Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS070610A
|
00:01 Since 2005,
00:02 the West Houston Adventist Church 00:04 has made going on a Maranatha project, 00:05 an annual tradition, and this year was no different. 00:09 Fifty three volunteers have just returned 00:11 from serving in Central Kenya. 00:13 The team stayed busy, tackling multiple projects. 00:16 Their main task was laying block 00:17 for a new cafeteria and kitchen 00:19 at the Upper Hill Adventist Primary School. 00:22 Previously meals were prepared in a small shed 00:25 and students ate outdoors. 00:26 The new building provides proper eating 00:28 and cooking facilities 00:30 for hundreds of grateful students. 00:32 Volunteers held medical and dental clinics 00:34 for remote communities 00:35 and conducted children's programs 00:37 that drew 70 to 80 kids each day. 00:40 The West Houston Church is looking forward 00:42 to their next trip 00:43 and we'll be taking their youth group 00:44 to Bolivia this summer. 00:46 If you're interested in taking your church or school group 00:49 on a mission trip, 00:50 visit our website maranatha.org 00:53 Click on volunteer opportunities, 00:54 and then choose, create a team 00:56 for more information. 01:23 What lies at the heart of a mission trip? 01:27 Is it an exotic location? 01:32 Or maybe heart-wrenching need? 01:37 For more than 50 volunteers serving in Kenya, 01:39 their experience was all about connections. 01:43 Yes, it took many airline connections for them 01:45 to get to their final destination, 01:47 but more importantly, 01:49 volunteers made many connections 01:51 with the local people. 01:53 The people they worked alongside 01:56 and they strengthened their connection with God. 02:00 But all Maranatha projects 02:01 begin by connecting willing volunteers 02:04 with an urgent need. 02:06 The Kiirua Seventh-day Adventist 02:08 Primary and Secondary School 02:10 is set in the lush hills of Central Kenya. 02:12 Established in 1989 with only two classrooms, 02:15 today the campus has more than 200 students, 02:18 several classrooms, and even boarding facilities. 02:22 Students eagerly soak 02:23 in all the teachers have to offer, 02:25 even though the buildings leave much to be desired. 02:29 Time has weathered the structures, 02:31 particularly the dormitories. 02:33 Sometimes we feel cold. 02:35 I am the school head girl, 02:37 and most of the time 02:38 they wake up every morning telling me, 02:40 "Ann, I was feeling cold, the whole night, 02:42 I felt as if someone was placing the water 02:44 inside the dorm, 02:46 so I was feeling cold. 02:47 Was it raining?" 02:48 I tell them, "No, it was not raining, " 02:50 just because the dorm is not favorable for you. 02:53 And we are just going to... 02:55 You just stay there and you sleep there 02:58 because we don't have other ways to do. 03:01 Ann Karumba is in her final year 03:03 of secondary school. 03:04 She loves the opportunity 03:06 she's been given to study at the school, 03:07 and is very involved on campus. 03:09 But during her time there, 03:11 she has seen the student population decline 03:13 because of the poor infrastructure, 03:15 especially the girls' dormitory. 03:18 Since I came in this school, 03:21 many have left the school 03:23 because of the condition of the school. 03:25 We don't have nice dormitory. 03:27 They come and wonder, what kind of a block is this? 03:30 So we need those things 03:32 so that our sisters who went and our brothers who went, 03:37 they will come back to us and we study together 03:39 and the population will increase. 03:41 I think you should, 03:42 we should change the condition of this school 03:44 so that we can have many come in this school. 03:47 Maranatha committed 03:49 to providing a new dormitory for the girls 03:51 and organized a volunteer team to construct the building. 03:54 The project was what Maranatha calls 03:56 an open team project 03:57 mission trips, 03:58 where anyone is welcome to join. 04:01 More than 50 volunteers chose to take time 04:03 out of their busy schedules 04:04 and to serve the people of Kenya. 04:07 For some, the trip would be their first time 04:09 on the African continent. 04:11 For Barbara Foster, traveling to Kenya 04:13 was a long lost link to her past. 04:17 I left here when I was five years old. 04:19 My father was a medical director 04:21 at Kendu Bay Hospital 04:25 right near Lake Victoria. 04:27 Although her father loved working in Africa 04:29 and serving the people of Kenya. 04:31 After recurrent bouts of malaria, 04:33 he was advised to go home in 1944. 04:36 For Barbara, returning to Kenya never seemed like an option, 04:40 but in May of 2016, 04:41 she went on her first Maranatha mission trip 04:44 to Cardenas Cuba. 04:45 There she met Terry Schwartz 04:47 who invited her on a Maranatha project 04:49 he was leading in Kenya. 04:50 She felt God was opening a major door, 04:53 one that would lead her back to her mission roots. 04:55 It's just like God orders your life, 04:59 helps you with steps 05:00 that you couldn't dream of making yourself. 05:05 Barbara signed up for the mission trip to Kenya, 05:07 but visiting her childhood home was also on the itinerary. 05:11 Well, I came back to Kenya. 05:12 I came five days before the Maranatha trip 05:15 and got to visit Kendu Bay 05:17 with the doctors who were there, 05:19 and it was very exciting. 05:20 I can't even tell you 05:23 how walking at the same place where I was as a little girl 05:27 and where my father was the medical director 05:30 touched my soul. 05:32 It was just incredible to be there 05:34 and know that 05:36 his life was committed to missions in Africa. 05:40 Visiting the hospital was only the beginning 05:42 of her reconnecting with her past. 05:44 As work began on the job site 05:46 and she interacted with people in the villages, 05:48 Barbara discovered a passion she shares with her father. 05:52 I share the love for Kenya 05:55 that my father had 05:57 'cause being here and meeting the people 05:59 and working here is just so touching. 06:02 So I plan to come back again 06:04 and they certainly probably will come every year 06:08 if I get a chance. 06:11 The volunteers arrived on the job site, 06:13 ready to make the school's dream a reality, 06:16 but a tour of the old dorm 06:18 put their work into perspective. 06:20 Their living conditions were, I was so shocked to begin with, 06:26 like when I went there 'cause my dorm, 06:29 when I went to Campion, 06:31 there's a sink and a bathroom in the room, 06:34 running water. 06:36 I mean, they didn't have that, their showers were buckets, 06:40 full water, probably dirty water. 06:42 It's dark, it's falling apart, 06:44 there's nails poking 06:47 through a lot of the doors and windows. 06:48 Some of the windows don't open, 06:49 'cause their hinges don't hold them up anymore. 06:51 I would compare it 06:52 to a chicken coop on a rundown farm. 06:54 It was pretty bad. 06:56 I mean, you go inside and there's wood shutters, 07:00 there's no windows. 07:02 You could see daylight 07:04 all the way around with the shutters closed 07:08 and you look up and see holes where the roof leaks 07:11 and it had a concrete floor, but it's pretty primitive. 07:17 There's one little light bulb, one light bulb 07:19 that has barely any light to cover the whole room. 07:23 So yeah, that's, 07:25 I wouldn't want to sleep in there. 07:30 Motivated by what they saw, 07:31 work began on the construction site 07:33 and the walls quickly rose up from the ground. 07:36 For some, 07:38 construction work has been a part of their lives 07:40 for a long time. 07:42 Other volunteers got a crash course in building. 07:46 My grandpa laid block for years and years and years, 07:49 and so did my dad for a while growing up. 07:51 And so I decided to lay block and that is, that's fun. 07:57 It's harder work than you would think, 08:00 and people like it done a certain way. 08:03 So for a while, it's just kind of asking certain other guys, 08:06 what do you do? 08:07 How do I do this? 08:09 And then it's lifting block all day, 08:10 lifting and laying block continuously for hours. 08:12 And, but as the building gets bigger 08:17 and you see the kids watching it, 08:19 it's worth it, you're like, this is a house to them. 08:21 This isn't something that termites can devour. 08:24 This is something safe, and it has lots of windows, 08:27 it's light, it's pretty. 08:30 All the hard work was worth it. 08:32 The girls they were serving were never far from their mind. 08:36 When I think about the girls that are going to be here, 08:38 and how the old dorm is shabby and it's dark, 08:41 and they're going to move into this new building, 08:44 they're solid, 08:46 there's going to be windows with glass in them 08:48 and doors that can shut, 08:51 and I don't know, 08:55 I haven't quite processed through that one yet. 08:57 This is just, I can't put into words 09:01 'cause I've never seen a project to completion. 09:03 So I can't put into words how exciting this is 09:06 to know that 09:07 tomorrow we get to walk these girls 09:09 into their new dorm 09:11 and a new solid place with beds and mattresses 09:15 and everything that they need to be successful. 09:20 Construction of the dorm 09:21 wasn't the only thing that kept the volunteers busy. 09:24 When we come back, 09:25 learn about other ways 09:26 they connected with the community. 09:40 Each year more than 2200 people 09:42 travel all over the world to serve with Maranatha. 09:46 The ways they serve and the locations they help 09:49 are as varied as the people 09:50 that participate on these projects. 09:53 Maybe you're wondering 09:54 how missions can be part of your life. 09:56 Let's take a minute 09:57 and look at one of the ways you can get involved. 10:00 Can mission trips be a family experience? 10:03 At Maranatha, the answer is yes. 10:06 Maranatha family projects are mission trips 10:09 designed with families in mind, worship, work, and even play 10:15 is aimed toward family togetherness. 10:17 There are no age limits and everyone is welcome to join 10:21 from two to 82. 10:24 Maranatha offers family projects 10:27 two to three times a year 10:28 during Christmas and the summer. 10:31 Get more details 10:33 on all of Maranatha's volunteer opportunities 10:35 at maranatha.org. 10:41 Kenya is known for its diversity. 10:44 More than 40 tribes are represented in the country, 10:47 each with their own language and culture. 10:51 In Central Kenya, 10:52 two of the people groups you'll find 10:54 are the Samburu and Turkana tribes. 10:57 Mission trips are a great way to learn about 10:59 and interact with people of different cultures. 11:02 And this project was no different. 11:04 Volunteers visited several villages 11:06 and learned about the realities of life 11:08 in rural Kenya. 11:10 I have never ever seen 11:12 something like I did at the tribes. 11:15 These people are living with nothing, 11:21 next to nothing. 11:22 They live in these little mud huts 11:24 and that's all that they have. 11:27 And I was just so surprised at how welcoming they all were. 11:33 When we got there, 11:34 they all sang for us and just like, let us right in. 11:37 And were so excited to show us their culture 11:43 and let us be a part of it. 11:45 And like one of the people opened up their mud huts 11:48 so that we could go in and see what it was like. 11:52 And for me personally, 11:54 that was a really hard thing to go into the mud hut and see. 12:00 It was just dark. 12:01 And it's just a tiny little space 12:03 where their whole family lives. 12:07 And it's going to be really hard for me 12:09 to go home and see my big house 12:11 and my pantry full of food and my room with my own bed 12:17 and have to think about the people over here 12:20 who don't have any of that. 12:21 And they're still so happy. 12:26 I wasn't expecting 12:27 the amount of poverty that these people have. 12:31 I mean, where the one day churches are, 12:35 they live in thatched huts, and they're happy. 12:39 You go there and they dance and they sing and they smile, 12:42 and they're happy and they have nothing. 12:45 They live in a little thatched hut. 12:47 They have no plumbing, they have no electricity. 12:51 They carry water for miles 12:53 to get to where it's at every day. 12:59 Volunteers found several ways to connect with the people 13:02 and minister to these needy villages. 13:06 Hundreds of pounds of corn and beans were distributed 13:09 in each place they visited. 13:14 They created a pop-up shoe store 13:15 in one village 13:17 where villagers could choose shoes 13:18 for themselves and their family 13:19 completely free of charge. 13:25 Some volunteers learned some new construction skills 13:28 and helped build a stick and mud walled kitchen. 13:35 Each activity was an opportunity 13:37 to make connections with people 13:39 who welcomed them with open arms. 13:49 People in places I've been have never done that, 13:53 have never had so much love for someone 13:55 that they've just met. 13:57 That it's like just unconditional love. 14:03 Well, I love going to the villages, 14:06 I was a school principal and I love children. 14:09 So going to the villages and getting to hug children 14:12 and hold their hands and interact with them 14:14 was just very touching. 14:16 And to me, that's the best part of going to the villages, 14:19 meeting the people and interacting with them. 14:24 You know, you can look at National Geographic pictures 14:28 and the people look very different 14:31 than where I live, 14:32 but when you get to meet the people, 14:34 they're all just the same, and that is really wonderful. 14:43 It's very hard to go home 14:45 after something that moves you so much like that. 14:50 After seeing how they live, 14:54 and then going back to how I live, 14:56 it's a very moving experience 15:00 that doesn't leave you the same as when you came. 15:04 The living conditions weren't the only thing 15:06 that was shocking to the volunteers. 15:10 We were told that this is tree over here 15:12 with a bunch of thorn 15:13 scraggly bushes around it is their church. 15:15 And it has been for 15 plus years. 15:18 And I thought that was kind of very humbling 15:23 and amazing all at the same time 15:25 Rain or shine, you're getting wet, 15:27 you're getting wind, 15:28 you're getting dusty. 15:29 They just, they'd sit there and have service. 15:32 Thorny, nasty, ugly tree and that was church. 15:35 It didn't matter. 15:36 That's where they had church. 15:39 Many years of uncomfortable worship ended 15:42 when an earlier group of volunteers 15:43 erected a new church structure 15:45 for the Larisoro congregation, 15:47 Now they're able to welcome the visitors 15:49 to their new church structure 15:51 instead of to the shadow of a tree. 15:53 And the fact that we could be a part 15:56 of expanding these people's religious experience 16:00 by giving them a building 16:01 versus a tree that they've had for 15 years, 16:03 that hit me pretty hard. 16:04 They left that circle around the tree, 16:07 and it's kind of a reminder of God answering the prayer 16:09 that they got a real building. 16:13 Volunteers provided the same transformation 16:15 for an additional four congregations. 16:18 They traveled into the countryside 16:20 with all of the parts necessary to construct a church. 16:43 At the end of the week, 16:45 they celebrated the completion of the churches 16:46 with the congregations. 16:55 Local children were also treated 16:56 to stories, songs, games, and crafts 16:59 as a team of volunteers visited local churches and schools 17:02 with a vacation Bible school program. 17:06 And the kitchen crew worked hard 17:07 to keep everyone fed and happy. 17:14 All the while, 17:15 work steadily progressed at the school site, 17:17 and the excitement on campus grew. 17:21 You look around the buildings are kind of rough looking 17:23 and just to have a nice new feeling 17:28 on campus is reinvigorating for all the people here. 17:32 And I think you can feel it today. 17:33 I mean, they're excited, they're having a good time 17:36 and it's nice to be able to dedicate 17:38 something to somebody. 17:40 And the fact that we gave it through our work 17:43 and through our gift to them, 17:45 I think is kind of important. 17:48 As the walls of the dormitory were completed, 17:50 volunteers turned their attention 17:52 to some of the finishing touches. 17:54 The old bunk beds were given a little TLC 17:56 and a new coat of wood stain. 18:00 Volunteers moved them into the new building 18:02 and outfitted each bed with new sheets, 18:04 pillows, blankets, and towels. 18:08 And when the work was complete, 18:10 they offered a prayer to bless the dormitory 18:12 and all the girls that would live there. 18:14 After many long days of work, 18:16 it was finally time to dedicate the new dormitory. 18:19 The celebration drew a crowd eager 18:21 to share in the excitement. 18:29 Moving the girls into the dorm was emotional. 18:33 We got to just take a girl's hand 18:36 and personally move her into the dorm 18:38 and take her to her bed 18:39 and just talk to her one-on-one. 18:44 And the girl that I got to move in, 18:46 her name was Esther. 18:48 And I thought that was really cool 18:50 because my name is Estelle 18:51 and our, like our names were just so similar 18:54 and she was just the sweetest girl 18:58 I have ever met. 18:59 She was so happy and so bright and smiling, 19:04 and it was very, it was very hard to leave. 19:12 She just, she wanted us to stay longer 19:14 and I wish I could have just stayed 19:17 and talked with her. 19:20 But she was so thankful 19:22 that we've given her a new dorm that was safe 19:24 where she didn't have to live with rats, and... 19:30 Yes, it was very emotional and moving experience. 19:34 The volunteers not only showed the girls to their new beds, 19:37 but took time to get to know them, 19:38 share about their lives and pray with them. 19:44 It was really cool 19:46 to be able to connect with the girls on that day. 19:51 The new dorm is a very welcome addition to the campus. 19:56 Actually, today, 19:59 they might over sleep 20:00 because actually they're excited, 20:03 they're very happy with the new dorm. 20:05 Thank you Maranatha team. 20:07 The volunteers built relationships 20:09 with more than just the locals on this mission trip. 20:12 More connections when we come back. 20:26 Maranatha may be known for building churches, 20:29 but much of our efforts serve to further Christian education 20:31 around the world. 20:33 Here are two school projects that could use your help. 20:36 Since 2013, 20:37 Maranatha has coordinated an annual project 20:40 on the campus of Blue Mountain Academy 20:41 in Pennsylvania. 20:43 This year from April 18 to May 2, 20:45 we'll be returning to assist with renovations 20:47 of the boys' dormitory. 20:49 The project will include installing new floors 20:50 in the bathrooms 20:52 and interior and exterior painting. 20:54 All skills are welcomed. 20:55 So join us by registering online 20:57 prior to the project. 20:59 If you're 18 to 35 and looking to serve, 21:01 join us on the Young Adult Project in Kenya, 21:04 July 4 to 18. 21:05 Volunteers on this project 21:07 will construct new much needed block buildings 21:09 for the Kiutine Adventist School. 21:11 This project will also include community outreach activities 21:14 and will end with a Safari excursion 21:16 in the world famous Maasai Mara National Park. 21:19 To sign up for these projects 21:20 or to view our entire project calendar, 21:23 visit maranatha.org. 21:32 If everyone gave just a little toward a common goal, 21:36 that little would become a lot, enough to build a church. 21:41 It's Maranatha's $10 church program. 21:44 And each month we raise enough money 21:46 to provide a church for a congregation in need. 21:50 It just shows that a little goes a long way 21:52 in making a difference. 22:01 Mission trips are full of activities, construction, 22:06 children's programs and community outreach. 22:10 And although they provide ways 22:12 to connect with the people being served, 22:13 the shared experiences bond the volunteers as well 22:17 and offer opportunities for spiritual growth. 22:19 A friend of mine told me that 22:21 you don't just come to build buildings, 22:23 you come to build people. 22:25 And I guess the spiritual lessons 22:28 I've learned are that you don't really come to build people, 22:30 you come to build yourself 22:32 and to be open and to be vulnerable, 22:35 to make new friends and to learn new things 22:38 and make friends with people 22:40 you may never see again this side of heaven. 22:43 I think I use these trips for myself, 22:45 just as much as I use them for other people. 22:48 And I think it's real easy for me 22:51 when I'm home to kind of get back into my rut 22:54 and go to my church where you can kind of blend in 22:56 and not really be as active as you should. 23:01 And so when I come on these trips, 23:02 I used them for myself to kind of grow 23:06 and to reignite my passion for Christ. 23:10 Then I really like coming out here 23:12 because I can see what we do. 23:13 I can see other people that are like us 23:15 and I want to go home, and I want to share that. 23:18 For Shelby Burns, 23:20 the idea of opening up 23:21 and connecting with a group of strangers 23:23 was daunting, 23:24 especially strangers of a different faith. 23:27 I grew up in a non-Christian home 23:28 where I was raised 23:30 not to need one person 23:32 because people will let you down. 23:34 And I think my dad knew he was going to let me down, 23:36 and that was hard for him as a man, 23:38 and my mom knew she was going to let me down, 23:39 and so they set us up as kids 23:41 to be able to be the most independent hard-working kids 23:44 they can have, 23:46 because they didn't want anyone to be able to tear us down. 23:48 But then becoming a Christian at 17-18, 23:52 you need to be able to let go of that pride 23:54 and need your Father in heaven and need God. 23:57 And I came on this trip, preparing myself 23:59 that I wouldn't need anyone in this group 24:01 because I didn't know them. 24:02 I didn't know if they were judging me. 24:03 I didn't want to be let down or disappointed 24:05 by any Adventist or any Christian 24:07 or even the locals on this trip 24:09 that might not like me too much, I guess, 24:12 but I came on this trip 24:14 and you can't lay block by yourself. 24:17 You can't go on a trip like this 24:19 and do it by yourself, 24:21 because on that last work day, 24:24 when you just don't like your thoughts 24:26 that you're thinking, 'cause you're tired and grumpy, 24:28 you need Jesus. 24:30 I had to do that a lot, 24:32 and it was just another step in my faith 24:36 to need less of me and more of God, 24:40 because if I would've come on this trip just needing me, 24:42 I wouldn't have built relationships with Adventists 24:44 because I would have thought they were judging me. 24:47 I learned to need myself less and need Jesus more 24:51 and allow other Christians, 24:53 whether they're my religious background or not, 24:56 or my faith background or not. 24:58 I allowed them to take part in my growth and experience 25:03 and not just hide behind my pride and independence. 25:08 Shelby found the mission trip 25:10 to be a safe environment 25:11 where she could truly open herself to others. 25:14 That is exactly what would make me want to go 25:15 on Maranatha trip again 25:17 'cause it is a place 25:18 where I knew everyone was different, 25:19 I knew each have different theology, 25:21 but I knew I was going to be genuinely loved 25:22 and cared for, 25:24 and that's worth it. 25:25 I plan on going to the Adventist Church 25:27 with some of these people 25:28 there just to experience their experiences. 25:30 And now I get to have that here in Africa, 25:32 and I get to have that back home, 25:34 and hopefully I get to go on more trips with Maranatha 25:36 'cause it's fun and you learn a lot 25:40 and they work you hard, 25:42 and build your character and your muscles. 25:44 The growth and discovery that occurred in Kenya 25:47 will continue to impact the volunteers' lives 25:50 as they head home. 25:53 I really hope that 25:55 I can be more loving and involved 25:56 in my community at home. 25:59 I think part of this trip has helped me to realize 26:03 how kind of selfish I am 26:06 and how much I just stick to my own life 26:10 and just do my own thing, 26:12 and I'm not very involved in other people's lives 26:14 and sometimes not very loving to other people either. 26:20 So I think it'll be a good challenge for myself 26:22 when I get home to be more involved 26:29 and just care more about people, 26:31 and really the people here have challenged me 26:35 to be more loving and accepting of others 26:38 that are so different than I am. 26:42 Most important, 26:43 God's love showed through and touched lives. 26:49 I love God, I can say that. 26:51 I don't know if I would have been able to say that 26:53 before this trip... 27:00 but I mean, God is love 27:05 and all the love that I've seen 27:07 over this trip has been... 27:12 I can say that, I've seen God. 27:17 Forty six girls now have a safe place to sleep, 27:20 and four congregations have proper places of worship, 27:24 but Maranatha's ultimate goal was accomplished, 27:27 to share the warmth of God's love 27:29 with as many people as possible. |
Revised 2021-01-22