Hi, I'm Dustin Comm
with the Maranatha Minute.
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Maranatha's local team in Kenya
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has had a busy start to 2021.
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Final landscaping is complete
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at the Kiutine Adventist school,
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including a new entrance
and a paved circular driveway.
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Government
officials recently toured
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the transformed campus
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commenting that
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it was the nicest looking school
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in the County.
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We also drilled a new water well
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for the Kautine church.
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Many of
Maranatha's wells in Kenya,
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use a simple hand pump,
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but this location
requires an electric pump
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with the help of solar panels.
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And finally, a groundbreaking
ceremony was recently held
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for the Advent Hope Church
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near the
capital city of Nairobi.
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For the past year,
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the 450 members had
been meeting under tents.
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This new building will
provide a permanent home
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for this large congregation.
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Watch videos about
Maranatha's work in Kenya
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and around the globe
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by downloading our app
available for iPhone, Android,
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Roku, Apple TV,
and Amazon Fire TV
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Maranatha's
standard mission story
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focuses on the
plight of a group of people
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in need of a church,
school, or community center.
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These crises
typically take place
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in developing countries
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where resources can be scarce.
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This story of need
for a space to gather
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is a common one,
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and this need is a
story without borders.
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Ooltewah, Tennessee,
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this Chattanooga suburb
has recently seen major growth
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due to manufacturing
expansion in the region.
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Situated in the Bible Belt,
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it's also a
community full of churches.
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The story of the Ooltewah
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Hispanic
Seventh-day Adventist church
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begins 10 years ago.
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The group grew
from the Collegedale
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Hispanic Adventist church,
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a congregation that split
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when they outgrew
their meeting space.
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For the next decade,
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the new group continued growing
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and move to various
rented meeting spaces,
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a situation that
was less than ideal.
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Our congregation
was formerly meeting
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in the Ooltewah
Methodist church.
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We met there for
about seven to eight years,
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and that was a great experience.
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It was also a
great stepping stone
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in the sense that we
came to the conviction
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that we couldn't
be renting forever,
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we needed our own building
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if we wanted to host
evangelistic meetings
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and BBs and socials
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and all these
community outreach programs.
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And that really
helped us realize
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that we need our own building
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to really live up to
what God is calling us to do
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to the community
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and for the
salvation of many other people.
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When Juan one became the pastor
of the congregation in 2018,
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the group
expressed their urgency
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in building a church.
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One of the first
things I was asked
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when I was interviewed
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by the Ooltewah
Hispanic SDA church
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from the church board,
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when they were
considering me as their pastor
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was the confidence
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and the
qualifications if you will,
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to build a church
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because this is a
heavily saturated church area,
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not only
Adventist but Bible Belt.
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So we have so many
Christian denominations
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and finding a
church in this area
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a physical church.
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It's not easy
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and so that was top priority
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in their pastoral
job position filling.
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And so I really
had no experience
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building a church
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what they expected of me,
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but I told them I
was willing to learn,
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I was willing to try
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and do
everything with God's help
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to make it a reality.
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Juan began researching
construction options.
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The group had purchased
a three-acre plot of land
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with a house on the property.
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Their initial plan
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was to renovate the
house into a church,
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but remodeling
the existing building
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proved to be costly.
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Eventually, they
demolished the building
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and looked into
options for new construction.
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Everything seemed
just out of reach.
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Then they learned
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Maranatha would be
holding a mission event
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in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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One of the church
members elbowed me
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and was like,
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"Pastor, what if
we go ask Maranatha
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if they could build a church?"
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My first reaction was like,
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that's only overseas
in third-world countries.
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That's not a
viable option, but I said,
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"Okay, let's go,
and maybe it'll be fun."
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So we went to the
Maranatha event here
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in Chattanooga
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and to my
surprise and to my delight,
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I did find out that
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Maranatha does build here
in the United States churches.
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For decades,
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Maranatha has
constructed churches
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all over North America.
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Volunteers travel to sites,
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lending their labor
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to quickly raise
structures out of the ground.
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But over the years, an
additional need emerged.
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There were many
congregations just like Juan's
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that needed a
proper place to worship
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but didn't know where to start
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when it came to construction
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and didn't have the funds
to hire a team of experts.
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Unfortunately, we've
seen over and over again,
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examples where
congregations decide
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that they want
to build a church,
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but they don't
really have the experience
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with
development and construction
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that will enable them to
have a successful project.
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And so they quickly
get mired into the details
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and often get
derailed from the project.
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So that's the reality
that motivated Maranatha's idea
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of a
standardized church approach
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here in North America.
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In 2012,
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Maranatha developed a
simple affordable church plan
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designed specifically
for small congregations.
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The plans allow
congregations to save money.
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They would've
spent in architect fees.
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Maranatha also offers
construction consultation
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and coordination
of volunteer projects
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to eliminate some
of the cost of labor.
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After meeting
with Maranatha staff
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and learning more about
what Maranatha could offer,
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Juan visited Maranatha's website
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and filled out a
project application.
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He soon found himself
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connected with a
network of resources
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to help guide him
through the building process.
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I had no experience
in building a church.
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I didn't know the
process from beginning to end,
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and Maranatha was
able to explain that
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not only on the structural
construction aspect of it
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but in the
spiritual aspect of it,
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I better understood
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their whole
purpose of a ministry
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and made the connection.
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And I felt as though
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I had been adopted into a family
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is what I've come
to the conclusion that
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the whole process has been.
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Maranatha board
member Roger Hatch
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is a general contractor
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and has overseen scores
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of Maranatha
projects in North America
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and around the world.
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He's developed an
affinity for congregations
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like this one in Ooltewah
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and signed on as
the construction foreman
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to oversee the
project from start to finish.
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His goal is to
lend his expertise
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and help them
accomplish their goal
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in the most
cost-effective manner.
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Certainly, there's
a financial side of it
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that it helps
tremendously with their budget,
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depending on how much we do
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it can be anywhere
from $50,000, $60,000
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up to over $100,000.
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For the next two years,
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the church worked to get
the project off the ground.
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Complications in
funding and design
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created several delays,
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but in August of 2020,
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they broke ground on the church.
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Two months later,
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the site was
abuzz with volunteers
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eager to help the Ooltewah
congregation's dream come true.
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I feel so blessed
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to have volunteers
from all over the country.
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You know, when the
first few volunteers
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from Maranatha arrived,
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it started to actually hit me.
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I started to actually process it
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and I felt so
touched where they asked me,
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"How do you feel, Pastor?"
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And I said,
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"I feel like we're a family."
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And their response was,
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"That's right, Pastor,
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we are a family in Christ
and we're here to help you."
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That melted my heart,
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and I realized that
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all the
conversations we had had prior,
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were now gonna become a reality.
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This mission trip may
not have required passports
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or long hours on an airplane,
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but the volunteers recognized
the great need that exists
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even closer to home.
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Believing in the Bible Belt
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where there's a lot of churches,
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there's still a lot of
people that don't go to church.
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And I think it's awesome
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that we can be a part
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of building a sanctuary for God.
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And I really enjoy it.
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To me. It's not a matter
of what country you're in
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or how many miles
you are traveling.
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It's just whether
or not you're serving
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and serving for
the right reasons.
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And that's really our focus
is try to serve in humility
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and just do the work
of Jesus while we're here.
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I love doing because,
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A, I enjoy building things,
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B, our work is
greatly appreciated.
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This last Sabbath, I was here
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and met with some
of the church members,
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and to see their excitement,
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to hear their gratitude
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was just really heartwarming
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and makes our aches and pains
and our tiredness worthwhile.
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Melinda Durller is a
relatively new volunteer
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with this being
her second project.
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She was praying for
opportunities to serve God
00:10:41.77\00:10:44.44
in a hands-on way
00:10:44.47\00:10:45.81
when a friend
introduced her to Maranatha.
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I heard that
00:10:48.34\00:10:49.68
it was a Christian organization,
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which is right up my alley,
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and that it had to
do with construction.
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And I really want to learn.
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I'd like to learn plumbing.
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I'd like to learn a
little bit of electrical.
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I'd like to make new friends.
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I'd like to be a part
of putting forth the gospel
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and it does all of that.
00:11:07.20\00:11:10.10
For Melinda, Maranatha projects,
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not only expanded
her construction skills
00:11:12.20\00:11:14.67
but also her world.
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Working on Maranatha
00:11:16.74\00:11:18.14
has just broadened
my horizons immensely.
00:11:18.17\00:11:23.65
I feel like I'm
a part of a family.
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I love my
community. I love my church.
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Those are both small.
00:11:30.69\00:11:32.02
And now my world is expanding.
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I've made many new friends
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and I just, I love how we
have worship in the morning
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and worship in the evening.
00:11:42.83\00:11:44.57
And people speak of
Christ all day long,
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and I need that in my life.
00:11:47.94\00:11:49.64
And it's a
blessing to me, but also,
00:11:49.67\00:11:52.61
I try to be a blessing to others
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and just being able to help
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and being able to have
some real meaning to life
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that's important to me.
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The relationships
formed on Maranatha projects
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are what draw
volunteers back trip after trip.
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I feel very connected to
coming on Maranatha trips
00:12:10.16\00:12:13.90
because I feel like
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this is part of
my family for one.
00:12:15.30\00:12:17.53
The Maranatha
people that I work with,
00:12:17.57\00:12:21.40
I look forward
to seeing them again
00:12:21.44\00:12:23.41
and working with them,
00:12:23.44\00:12:24.84
worshiping with
them, praising them,
00:12:24.87\00:12:28.01
praying with them altogether
as we serve God together.
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So I am probably
receiving more spiritually
00:12:33.42\00:12:38.69
than I'm actually
giving out here physically.
00:12:38.72\00:12:41.89
So just being the connected
00:12:41.92\00:12:43.93
and seeing
progress of God's work here.
00:12:43.96\00:12:48.26
And the family, these
volunteers have created
00:12:48.30\00:12:50.70
is one they want to grow.
00:12:50.73\00:12:52.93
Come, join the effort.
00:12:52.97\00:12:56.20
This is a family effort.
00:12:56.24\00:12:57.97
You become very close
with the people you work with.
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It's immensely rewarding.
00:13:01.11\00:13:02.64
Go to the Maranatha website,
find a project, sign up for it.
00:13:02.68\00:13:05.78
You don't have to
be a skilled builder.
00:13:05.81\00:13:08.08
We have people here
00:13:08.12\00:13:09.45
who know virtually
nothing about building,
00:13:09.48\00:13:12.15
Hey, we show you what to do.
00:13:12.19\00:13:14.16
We have the tools. You
don't have to have tools.
00:13:14.19\00:13:16.46
Come, bring your
heart, bring your energy.
00:13:16.49\00:13:19.59
Just come.
00:13:19.63\00:13:21.46
Over the course of two weeks,
00:13:21.50\00:13:23.06
volunteers worked hard
00:13:23.10\00:13:24.67
to bring the
building plans to life.
00:13:24.70\00:13:27.20
To them, their effort is
about more than swinging hammers
00:13:27.24\00:13:30.37
or manning saws.
00:13:30.41\00:13:31.74
And the result
00:13:31.77\00:13:33.11
is more than an
ordinary structure.
00:13:33.14\00:13:34.78
It's a sacred space
00:13:34.81\00:13:36.28
where more people
can learn about God.
00:13:36.31\00:13:39.28
This church that
you see behind us,
00:13:39.31\00:13:42.62
I don't think that's possible.
00:13:42.65\00:13:44.05
I've just been overwhelmed
watching this church go up.
00:13:44.09\00:13:46.25
I don't think this is possible
00:13:46.29\00:13:47.62
for 40 humans to do
in a week and a half,
00:13:47.66\00:13:50.46
but the Holy Spirit can do it.
00:13:50.49\00:13:51.83
And He's working
through a lot of people
00:13:51.86\00:13:53.19
and I'm happy to be a
part of that experience.
00:13:53.23\00:13:56.20
I have to say that
00:13:56.23\00:13:57.57
just walking
into our project here,
00:13:57.60\00:13:59.73
as the trusses went
up and the roof went up,
00:13:59.77\00:14:03.17
that it was just an
awe-inspiring experience,
00:14:03.20\00:14:07.28
even though the
inside is not done yet.
00:14:07.31\00:14:11.21
But so I anticipate that
00:14:11.25\00:14:13.48
they will have that
same awe and reverence
00:14:13.52\00:14:16.45
and just feeling of coming home
00:14:16.48\00:14:19.32
when they come to their church.
00:14:19.35\00:14:22.16
It'll be exciting to
come visit this area again
00:14:22.19\00:14:24.69
and drive by this church
00:14:24.73\00:14:26.06
and see
parishioners coming in and out.
00:14:26.09\00:14:28.03
And, you know,
being able to know that,
00:14:28.06\00:14:29.53
"Hey, I was part of that."
00:14:29.56\00:14:31.23
So it's exciting.
00:14:31.27\00:14:32.60
And I wanna do it again.
00:14:32.63\00:14:34.00
I will sign up
for more projects.
00:14:34.04\00:14:36.20
The process of building a church
00:14:36.24\00:14:37.77
has been
educational for Pastor Juan
00:14:37.81\00:14:39.94
but aside from learning
about church construction,
00:14:39.97\00:14:42.64
he's learned more
about trusting God.
00:14:42.68\00:14:46.25
This process has
taught me a lot about faith
00:14:46.28\00:14:50.72
in the sense that
00:14:50.75\00:14:52.75
there was many days
00:14:52.79\00:14:56.02
where I was lacking faith,
00:14:56.06\00:15:00.26
questioning whether this project
00:15:00.30\00:15:02.33
was ever going
to become a reality.
00:15:02.36\00:15:04.53
It has taught me to
trust God in the process
00:15:04.57\00:15:08.44
but also to trust other people,
00:15:08.47\00:15:10.24
to trust ministries
that have experienced
00:15:10.27\00:15:14.01
specifically in
this example, Maranatha,
00:15:14.04\00:15:18.18
that is so rich in
experience of building
00:15:18.21\00:15:22.35
and helping
people around the world.
00:15:22.38\00:15:25.22
And I had never imagined
00:15:25.25\00:15:26.86
that I would become as a church,
00:15:26.89\00:15:28.66
a recipient of their help.
00:15:28.69\00:15:30.23
There are more than 60
Seventh-day Adventist camps
00:15:38.43\00:15:41.30
in North America
00:15:41.34\00:15:42.67
and several have been the focus
00:15:42.70\00:15:44.04
of a Maranatha mission trip.
00:15:44.07\00:15:45.64
While at first glance,
00:15:45.67\00:15:47.01
a camp may not
seem an obvious place
00:15:47.04\00:15:49.31
for a Maranatha project.
00:15:49.34\00:15:51.28
These retreat centers
00:15:51.31\00:15:52.65
are an important part
of the Adventist mission
00:15:52.68\00:15:54.88
to share Jesus with the world.
00:15:54.92\00:15:56.82
Every year a big part
00:16:00.96\00:16:02.66
of Maranatha's
mission trip lineup
00:16:02.69\00:16:04.43
involves
projects in North America.
00:16:04.46\00:16:08.66
And these local projects
00:16:08.70\00:16:10.97
end up drawing
hundreds of people
00:16:11.00\00:16:12.80
to serve right in
their own backyards.
00:16:12.83\00:16:17.54
Among the projects
Maranatha frequently accepts
00:16:17.57\00:16:20.04
are church
renovation or new construction.
00:16:20.08\00:16:22.38
School renovations
from elementary to colleges.
00:16:26.35\00:16:30.29
And another
frequent locale, camps.
00:16:30.32\00:16:33.05
The Seventh-day Adventist church
00:16:34.89\00:16:36.79
has more than 60
camps in North America.
00:16:36.83\00:16:39.69
And Maranatha has
worked at several of them.
00:16:39.73\00:16:43.53
Initially, camps
don't seem like a place
00:16:43.57\00:16:45.90
you would immediately associate
with Maranatha's mission
00:16:45.93\00:16:49.94
but while these
camps are full of the fun
00:16:49.97\00:16:52.11
bustling activity, you'd expect,
00:16:52.14\00:16:54.21
they also offer something more.
00:16:54.24\00:16:56.78
Camp Kulaqua is a youth camp
00:16:56.81\00:17:00.78
that services
different ages and youth
00:17:00.82\00:17:04.45
year-round here
in North Florida.
00:17:04.49\00:17:06.62
And so we have a
multitude of different people
00:17:06.65\00:17:08.79
that come here and enjoy camp,
00:17:08.82\00:17:10.73
whether it be
youth, young adults,
00:17:10.76\00:17:13.03
we have adults
00:17:13.06\00:17:14.40
and women's
retreats, all sorts of things.
00:17:14.43\00:17:16.90
In essence, it's
just a place for people
00:17:16.93\00:17:19.63
in whatever their need.
00:17:19.67\00:17:21.00
They have to get
away from the city
00:17:21.04\00:17:22.80
and just come enjoy
nature and connect with God.
00:17:22.84\00:17:25.71
When Florida
Conference decided that
00:17:25.74\00:17:28.48
we needed to find our own place
00:17:28.51\00:17:30.15
for youth ministry to take place
00:17:30.18\00:17:31.81
and youth camp to happen.
00:17:31.85\00:17:33.45
And so we moved from state parks
00:17:33.48\00:17:36.35
to finding our own place.
00:17:36.38\00:17:37.82
And we bought 250 acres in 1953.
00:17:37.85\00:17:42.59
And the executive committee
sat on the banks of the spring,
00:17:42.62\00:17:46.43
the Hornsby Spring,
which is on the property,
00:17:46.46\00:17:48.26
and they prayed,
00:17:48.30\00:17:49.63
"God, should we buy this place
00:17:49.66\00:17:51.33
for the future of the
youth of this church?"
00:17:51.37\00:17:53.77
I think God impressed upon them
00:17:53.80\00:17:55.77
and today Camp Kulaqua exists
00:17:55.80\00:17:58.94
and it can accommodate
1,000 people here in beds.
00:17:58.97\00:18:03.31
And it also is
800 acres of property.
00:18:03.35\00:18:07.15
I would say in Camp Kulaqua
00:18:07.18\00:18:08.52
our mission is to
share God's love in it.
00:18:08.55\00:18:13.96
I mean, that's a
very basic answer,
00:18:13.99\00:18:15.92
but in essence, we are
here to share God's love
00:18:15.96\00:18:18.39
in whatever capacity to
meet people where they're at
00:18:18.43\00:18:21.63
and be here for them.
00:18:21.66\00:18:23.00
We have things
00:18:23.03\00:18:24.37
that meet the needs of
people in society today.
00:18:24.40\00:18:27.97
But while at the same time,
00:18:28.00\00:18:29.34
we still carry the
core values of the gospel.
00:18:29.37\00:18:32.74
And we're still
sharing that in a special way.
00:18:32.77\00:18:35.84
We have multiple
baptisms in the summer.
00:18:35.88\00:18:39.45
A lot of children,
it was interesting,
00:18:39.48\00:18:41.75
Christian Camping
International did a survey
00:18:41.78\00:18:45.29
and they asked people,
asked a thousand people,
00:18:45.32\00:18:47.89
"Where were you at
00:18:47.92\00:18:49.26
when you first met
Christ as your savior?"
00:18:49.29\00:18:51.26
And 68% of them
were in a camp setting.
00:18:51.29\00:18:54.80
There's something
special about camps
00:18:54.83\00:18:57.03
that touches
the lives of people.
00:18:57.07\00:18:58.87
When God calls them.
00:18:58.90\00:19:00.87
These camps continue to
be an effective outreach
00:19:00.90\00:19:04.11
of the
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:19:04.14\00:19:06.27
But after so many years,
00:19:06.31\00:19:07.74
many of the camps have acquired
00:19:07.78\00:19:09.21
a long list of needed
repairs and renovations.
00:19:09.24\00:19:12.61
And the cost of
maintenance is expensive
00:19:12.65\00:19:14.98
for a ministry to maintain.
00:19:15.02\00:19:17.42
Michael Hopkins
00:19:17.45\00:19:18.79
is the building
maintenance manager
00:19:18.82\00:19:20.16
at Camp Kulaqua
00:19:20.19\00:19:21.69
He understands the huge task
00:19:21.72\00:19:23.49
of keeping a
large campus updated.
00:19:23.53\00:19:25.89
Camp Kulaqua is
a large facility.
00:19:25.93\00:19:28.96
I believe there's 750 to
800 acres of land at this point.
00:19:29.00\00:19:34.37
And my responsibility is
00:19:34.40\00:19:36.24
I believe I have to take care of
00:19:36.27\00:19:38.21
about a hundred
different structures.
00:19:38.24\00:19:41.11
And those range
from small cabins
00:19:41.14\00:19:43.65
to gymnasium-sized structures.
00:19:43.68\00:19:45.88
On the grounds here, we
have a wildlife sanctuary,
00:19:45.91\00:19:49.25
we have a horse programs,
00:19:49.28\00:19:51.75
we have a natural
spring that's behind us here.
00:19:51.79\00:19:54.26
That's a first-magnitude spring,
00:19:54.29\00:19:56.62
and we're blessed
00:19:56.66\00:19:57.99
with a lot of
neat natural features
00:19:58.03\00:20:00.20
in that way.
00:20:00.23\00:20:01.56
I think in any camp,
00:20:05.00\00:20:06.63
there's always more work
00:20:06.67\00:20:08.00
that can be done
or needs to be done.
00:20:08.04\00:20:10.44
And there's a struggle
between feeling excited
00:20:10.47\00:20:16.41
about what you see happening
00:20:16.44\00:20:17.81
and then realizing how
much more needs to be done.
00:20:17.85\00:20:20.48
Then Michael came upon an idea.
00:20:20.52\00:20:23.35
In 2018,
00:20:23.39\00:20:24.75
while at an Adventist
Camps Association meeting,
00:20:24.79\00:20:27.46
he heard a
presentation from Maranatha
00:20:27.49\00:20:29.59
and the work the
volunteers have done at camps.
00:20:29.62\00:20:32.63
The concept clicked
00:20:32.66\00:20:34.00
and he asked
Maranatha to come to Kulaqua.
00:20:34.03\00:20:37.97
Just a few months
later, in February 2019,
00:20:38.00\00:20:41.24
78, volunteers landed
in High Springs, Florida,
00:20:41.27\00:20:44.47
ready to work.
00:20:44.51\00:20:47.21
The first year that we did this,
00:20:47.24\00:20:49.41
it was a
learning process for me.
00:20:49.44\00:20:50.91
I wasn't sure who would come,
what the experience would be.
00:20:50.95\00:20:54.82
And I was just blown
away by that first year,
00:20:54.85\00:20:57.72
the work ethic
that people come with,
00:20:57.75\00:20:59.65
you know, if you're
not keeping them busy,
00:20:59.69\00:21:02.72
they start to get
frustrated with you
00:21:02.76\00:21:04.49
and that's a really
good problem to have.
00:21:04.53\00:21:07.43
It was such a successful project
00:21:07.46\00:21:09.46
that Camp
Kulaqua asked Maranatha
00:21:09.50\00:21:11.40
to return a year later.
00:21:11.43\00:21:14.64
Then, again, a year
after that In January, 2021.
00:21:14.67\00:21:20.58
For the most recent project,
00:21:20.61\00:21:22.04
volunteers helped to
build a 40/60 foot pole barn,
00:21:22.08\00:21:25.05
laid 1,500 feet of waterline,
00:21:28.95\00:21:32.02
cut down trees,
00:21:32.05\00:21:34.82
painted
00:21:34.86\00:21:37.43
and worked on landscaping.
00:21:37.46\00:21:38.79
It's all tasks
00:21:42.30\00:21:43.63
that would have been
difficult to complete
00:21:43.67\00:21:45.00
without the help of volunteers.
00:21:45.03\00:21:46.43
But the giving
doesn't go just one way.
00:21:50.64\00:21:55.64
These projects
provide Maranatha volunteers
00:21:55.68\00:21:58.21
with
opportunities to not only serve
00:21:58.25\00:22:00.48
but to connect with people,
00:22:00.52\00:22:02.45
a blessing that
has become even greater
00:22:02.48\00:22:04.72
during these times.
00:22:04.75\00:22:07.49
For longtime
volunteer and project leader,
00:22:07.52\00:22:09.79
Betty Chrispell,
00:22:09.82\00:22:11.16
the projects are a way of life.
00:22:11.19\00:22:13.76
This is my family
00:22:13.80\00:22:15.96
and your family keeps
getting bigger and bigger
00:22:16.00\00:22:18.40
'cause you keep
meeting new people
00:22:18.43\00:22:22.07
and then you get
to see the old ones
00:22:22.10\00:22:24.41
and you get such
a bond between you.
00:22:24.44\00:22:26.68
It's just...
00:22:26.71\00:22:28.91
I can't express how I feel
when I get to go on a project.
00:22:28.94\00:22:32.65
It's awesome.
00:22:32.68\00:22:34.68
Whereas Camp Kulaqua
was Betty's 43rd project,
00:22:34.72\00:22:37.95
it was Patricia
Hodge's very first one
00:22:37.99\00:22:41.99
while she had done outreach
00:22:42.02\00:22:43.36
with her church in her hometown,
00:22:43.39\00:22:44.89
she wanted to try serving
outside of her city's borders.
00:22:44.93\00:22:50.60
I had wanted to
do a missionary trip
00:22:50.63\00:22:54.47
and I didn't know where to start
00:22:54.50\00:22:56.91
but, you know, faithful, Google.
00:22:56.94\00:22:59.84
I started there.
00:22:59.87\00:23:01.21
And when I did Google,
00:23:01.24\00:23:04.48
Maranatha was the
first one that popped up,
00:23:04.51\00:23:07.12
and I explored it, looked,
00:23:07.15\00:23:09.95
and saw that there
were so many projects
00:23:09.98\00:23:13.15
since trips going on
00:23:13.19\00:23:14.52
in the country and
out of the country.
00:23:14.56\00:23:16.83
And so this I found
00:23:16.86\00:23:18.39
was an hour and a
half from where I live
00:23:18.43\00:23:20.36
and I thought
00:23:20.40\00:23:21.73
this would be a nice initiation.
00:23:21.76\00:23:23.47
And so I took, I
signed up for it, registered,
00:23:23.50\00:23:27.57
and along the way I kept saying,
00:23:27.60\00:23:29.30
"Am I really, really,
really gonna do this?"
00:23:29.34\00:23:32.04
And it got down to the wire
00:23:32.07\00:23:33.78
where I was a week away from it,
00:23:33.81\00:23:35.14
and I'm saying,
00:23:35.18\00:23:36.51
"Okay, it's just
too late to cancel."
00:23:36.54\00:23:38.21
And so I came through with
it. I went through with it.
00:23:38.25\00:23:41.52
Patricia's first mission
trip has been an adventure,
00:23:41.55\00:23:44.65
a tough one full of
painting and cutting
00:23:44.69\00:23:47.06
and hauling off trees
and other physical labor.
00:23:47.09\00:23:50.33
The first day I couldn't move.
00:23:50.36\00:23:52.76
All I wanted to
do is just go home
00:23:52.79\00:23:54.60
and just take a bath,
00:23:54.63\00:23:56.40
really with some Epsom
salt, but I had no Epsom salt.
00:23:56.43\00:24:02.20
But even with the
exhausting first day,
00:24:02.24\00:24:04.47
Patricia had a good time
serving and making new friends.
00:24:04.51\00:24:08.48
I just find that
00:24:08.51\00:24:09.84
the people have
been very caring,
00:24:09.88\00:24:12.08
just concerned,
00:24:12.11\00:24:13.62
want to make sure that
00:24:13.65\00:24:17.72
I feel...
00:24:17.75\00:24:19.09
It just with people saying,
00:24:19.12\00:24:20.92
"Hey, come and
sit with us and eat,"
00:24:20.96\00:24:23.39
you know, because sometimes
00:24:23.43\00:24:25.43
simple things like that
00:24:25.46\00:24:27.10
and all those
people want to reach out
00:24:27.13\00:24:30.57
and they wanna do it
00:24:30.60\00:24:31.97
but actually saying it
00:24:32.00\00:24:33.70
and doing it
makes the difference.
00:24:33.74\00:24:35.84
Just a gesture like that
00:24:35.87\00:24:37.54
makes a big
difference to someone
00:24:37.57\00:24:39.51
who's a stranger
and don't know anyone.
00:24:39.54\00:24:42.38
I would encourage anyone
00:24:42.41\00:24:45.28
if they want to
have an experience
00:24:45.31\00:24:48.88
of just being out in
nature, the fresh air,
00:24:48.92\00:24:54.69
meeting new people, enjoying.
00:24:54.72\00:24:57.29
If you enjoy meeting
new people and good people,
00:24:57.33\00:25:00.56
I believe it's a
growing experience.
00:25:00.60\00:25:02.43
And I believe anyone,
00:25:02.46\00:25:04.60
everyone should
take advantage of it
00:25:04.63\00:25:06.43
and try it at least once.
00:25:06.47\00:25:08.30
I've enjoyed it,
00:25:08.34\00:25:09.67
it's really,
really, it's been amazing.
00:25:09.70\00:25:11.47
And I'm glad I did.
00:25:11.51\00:25:12.84
It's been a good experience.
00:25:12.87\00:25:14.88
But the
relationships aren't limited
00:25:14.91\00:25:16.85
to only the volunteers.
00:25:16.88\00:25:19.31
After multiple
years of working together,
00:25:19.35\00:25:21.68
Camp Kulaqua staff have
found new friendships too.
00:25:21.72\00:25:25.82
Now we're three
years into this and it's...
00:25:25.85\00:25:29.49
It feels like
00:25:29.52\00:25:30.86
friends are
coming back each time.
00:25:30.89\00:25:32.36
You know, I know this event,
00:25:32.39\00:25:33.73
I think about
half of the volunteers
00:25:33.76\00:25:35.76
who are returning
and then half are new
00:25:35.80\00:25:38.13
and it feels a
lot more comfortable.
00:25:38.17\00:25:39.87
It's just like they're coming
00:25:39.90\00:25:41.24
and they're part of
the family at this point.
00:25:41.27\00:25:43.34
So that's a
really neat relationship
00:25:43.37\00:25:44.81
to have there
00:25:44.84\00:25:46.17
and to have the
support of an organization
00:25:46.21\00:25:48.74
that wants to
come and invest in us
00:25:48.78\00:25:51.48
is just a huge benefit,
00:25:51.51\00:25:53.58
especially to my
responsibilities.
00:25:53.62\00:25:56.45
You know, in Camp
Ministry, we love people.
00:25:56.48\00:25:58.59
And so when Maranatha comes
00:25:58.62\00:26:00.29
and we get to connect
with different people,
00:26:00.32\00:26:02.82
with different walks of life,
00:26:02.86\00:26:04.19
and get to hear their stories
and hear where they're from,
00:26:04.23\00:26:07.96
it just boosts us.
00:26:08.00\00:26:09.40
And so our interactions
have been so positive
00:26:09.43\00:26:12.47
and so encouraging
00:26:12.50\00:26:14.50
and you just never
know who you're gonna meet
00:26:14.54\00:26:17.77
and how they're
going to touch you.
00:26:17.81\00:26:20.34
And they bring a joy to
us and they just revive us
00:26:20.38\00:26:24.35
and encourage us
and remind us that
00:26:24.38\00:26:26.51
ministry is bigger
than just me or you.
00:26:26.55\00:26:30.15
There's a whole
team of people out there
00:26:30.19\00:26:32.69
we're connected to.
00:26:32.72\00:26:34.06
Over the past year,
00:26:36.56\00:26:37.89
we've been blown away
00:26:37.93\00:26:39.26
by the generosity of
our Maranatha family.
00:26:39.29\00:26:41.80
Even during uncertain times,
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.30
you gave to support the
mission around the world.
00:26:43.33\00:26:46.23
As a thank you,
00:26:46.27\00:26:47.60
we'd like to offer you
the gift of a free will.
00:26:47.64\00:26:50.51
We've partnered with a
company called FreeWill
00:26:50.54\00:26:52.57
to help guide you
00:26:52.61\00:26:53.94
through the process of
creating your own legal will.
00:26:53.98\00:26:57.25
To complete this will online,
00:26:57.28\00:26:58.65
go to
Maranatha.org/plannedgiving
00:26:58.68\00:27:02.05
and scroll down
to free online will.
00:27:02.08\00:27:05.25
You can also call the
number on your screen,
00:27:05.29\00:27:07.06
and one of our
plan-giving experts
00:27:07.09\00:27:08.66
will walk you
through the process,
00:27:08.69\00:27:10.33
which only takes
about 20 minutes.
00:27:10.36\00:27:12.83
This Valentine's day,
00:27:12.86\00:27:14.20
protect the people you love
00:27:14.23\00:27:15.70
with one of the
kindest gifts you can give.
00:27:15.73\00:27:18.33
Use our free tool to
write your legal will,
00:27:18.37\00:27:21.00
protect what you love
00:27:21.04\00:27:22.54
and support Maranatha
for generations to come
00:27:22.57\00:27:25.77
all without
spending anything today.
00:27:25.81\00:27:28.58
Again, visit
Maranatha.org/plannedgiving
00:27:28.61\00:27:32.21
or call the
number on your screen.
00:27:32.25\00:27:34.08
The volunteer projects
00:27:37.72\00:27:39.05
in Tennessee and
Florida took place
00:27:39.09\00:27:41.29
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:27:41.32\00:27:44.99
The success of both
experiences are evidence
00:27:45.03\00:27:48.06
of how a mission
trip is not defined
00:27:48.10\00:27:50.20
by where you go
00:27:50.23\00:27:51.60
but what you do and why.
00:27:51.63\00:27:55.04
Travel is
challenging in these times,
00:27:55.07\00:27:58.21
but the opportunity
for service is always open,
00:27:58.24\00:28:02.48
and the mission is
present wherever you go.
00:28:02.51\00:28:05.98