31
is why Wesley
Wilson loves Maranatha.
00:24:13.35\00:24:16.28
Wes is a
relatively new volunteer,
00:24:16.32\00:24:18.35
but he is discovering
an unexpected dedication
00:24:18.39\00:24:21.06
to this lifestyle.
00:24:21.09\00:24:22.79
Well, I'd heard about Maranatha
00:24:22.82\00:24:24.53
back in probably
the 80s and the 90s.
00:24:24.56\00:24:28.26
And I thought, oh, I
would like to do that
00:24:28.30\00:24:30.23
but I couldn't
afford it raising a family.
00:24:30.27\00:24:33.37
Fast forward a couple decades
00:24:33.40\00:24:34.97
and Wes was
retired and a widower.
00:24:35.00\00:24:38.01
Well, I watch 3ABN quite a bit.
00:24:38.04\00:24:41.41
And what's her name?
00:24:41.44\00:24:43.98
Hilary Macias, she was on there
00:24:44.01\00:24:47.22
and she would promote Maranatha
00:24:47.25\00:24:49.28
and you need to
come and all that.
00:24:49.32\00:24:51.69
Man, it's kind of
like the Lord was saying,
00:24:51.72\00:24:53.66
yeah, you better go.
00:24:53.69\00:24:55.86
So I put it off and
I watched another one,
00:24:55.89\00:24:59.03
and he got more
stringent, more urgent.
00:24:59.06\00:25:02.00
Okay, Lord, I'll go
00:25:02.03\00:25:03.67
and that wound up
being the Vancouver project.
00:25:03.70\00:25:06.47
So I loaded it up and
I went up to Vancouver,
00:25:06.50\00:25:10.44
Washington and
drove up there and,
00:25:10.47\00:25:13.24
oh, wow, boy, I really,
do I really want to do this?
00:25:13.27\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\00:25:22.12
and gave him a big
hug to welcome him.
00:25:22.15\00:25:25.19
I like the
fellowship and a friendship.
00:25:25.22\00:25:27.69
And the more that I work,
00:25:27.72\00:25:29.19
the friendlier I got
and I enjoyed the work.
00:25:29.22\00:25:33.63
The part of feeling
included with people
00:25:33.66\00:25:37.20
is a big part of
the human experience.
00:25:37.23\00:25:40.07
But people who joined Maranatha
00:25:40.10\00:25:44.04
you become part of the group.
00:25:44.07\00:25:46.84
You make friends with them,
they treat you as an equal.
00:25:46.88\00:25:51.28
And they welcome you
at every step of the way.
00:25:51.31\00:25:54.85
This sense of community
00:25:54.88\00:25:56.22
is what draws
thousands of people
00:25:56.25\00:25:58.09
to Maranatha
mission trips every year.
00:25:58.12\00:26:00.92
Some come in
search of adventure,
00:26:00.96\00:26:03.32
others want to stay active,
00:26:03.36\00:26:05.56
all come seeking a purpose
00:26:05.59\00:26:07.53
and a way to give back
00:26:07.56\00:26:09.33
even in the midst of a pandemic.
00:26:09.36\00:26:12.80
Well, one of the
things about Maranatha is that
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the people that
are part of Maranatha,
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they want to be a blessing,
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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 and want
to be a blessing to others.
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It's just invigorating to be
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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
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India, Brazil,
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Zambia,
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Kenya,
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and Cote d'Ivoire.
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Whether in Milo, Oregon,
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or Abbebroukoi, Cote d'Ivoire,
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,
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communities and the
gospel throughout the world.
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