Hi, I'm Dustin Comm
with the Maranatha Minute.
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As Maranatha provides wells
in the desert region of Brazil,
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a basic physical
need is being met
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for thousands of residents.
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But local
churches are also noticing
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increased engagement
with their communities.
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When Maranatha drilled a well
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at the Nova Cha
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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Pastor Jose Daniel de
Paula used this opportunity
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to show love to
the neighborhood.
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Members put on a
dedication ceremony
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celebrating the clean
water with their neighbors.
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Afterward, a meal
was provided to all
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as people talked
and fellowshipped.
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Maranatha drilled a well
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at another one
of Jose's churches
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in city of Rio de Janeiro,
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where a similar
dedication ensued.
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This was followed by a
series of evangelistic meetings
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where up to 100
people came each night,
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and 15 were baptized.
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The power of clean water
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extends beyond
the physical need,
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and you can be a part
of this life changing gift.
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Consider donating
to our world program,
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visit maranatha.org/water
to learn more.
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2020 started like any other year
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for Maranatha
Volunteers International.
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We have just wrapped
the Christmas Family Project
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where 86
volunteers served in Peru.
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A small team of volunteers
took off for Cote d'Ivoire
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for a church
construction project.
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Groups were trickling
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into various
countries here and there.
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Meanwhile, the
Maranatha headquarters
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in California was
preparing for the annual surge
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of volunteers in
the month of March.
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What was different
this time, however,
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was the threat of a new virus
that had been wreaking havoc
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in Asia and Europe
in January and February.
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In early March,
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things were
evolving with COVID-19.
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We're hearing
stories out of China.
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And then there was some
cases in the United States.
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And so we really weren't sure
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how it's going to impact
all of our volunteer activity.
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So we had some groups
that were that went out.
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We had some trips that
they started to question,
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but most of our group leaders
were moving forward as planned.
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And then mid-March,
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things started to
really move quickly.
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And I started to look like,
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well, maybe we
might be more affected
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than what we had
hoped we would be.
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So on March 11,
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President Trump
held a press conference
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where he announced
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that things
were going to change,
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there's a pandemic
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and that created and
triggered a number of effects.
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The same day, the
World Health Organization
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announced that
COVID-19 was a pandemic.
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Overseas, other countries
started shutting their borders.
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Airports closed, offices shut,
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people
self-quarantined in their homes.
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Peru was put in
a total lockdown.
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India was on total lockdown.
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Kenyan airports were closed
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and everyone was
put on a lockdown.
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By March,
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groups were
really starting to wonder
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if they were
going to be able to go
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on their mission trip or not.
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And by mid-March,
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many of our trips
had either cancelled,
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postponed, or we had a few,
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a few groups that that went out,
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but then had to come
back a little bit early.
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And so, wrapped in
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within a space
of a couple of weeks
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things went from
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we're planning
for a year as normal
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to suddenly
everything was shut down.
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Last year, Maranatha mobilized
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over 2600 volunteers
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to many
countries around the world
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to help build a number
of different buildings.
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But the number of buildings
that those volunteers built
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is actually a small fraction
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of the total number of buildings
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that Maranatha builds each year.
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The rest we use
local labor to build
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churches and
schools and water wells,
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all are
happening around the world
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whether
volunteers are there or not.
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Quite frankly, a
lot of our projects
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are prepared and
completed by teams in the field.
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We've actually spent
decades developing a competent,
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experienced, committed,
dedicated team of builders
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that travel around the world
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and get these projects prepared,
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work with the volunteers,
finish up with the volunteers,
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do finish when
they're on the project.
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So, we have been
doing actually a lot of work
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during this time in
the places that we can,
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some places we can't.
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But many places
we've been able to work
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and it's still very effective.
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Now, several months in,
the world is slowly opening up,
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but not necessarily for travel.
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So the work of Maranatha
is still being carried out
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by our local crews in
six different countries.
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Crews are carefully working
in regions that are isolated
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or relatively
untouched by virus.
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One of the places
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where we've been
working is Kenya,
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a country that has welcomed
more than 1,000 volunteers
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since we started working
there extensively in 2016.
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Adventist church
leadership in Kenya
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asked Maranatha to
build churches and schools
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for their rapidly
growing membership.
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And since then,
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Maranatha has completed
more than 450 structures.
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And since 2016,
the church has grown
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from 850,000 to more
than 1 million members.
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Kenya has been
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one of Maranatha's
most active countries
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in terms of projects.
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And while COVID
has slowed the work,
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it hasn't shut
it down completely.
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Just a few weeks
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after the initial
shutdown in March,
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Maranatha's local
crew started working
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in rural locations
by sheltering in place.
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So construction continued
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at the Kajiado Adventist
School and Rescue Center
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and Kiutine Adventist School.
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Then, eventually,
the One-Day Church
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and well drilling
teams headed out to the bush
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to begin building once more.
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We have put in
42 One-Day Churches.
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We have put in 18 wells.
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At Kiutine, we
have put in a church,
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which is completely blocked.
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We have finished the
sidewalks, the walkways.
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We have finished landscaping.
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We had some work
at the staff housing
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in a small kitchenette.
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At Kajiado, we finished
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the primary boys' dorm bathroom,
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we finished the sidewalks,
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we got a slab
made for the classroom,
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computer room and a staff room.
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So when the country opens
up and volunteers start coming,
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we're all set and
ready to get the work done.
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So that's what
has been accomplished
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while Coronavirus happened.
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In 2020 alone, even in
the face of a pandemic,
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the team in Kenya has
completed nearly 100 churches
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and more than 30 wells
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along with the various
projects at the school campuses.
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Each project,
whether it's a new church,
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or classroom, or water well
provides a great deal of hope,
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especially during
such uncertain times.
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And this has
provided Ron and his team
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plenty of motivation
to keep pushing forward
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to get the work done.
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When you see firsthand impact,
because I see it firsthand.
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And when you see that,
it gives you more strength.
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It gives you more courage.
It sort of motivates you.
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It tells you that, you
know, you're on the right track.
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And that you're part
of a greater ministry
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that the Lord has chosen.
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And that is what
Maranatha does, you know.
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That is what Maranatha believes
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that we are here to build people
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as we build buildings.
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Northwest of Kenya,
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another team is working
hard on a number of projects.
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Cote d'Ivoire, also
known as the Ivory Coast
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has been a busy
place for Maranatha
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throughout the pandemic,
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as it hadn't yet
been impacted by COVID-19
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other than the airport
closing and the curfew.
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Most life remained the
same in this African country.
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Cote d'Ivoire is a
nation of 25 million people
00:09:02.80\00:09:05.67
with a relatively
stable agricultural industry.
00:09:05.71\00:09:09.58
From coconut to
cassava, and chocolate.
00:09:09.61\00:09:14.25
A large portion of the country
00:09:17.62\00:09:19.09
is blanketed with
farms and plantations.
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The farming
industry has attracted
00:09:22.59\00:09:24.03
many immigrants from
its neighboring countries.
00:09:24.06\00:09:27.00
And today, about
24% of the population
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is a mix of
cultures and nationalities.
00:09:29.80\00:09:32.23
When it comes to religion,
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the majority of the
population is Muslim
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with 33%
professing Christianity.
00:09:39.21\00:09:43.71
There are about 10,000
Seventh-day Adventists,
00:09:43.75\00:09:46.85
but that's about to change.
00:09:46.88\00:09:48.48
The Adventist
Church in Cote d'Ivoire
00:09:48.52\00:09:50.19
is slowly growing,
00:09:50.22\00:09:51.55
and they think
they can strengthen
00:09:51.59\00:09:52.92
their community by
building churches and schools.
00:09:52.95\00:09:55.99
So they've asked
Maranatha to help,
00:09:56.02\00:09:58.36
but just three
volunteer projects in,
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the pandemic struck
00:10:01.03\00:10:02.36
putting all
mission trips on hold,
00:10:02.40\00:10:04.33
even in Cote d'Ivoire.
00:10:04.37\00:10:07.64
Then we start thinking,
00:10:07.67\00:10:09.00
how could we solve the
situation, the challenge.
00:10:09.04\00:10:11.71
So we had the idea, First,
00:10:11.74\00:10:13.51
we will reduce our team
00:10:13.54\00:10:14.88
so that will give
enough space distance
00:10:14.91\00:10:17.25
for, you know,
social distancing.
00:10:17.28\00:10:19.41
Then we gave them meals here,
00:10:19.45\00:10:22.58
we provide them
with some mattresses
00:10:22.62\00:10:24.55
where they could sleep here,
00:10:24.59\00:10:26.25
and we gave them
gloves, they use mask,
00:10:26.29\00:10:29.16
they also use gel
to clean their hands.
00:10:29.19\00:10:32.56
And this was how we were able to
00:10:32.59\00:10:34.93
for four months
without the lockdown work here.
00:10:34.96\00:10:40.07
In time, workers completed
00:10:40.10\00:10:41.74
the Abbebroukoi and Anan
Seventh-day Adventist churches,
00:10:41.77\00:10:45.61
two projects that
volunteers had started,
00:10:45.64\00:10:48.61
plus a classroom building.
00:10:48.64\00:10:50.78
In September, with restrictions
lifted in the country,
00:10:50.81\00:10:53.55
both churches had
dedication ceremonies
00:10:53.58\00:10:55.82
that welcomed
the church leadership
00:10:55.85\00:10:57.49
and the local media.
00:10:57.52\00:11:00.72
In Abbebroukoi, the dedication
was an exuberant kickoff
00:11:00.76\00:11:04.09
to an upcoming time
of big positive change
00:11:04.13\00:11:07.03
in the neighborhood.
00:11:07.06\00:11:08.40
In Abbebroukoi,
00:11:13.10\00:11:14.44
we are
enrolling now the children
00:11:14.47\00:11:16.40
and about two months ago,
nine of our lay evangelists,
00:11:16.44\00:11:19.84
they start visiting the area,
00:11:19.87\00:11:22.18
visiting the homes
00:11:22.21\00:11:23.58
and they enrolled 100
people with Bible studies.
00:11:23.61\00:11:26.68
And we were so glad
that about two weeks ago,
00:11:26.72\00:11:30.09
25 people, they were baptized.
00:11:30.12\00:11:32.49
When we started the church here,
00:11:32.52\00:11:35.19
barely the church could
grow in this Muslim area.
00:11:35.22\00:11:38.09
But Adventist education
will be a blessing for us.
00:11:38.13\00:11:41.53
And we hope by
the end of this year
00:11:41.56\00:11:43.23
to have about 60 new members
enrolled here in this church.
00:11:43.26\00:11:49.17
Next, the local
crew is starting work
00:11:49.20\00:11:51.61
on another school.
00:11:51.64\00:11:53.78
There is an
existing church in Niangon.
00:11:53.81\00:11:56.34
But for many years,
they have been praying,
00:11:56.38\00:11:58.01
asking God to
give them a school,
00:11:58.05\00:12:00.32
and the secondary school
00:12:00.35\00:12:01.68
because this is
the greatest need
00:12:01.72\00:12:03.05
in the community.
00:12:03.08\00:12:04.49
And Maranatha is
responding to their request,
00:12:04.52\00:12:07.42
given them seven classrooms,
00:12:07.46\00:12:11.06
two labs, science and computing,
00:12:11.09\00:12:14.36
five traditional classrooms.
00:12:14.40\00:12:17.57
Office to the principal as well,
00:12:17.60\00:12:20.07
a lunch room for the teachers.
00:12:20.10\00:12:22.37
And we hope that by December,
00:12:22.40\00:12:24.81
we will have a
group of volunteers
00:12:24.84\00:12:26.34
coming here to help
us to build that school.
00:12:26.37\00:12:31.35
When we come back,
we'll head south to Zambia,
00:12:31.38\00:12:34.42
where crews are busier than ever
00:12:34.45\00:12:36.08
continuing the mission.
00:12:36.12\00:12:37.45
Next April, join us
00:12:49.13\00:12:50.47
at Blue Mountain
Academy in Pennsylvania.
00:12:50.50\00:12:52.93
This will be
Maranatha's seventh year
00:12:52.97\00:12:54.70
working at this
boarding academy.
00:12:54.74\00:12:56.71
Each year, we've made
significant dorm renovations,
00:12:56.74\00:12:59.37
and on this project
we're hoping to complete
00:12:59.41\00:13:01.48
the girls' dorm rooms.
00:13:01.51\00:13:03.24
Volunteers on this project
will install new flooring,
00:13:03.28\00:13:06.28
closets and furniture.
00:13:06.31\00:13:08.62
Then in May join us
in Idaho at Camp MiVoden,
00:13:08.65\00:13:11.82
a summer camp and retreat center
00:13:11.85\00:13:13.46
located on
beautiful Hayden Lake.
00:13:13.49\00:13:15.86
The camp and retreat center
hosts hundreds of campers,
00:13:15.89\00:13:18.79
church teams, youth groups
and pathfinder clubs each year.
00:13:18.83\00:13:23.10
The large number
of annual visitors
00:13:23.13\00:13:24.73
have caused
substantial wear and tear
00:13:24.77\00:13:26.53
on the facilities
and repairs are needed.
00:13:26.57\00:13:29.57
Volunteers on this
project will assist
00:13:29.60\00:13:31.21
with a number of renovations
00:13:31.24\00:13:33.07
including
rebuilding some of the dock,
00:13:33.11\00:13:35.44
repairs to the
equestrian center,
00:13:35.48\00:13:37.38
remodeling a cabin
00:13:37.41\00:13:38.78
and many other
maintenance items.
00:13:38.81\00:13:41.12
To learn more
about these projects
00:13:41.15\00:13:43.05
and others, visit
maranatha.org/volunteer.
00:13:43.08\00:13:47.16
Zambia is a
Sub-Saharan African country
00:13:57.83\00:14:00.64
most famous for Victoria Falls,
00:14:00.67\00:14:03.34
a breathtaking
waterfall spanning a mile wide
00:14:03.37\00:14:06.17
and a depth of 304 feet.
00:14:06.21\00:14:10.21
But by Maranatha standards,
00:14:10.25\00:14:11.95
Zambia is famous as a country
00:14:11.98\00:14:13.78
with one of the largest
00:14:13.82\00:14:15.15
Seventh-day
Adventist memberships
00:14:15.18\00:14:16.89
in the world.
00:14:16.92\00:14:18.75
More than 1.36 million people
00:14:18.79\00:14:21.32
are part of the
Adventist faith in Zambia,
00:14:21.36\00:14:23.76
and many of them
need a place of worship.
00:14:23.79\00:14:27.96
After working in
Zambia from 2009-2015
00:14:28.00\00:14:31.80
to build hundreds of structures,
00:14:31.83\00:14:33.70
Maranatha returned in
2018 to build more churches,
00:14:33.74\00:14:37.97
schools, and also water wells.
00:14:38.01\00:14:41.84
When news of the
pandemic hit the world,
00:14:41.88\00:14:43.91
work in Zambia shut
down for a couple of weeks
00:14:43.95\00:14:46.51
as the crew assessed
the country restrictions
00:14:46.55\00:14:48.88
and the potential risks.
00:14:48.92\00:14:50.82
Then in mid-April
00:14:50.85\00:14:52.19
Maranatha decided
to shelter in place
00:14:52.22\00:14:54.12
and work at the Immanuel
Adventist Secondary School,
00:14:54.16\00:14:57.09
a campus in need
of more classrooms.
00:14:57.13\00:15:01.10
When COVID came on the scene,
00:15:01.13\00:15:03.77
we needed a place
to be able to work
00:15:03.80\00:15:06.00
that was a safe place
00:15:06.03\00:15:08.14
where we could
bring our workers in,
00:15:08.17\00:15:10.31
and they weren't having
to come on and off the job.
00:15:10.34\00:15:13.51
So the Immanuel School
emerged as a good place
00:15:13.54\00:15:16.34
for us to do that.
00:15:16.38\00:15:17.71
There was a big need,
00:15:17.75\00:15:19.08
and so we talked
to the leadership
00:15:19.11\00:15:20.45
and agreed on a couple of things
00:15:20.48\00:15:21.82
and we got started.
00:15:21.85\00:15:23.18
Since then the team has remained
00:15:23.22\00:15:24.72
at Immanuel,
00:15:24.75\00:15:26.09
building several classrooms
and a girls' dormitory.
00:15:26.12\00:15:29.99
And when the country
began opening up some more,
00:15:30.03\00:15:32.76
Maranatha started venturing
out to build One-Day Churches.
00:15:32.79\00:15:36.67
You can't go
anywhere in the country
00:15:36.70\00:15:38.20
without finding
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:15:38.23\00:15:39.57
Every village along the
road, every shop, there's just,
00:15:39.60\00:15:42.47
there's Seventh-day
Adventist all over the country.
00:15:42.50\00:15:44.41
So the need for structures
and buildings is huge.
00:15:44.44\00:15:50.31
They were meeting under trees.
00:15:50.35\00:15:52.25
If they have a structure,
00:15:52.28\00:15:53.62
in general, they have
some kind of shade structure
00:15:53.65\00:15:55.02
built up, but it's made out of,
00:15:55.05\00:15:56.58
you know, sticks or
thatch went around us,
00:15:56.62\00:15:58.59
it just pulls grass
over top, no metal roof.
00:15:58.62\00:16:02.56
So it's a termite buffet,
00:16:02.59\00:16:04.39
you know, and the
buildings don't last very long.
00:16:04.43\00:16:06.76
And so that's what
we find in most villages
00:16:06.80\00:16:08.66
where we go and
been asked to build.
00:16:08.70\00:16:12.77
The team has also been
drilling water wells at places
00:16:12.80\00:16:15.27
where we have
constructed churches.
00:16:15.30\00:16:17.07
And the impact has been massive.
00:16:17.11\00:16:21.28
There are some
denominations in eastern Zambia
00:16:21.31\00:16:23.85
where we were building
back in February, March
00:16:23.88\00:16:25.91
that actually were restricting
access to only members.
00:16:25.95\00:16:29.08
And they actually charge
them a certain amount of money,
00:16:29.12\00:16:31.72
and even if you
were not a member,
00:16:31.75\00:16:33.42
you couldn't,
00:16:33.46\00:16:34.79
even with money you
couldn't access the well.
00:16:34.82\00:16:36.22
Just you had to be
like a real member,
00:16:36.26\00:16:38.59
you know, this
club kind of thing,
00:16:38.63\00:16:39.96
or this church.
00:16:40.00\00:16:41.70
Our situation is
completely different.
00:16:41.73\00:16:43.16
We put it in,
everybody's so grateful,
00:16:43.20\00:16:44.83
because they can't afford it.
00:16:44.87\00:16:46.20
I mean, a subsistence farmer,
00:16:46.23\00:16:48.37
you know, scratching a
living out of the ground,
00:16:48.40\00:16:50.44
they don't have money for water.
00:16:50.47\00:16:51.81
I mean, they go get
it from poor source,
00:16:51.84\00:16:53.88
because they can't
afford to pay for it
00:16:53.91\00:16:55.34
from some other better source.
00:16:55.38\00:16:57.25
So we're just super stoked
00:16:57.28\00:16:59.01
to be able to be
providing free water
00:16:59.05\00:17:01.88
to every thirsty person.
00:17:01.92\00:17:03.55
And we're blessed
with generous donors
00:17:03.59\00:17:05.49
and so we move as
the Lord allows us
00:17:05.52\00:17:08.32
and as provides resources,
00:17:08.36\00:17:09.82
you know, but,
but the impact is big.
00:17:09.86\00:17:12.19
And, of course,
we're going to see
00:17:12.23\00:17:13.80
a lot more of that
00:17:13.83\00:17:15.16
as we continue
to build for them,
00:17:15.20\00:17:17.10
that impact will
continue to grow.
00:17:17.13\00:17:19.07
As of September 2020,
00:17:19.10\00:17:20.84
Maranatha had
already constructed
00:17:20.87\00:17:22.67
more than 50 One-Day Churches
00:17:22.70\00:17:24.64
and drilled more than 100
wells in Zambia just this year.
00:17:24.67\00:17:30.01
The fact that most
of Maranatha's projects
00:17:30.05\00:17:32.61
take place in rural areas
00:17:32.65\00:17:34.58
has been the
saving grace for our work,
00:17:34.62\00:17:37.02
not just in Africa,
00:17:37.05\00:17:38.39
but also in other
parts of the world.
00:17:38.42\00:17:40.12
As the COVID-19 virus
spread around the world,
00:17:49.13\00:17:51.93
India quickly locked
down the entire country.
00:17:51.97\00:17:56.44
The
restrictions were most severe
00:17:56.47\00:17:57.91
in the urban areas
00:17:57.94\00:17:59.27
where people were not
allowed to leave their homes.
00:17:59.31\00:18:04.35
On March 24, 2020,
00:18:04.38\00:18:07.42
our Prime Minister announced
00:18:07.45\00:18:08.78
that India is going
in a complete lockdown.
00:18:08.82\00:18:11.29
And the guidelines for
lockdown was no flights,
00:18:11.32\00:18:16.62
no ground
transportation, no trains.
00:18:16.66\00:18:21.70
Everybody was
supposed to stay indoor.
00:18:21.73\00:18:25.17
And everything
came to standstill,
00:18:25.20\00:18:27.37
complete halt, nothing moved.
00:18:27.40\00:18:30.07
And for that matter of fact,
00:18:30.11\00:18:31.97
some of our team
members actually stayed away
00:18:32.01\00:18:33.94
from their families for
almost six to seven months.
00:18:33.98\00:18:36.91
They could not go
back to their families
00:18:36.95\00:18:38.48
because the states
were all also locked on,
00:18:38.51\00:18:41.12
the state borders were sealed,
00:18:41.15\00:18:43.32
we could not move.
00:18:43.35\00:18:45.85
But a couple weeks later,
00:18:45.89\00:18:47.22
the India team
found a way to work again.
00:18:47.26\00:18:49.76
Unable to go home,
00:18:49.79\00:18:51.13
crews asked
permission from local officials
00:18:51.16\00:18:53.13
to shelter in place at
their construction sites
00:18:53.16\00:18:55.80
and keep working.
00:18:55.83\00:18:58.43
School and church
construction projects
00:18:58.47\00:19:00.64
slowly started up again
00:19:00.67\00:19:02.40
with limited
materials and even tools.
00:19:02.44\00:19:06.21
For example, like
there was one instance
00:19:06.24\00:19:08.08
when we were trying to
finish the church in Kerala.
00:19:08.11\00:19:12.61
We could not move our equipment
from one site to the other.
00:19:12.65\00:19:15.92
So we had only one drill.
00:19:15.95\00:19:18.82
Only one drill to erect
the entire church structure.
00:19:18.85\00:19:22.02
Plus also that same drill
was used to place the roof.
00:19:22.06\00:19:26.96
And my team is very
proud of that drill impact
00:19:27.00\00:19:31.20
because that was the
only one equipment we had
00:19:31.23\00:19:34.34
to finish that church.
00:19:34.37\00:19:35.90
And sometimes
we even had to wait
00:19:35.94\00:19:37.71
for three weeks
00:19:37.74\00:19:39.24
for just to get few screws
00:19:39.27\00:19:40.88
so that we could
put it on the roof.
00:19:40.91\00:19:43.24
It was difficult,
00:19:43.28\00:19:44.71
but team was able to move along.
00:19:44.75\00:19:48.72
India has also been drilling
wells during COVID at locations
00:19:48.75\00:19:51.95
where Maranatha has
constructed churches.
00:19:51.99\00:19:55.52
Water is a dire
need for any mankind.
00:19:55.56\00:19:59.03
You cannot
survive without water.
00:19:59.06\00:20:01.13
And that goes
for my country too.
00:20:01.16\00:20:03.53
In India,
majority of our population
00:20:03.57\00:20:06.40
does not have access
to clean drinking water.
00:20:06.43\00:20:09.14
And from past couple of years
00:20:09.17\00:20:10.51
we have been able
to go and drill wells
00:20:10.54\00:20:12.81
for many
communities in our country.
00:20:12.84\00:20:14.94
And that has helped
our church tremendously
00:20:14.98\00:20:18.08
in making sure that,
00:20:18.11\00:20:19.45
you know,
communities are reached
00:20:19.48\00:20:21.18
which do not have
access to clean water.
00:20:21.22\00:20:23.15
Now some of
those community people
00:20:23.18\00:20:24.55
are able to come to our churches
00:20:24.59\00:20:26.72
and attend churches.
00:20:26.76\00:20:29.69
Despite and during one
of the strictest lockdowns,
00:20:29.72\00:20:32.46
the team in India
is continuing to work
00:20:32.49\00:20:34.66
to share God's message of
hope through construction.
00:20:34.70\00:20:37.60
From India, we head to Brazil,
00:20:49.34\00:20:51.48
a country that is famous
for its expansive rainforest
00:20:51.51\00:20:54.85
and the Amazon River.
00:20:54.88\00:20:58.05
But it is less
known for its deserts,
00:20:58.09\00:21:00.69
areas that have a scarcity
of flora, fauna and water.
00:21:00.72\00:21:03.93
Northeastern
Brazil is one such place,
00:21:07.80\00:21:12.13
and it's where
Maranatha has been focusing
00:21:12.17\00:21:14.24
its efforts since late 2019.
00:21:14.27\00:21:18.31
Here, rain is scarce
and vegetation is sparse.
00:21:18.34\00:21:23.31
Water is a
luxury to be purchased
00:21:23.35\00:21:27.98
or collected carefully
when it rains, which is rare.
00:21:28.02\00:21:32.65
For years, Maranatha
has been working in Brazil
00:21:32.69\00:21:35.16
to build nearly
1,000 One-Day Churches
00:21:35.19\00:21:37.79
for congregations in need.
00:21:37.83\00:21:40.76
Many of those structures
were in this dry region.
00:21:40.80\00:21:44.00
And now Maranatha has returned
to visit the congregations
00:21:44.03\00:21:47.10
and provide them a
well even during the crisis.
00:21:47.14\00:21:51.41
Brazil has been hit very
hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,
00:21:51.44\00:21:55.01
and it has impacted
people throughout the country.
00:21:55.04\00:21:57.81
Some of the cities have
been hit extremely hard.
00:21:57.85\00:22:00.95
Yet out in the rural areas,
we've been able to move around,
00:22:00.98\00:22:04.72
we've been able to drill wells
00:22:04.75\00:22:06.92
in some of these
villages in areas
00:22:06.96\00:22:08.69
where the need
is extremely high.
00:22:08.72\00:22:12.49
While some wells tend
to be private or reserved
00:22:12.53\00:22:15.16
for certain denominations,
00:22:15.20\00:22:16.87
all Maranatha water
wells are free to the public
00:22:16.90\00:22:19.80
with no strings attached.
00:22:19.83\00:22:22.64
As we've drilled
water wells in Brazil,
00:22:22.67\00:22:24.57
we've seen those
wells be an opportunity
00:22:24.61\00:22:27.91
for a Seventh-day
Adventist congregation
00:22:27.94\00:22:29.71
to get to know their community
00:22:29.74\00:22:31.28
in a way that
they didn't before.
00:22:31.31\00:22:32.65
They're meeting their neighbors,
00:22:36.35\00:22:39.05
they're showing their
care for people around them.
00:22:39.09\00:22:43.63
And it's actually
completely changing the view
00:22:43.66\00:22:46.66
that the neighbors have
about them as congregation
00:22:46.70\00:22:49.26
and about them as Christians.
00:22:49.30\00:22:50.80
While Maranatha has
been able to continue
00:23:04.95\00:23:06.95
the mission in most countries,
00:23:06.98\00:23:08.45
there is one place
where work has been halted
00:23:08.48\00:23:10.95
for several months, Peru.
00:23:10.99\00:23:13.15
Maranatha worked in
this South American country
00:23:17.03\00:23:19.39
about 15 years ago,
00:23:19.43\00:23:20.80
providing churches and schools
to dozens of communities.
00:23:20.83\00:23:26.63
The beautiful
setting, rich culture,
00:23:26.67\00:23:29.50
and friendly people
00:23:29.54\00:23:31.21
made it a beloved
project for volunteers.
00:23:31.24\00:23:34.61
And in 2020,
00:23:34.64\00:23:35.98
the return to Peru was
going to be a big focus.
00:23:36.01\00:23:39.91
The goal was to
build churches and a school
00:23:39.95\00:23:42.45
in the suburbs surrounding Lima,
00:23:42.48\00:23:44.19
Peru's capital city.
00:23:44.22\00:23:45.55
Congregations
that had been chosen
00:23:48.76\00:23:50.49
to receive a new church
00:23:50.53\00:23:51.86
prepared for
Maranatha's Volunteers
00:23:51.89\00:23:53.80
by tearing down
their old buildings
00:23:53.83\00:23:55.83
and clearing the
way for the work.
00:23:55.86\00:23:57.97
Then everything came
to a heartbreaking stop.
00:23:58.00\00:24:01.77
So we're really excited
00:24:01.80\00:24:04.07
for the month
of March and April.
00:24:04.11\00:24:06.91
Those are the busiest
months of the year for us.
00:24:06.94\00:24:10.55
We're expecting
about eight groups
00:24:10.58\00:24:12.61
and close to 500 volunteers.
00:24:12.65\00:24:16.18
In early March,
Elmer and his team welcomed
00:24:16.22\00:24:18.89
two of the eight groups to Peru.
00:24:18.92\00:24:21.32
As soon as the groups arrived,
00:24:21.36\00:24:22.69
we start hearing
00:24:22.72\00:24:24.06
that there was one
case and two cases.
00:24:24.09\00:24:25.66
By the end of the week,
00:24:25.69\00:24:27.23
there were six cases
00:24:27.26\00:24:28.60
and that's when the
World Health Organization
00:24:28.63\00:24:32.10
announced that
this was a pandemic.
00:24:32.13\00:24:34.47
At that moment,
00:24:34.50\00:24:35.84
the president of the country
00:24:35.87\00:24:37.21
decided to close the country
00:24:37.24\00:24:38.57
completed with
all the borders close,
00:24:38.61\00:24:41.14
the airport, the
land borders and sea.
00:24:41.18\00:24:47.02
In conjunction
with the Maranatha team
00:24:47.05\00:24:48.98
in the United States,
00:24:49.02\00:24:50.35
Elmer's local
team worked frantically
00:24:50.39\00:24:52.05
to get 100 volunteers
home before Peru's border shut.
00:24:52.09\00:24:56.79
Thirty hours later
00:24:56.83\00:24:58.16
and with 10 minutes to spare
00:24:58.19\00:25:00.13
before the border is
closed, everyone got out.
00:25:00.16\00:25:02.76
It was one problem solved.
00:25:06.40\00:25:08.27
But in Peru, Elmer and the team
were basically on house arrest.
00:25:08.30\00:25:13.78
Work has not
restarted in Peru since March.
00:25:13.81\00:25:16.68
But Maranatha is
continuing to pray
00:25:16.71\00:25:19.08
for projects in Peru.
00:25:19.11\00:25:21.32
I can't predict the future.
00:25:21.35\00:25:22.75
But I can tell you
that we're still committed
00:25:22.78\00:25:25.22
to trying to do
what we had planned to do
00:25:25.25\00:25:27.62
and to honor our commitments
that we made in Peru.
00:25:27.66\00:25:30.73
Right now, it's not
possible to work there.
00:25:30.76\00:25:32.96
But we're waiting for the door
to open and when it will open,
00:25:32.99\00:25:36.40
we'll walk through
and do what we can.
00:25:36.43\00:25:38.63
What keeps me
hoping and trusting
00:25:43.61\00:25:46.57
that God's going
to take care of us
00:25:46.61\00:25:47.94
looking in the past and
see how He has led our lives,
00:25:47.98\00:25:51.38
He has led the
work of Maranatha,
00:25:51.41\00:25:53.25
and personally has
been taking care of me
00:25:53.28\00:25:55.02
and my family.
00:25:55.05\00:25:56.38
And I know that
He can do anything,
00:25:56.42\00:25:59.05
and He has all
under His control.
00:25:59.09\00:26:01.46
We may not understand,
but God sees the big picture.
00:26:01.49\00:26:04.53
So it's a exercise
every day to trust Him
00:26:04.56\00:26:09.23
and know that
He's taking care of us.
00:26:09.26\00:26:12.10
Through God's
blessing and guidance,
00:26:12.13\00:26:14.24
we know He will
open doors for us
00:26:14.27\00:26:16.40
to help these
faithful congregations,
00:26:16.44\00:26:18.87
not only in Peru, but
also in Kenya, Zambia,
00:26:18.91\00:26:24.11
Cote d'Ivoire,
India, and Brazil.
00:26:24.15\00:26:29.32
We also trust that
each of you watching
00:26:29.35\00:26:31.59
will be
inspired to get involved.
00:26:31.62\00:26:33.86
Now more than ever,
00:26:33.89\00:26:35.56
we need your support
00:26:35.59\00:26:37.26
as we navigate this new reality.
00:26:37.29\00:26:41.10
Well, the more I
watch what's transpired
00:26:41.13\00:26:43.57
and continues to transpire
00:26:43.60\00:26:45.47
during this
COVID-19 time period,
00:26:45.50\00:26:48.57
the more I am
convinced that God wants us here
00:26:48.60\00:26:52.44
that we're supposed to be
00:26:52.47\00:26:53.81
or that we're supposed to
be reaching out to people.
00:26:53.84\00:26:58.05
I think that those
that watch Maranatha
00:26:58.08\00:27:01.35
are involved with Maranatha.
00:27:01.38\00:27:03.25
They're involved
00:27:03.28\00:27:04.62
because they want to
see something happen.
00:27:04.65\00:27:06.55
They don't want to see
people go back in a corner
00:27:06.59\00:27:09.62
and fold their arms and retreat.
00:27:09.66\00:27:13.06
They want to see
do as much as you can.
00:27:13.09\00:27:16.43
Push on all the
doors that you can.
00:27:16.46\00:27:18.63
Don't be stupid about
it, don't be unsafe about it.
00:27:18.67\00:27:21.57
But push on all the doors
00:27:21.60\00:27:22.94
and accomplish
everything you can
00:27:22.97\00:27:24.34
and see if God
doesn't open those doors
00:27:24.37\00:27:26.01
and make something happen.
00:27:26.04\00:27:28.24
As we keep
pushing, God keeps blessing,
00:27:28.28\00:27:30.81
and that's,
what's better than that?
00:27:30.85\00:27:33.48