For many people, summer
is synonymous with camp.
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And over the last
month, Maranatha volunteers
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have been helping two
camp and retreat centers
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prepare for their
busy summer season.
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For almost two decades,
Maranatha has assisted at Camp
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MiVoden in Idaho, and
this year was no different.
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Volunteers tackle tasks,
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such as building
an equestrian shed,
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rebuilding a dock and
working on landscaping.
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At Big Lake
Youth Camp in Oregon,
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volunteers worked on two cabins,
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building decks,
installing insulation,
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ceilings, and flooring,
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and assembling
bunk beds and desks.
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These are just
two of the seven camps
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Maranatha has
assisted this year.
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The work of these
volunteers saves facilities
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thousands of
dollars and gives campers
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safe environments to have
fun and learn more about Christ.
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See why people are inspired
to serve in the mission field
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by watching
Maranatha Mission stories.
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Watch anytime on
your phone or tablet
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by downloading the
Maranatha channel app.
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It is known as the
city of eternal spring,
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Cochabamba, Bolivia.
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It is one of
three principal cities
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in this landlocked
South American country.
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Surrounded by
the Andes Mountains,
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Cochabamba is blessed with a
year-round temperate climate.
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Nearly 2 million people
live in this fertile valley,
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a population
center since Inca times,
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2000 years ago.
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Also known as the garden city,
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Cochabamba is called
the breadbasket of Bolivia.
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The region is produce rich,
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providing a dependable
economy for many who live here.
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The Seventh-day Adventist Church
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has been active in
Bolivia for more than 100 years.
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Today Adventists
play an active role
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in the health and welfare
of the Cochabamba community.
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This is
resulting in rapid growth.
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The challenge,
however, is a lack of churches.
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The Chimba neighborhood
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was chosen for the
first of eight churches
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Maranatha volunteers
are building in Cochabamba.
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Sonia Feraude and
her husband Simon Choque
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are two of the founding members
of the Chimba church family.
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They live in a small apartment
attached to the warehouse space
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where Simon runs a machine shop.
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Simon and his
employees fabricate metal molds
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for their industrial customers.
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He and his wife Sonia were
part of the first five families
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drawn to the
church with an event
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aimed at children.
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Through persistence,
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they tried again to
start the Chimba Church,
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drawing the neighborhood
with a vegetarian food fair.
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Again, a large group of
people joined their fellowship
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and once more,
the church failed.
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Worshiping in a
house week after week,
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people stopped coming.
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But their vision for a
church in Chimba did not stop.
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On their third attempt
to start the Chimba Church,
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they decided that
first and foremost,
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it must be a surface church.
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And secondly,
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it must be established on
a legitimate plot of land.
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The second ingredient,
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a plot of land
became Sonia's focus.
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She searched and searched
and found the perfect property.
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Simon suggested
they lease a property,
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but Sonia persisted.
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What did the neighbors in
this middle-class community
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think about having a church
on the lot instead of a home?
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Once purchased,
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church members volunteered
their time and energy
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to level and clear the lot
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and build sturdy coverings
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along the rear and side
of the property for worship
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and children's classes.
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The place was
simple, but it was a start.
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And this time
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the Chimba Church
community began growing.
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Chimba was now too healthy.
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Fortunately, a
plan was in place.
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When we come back,
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Maranatha's first
volunteers to Bolivia
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build the Chimba Church
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and discover people
just like themselves,
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who know the
value of volunteering.
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These women spend 560
minutes a day fetching water.
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Water is life,
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but your life
shouldn't revolve around water.
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We're raising
money for water wells.
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Make a donation...
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give women the gift
of time, health, family.
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Sponsor a well.
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Give water, give life.
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Every time I embark
on one of these journeys,
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I feel very
fulfilled, satisfied.
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I've always been a
person who likes to help
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and certainly I feel like I help
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when I'm on one of these trips.
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There's also a
sense of community
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that develops sort of
organically out of nothing
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in the sense that a
bunch of people come together
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who didn't know
each other prior.
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And by the time you're
done with a trip like this,
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you've established a new family.
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Jesse Shannon
is one of 21 people
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who volunteered to help build
the Chimba Adventist Church
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in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
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In the span of a week, a
church is completely blocked.
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Together, Maranatha's volunteers
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and Chimba Church volunteers
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formed a bond unique
in mission and ministry.
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The best projects are the ones
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where we're able to build a bond
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with the local church members.
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And that bond not only
helps the project itself,
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but it tells that little church
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they're not alone in
this mission endeavor
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of theirs to the community,
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that there is a
world church behind them
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and there's people who
want to see that they succeed.
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And they begin
to really recognize
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that the greater
fabric of our church.
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You know, the
volunteers come and they take on
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a lot of the glamour
tasks of laying the block
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and pouring the
grout and really seeing
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where the difference is made.
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But it's the church members
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who come in and they're the ones
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that worked so hard on sifting
the sand and filling the mixer
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and cutting the block
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and doing those things
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that are not nearly as glamorous
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and send them home
at the end of the day,
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extremely dirty,
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but yet they know
those are necessary parts.
00:13:07.28\00:13:09.48
And by the way, every
one of them could work
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any one of us under the table.
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They are such hard workers
and they see the pay off.
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They just, toward
the end of the week,
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the common term I keep hearing
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is how beautiful the
church is going to be.
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David and Judy Shawn were
Maranatha's project leaders
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for the Chimba Church.
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David led the
construction project,
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Judy handled the
logistics, mission assignments
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and spiritual leadership.
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A ministry
element common to most,
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every Maranatha mission project
is vacation Bible school.
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I was reading
about the mission trip
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to Maranatha to Bolivia.
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And I saw that they needed a
vacation Bible school worker.
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And I was, I'm a former
vacation Bible school leader,
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children's ministry
leader for 11 years at my church
00:14:01.37\00:14:04.17
and a Pathfinder director.
00:14:04.21\00:14:05.54
So, I thought I
could handle the task.
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Leona and fellow Maranatha
and Chimba Church volunteers
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did handle the task.
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I was really
concerned because I did not know
00:14:14.95\00:14:17.75
the socioeconomic
level of the people.
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I did not know if they
would be accustomed to gifts
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or if they had
mothers and fathers,
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what their family life was.
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I had no idea.
00:14:29.60\00:14:31.03
So, I really had to do
a broad type of program
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to include everyone
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without them
feeling uncomfortable.
00:14:38.64\00:14:41.11
What Leona found in
the Chimba neighborhood
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was encouraging.
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So, I found family life
and I found togetherness.
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I saw people
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very close to their
moms and their dads,
00:14:53.32\00:14:58.73
unlike sometimes
in New York City.
00:14:58.76\00:15:01.16
And I saw children
that did not grab and rush.
00:15:01.20\00:15:06.60
We had a game and we told
them to rush with the water
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and they walked very carefully
00:15:10.34\00:15:11.87
not to spill a
drop of the water.
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That was, for me
that was amazing.
00:15:13.71\00:15:15.61
'Cause children
normally are so rambunctious.
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The Chimba Church members
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regularly
volunteer in their community,
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providing
programs for the children,
00:15:22.32\00:15:25.32
medical clinics
for the entire family
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and even haircuts
for the local men.
00:15:27.76\00:15:30.99
So, asking one
of their neighbors
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for the use of her lawn
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and her welcoming
them was only natural.
00:15:34.10\00:15:36.50
I volunteer for Maranatha
because I love the Lord.
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I want to share his love
with as many people as possible.
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I especially like
doing it with the children
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and seeing their excitement
about how Jesus loves them.
00:16:38.66\00:16:43.37
In the beginning of each lesson,
00:16:43.40\00:16:44.83
I would ask them, what
did we learn yesterday?
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And what got me and
touch me so much was they got,
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Jesus is the living water.
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They got, Jesus
is the bread of life.
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But the third day,
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when I first asked
that they didn't remember.
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And then on the
last day they remembered
00:17:00.08\00:17:02.45
there was this one young lady
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who had been coming ever
since the beginning, this girl.
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And she remembered
that Jesus is the way,
00:17:07.26\00:17:09.92
the truth and the life.
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And I told her I could kiss her.
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I was so happy.
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I liked how there were parents
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who came and just sat there
so enthralled or spellbound,
00:17:17.60\00:17:22.67
just totally focused on
everything I was saying,
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as I was giving the
spiritual direction.
00:17:26.41\00:17:29.04
Chimba neighbor,
Kimberly Orellana
00:17:40.52\00:17:42.46
brought her
daughter to VBS every day
00:17:42.49\00:17:44.93
after learning about the
event at her local grocery.
00:17:44.96\00:17:47.53
What attracted me was
working with children,
00:18:06.88\00:18:10.25
and working for the
Lord and having fun,
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and traveling to
another location.
00:18:13.32\00:18:15.22
I mean, you can't
get better than that.
00:18:15.26\00:18:16.79
You're doing God's
work and you're having
00:18:16.83\00:18:18.29
the best time ever.
00:18:18.33\00:18:19.66
And you're traveling.
00:18:19.69\00:18:21.03
There's nothing
better than that.
00:18:21.06\00:18:22.86
Building an entire church
00:18:22.90\00:18:24.27
and hosting a neighborhood
vacation Bible school
00:18:24.30\00:18:26.84
wasn't enough.
00:18:26.87\00:18:28.60
The volunteers and
their new Bolivian family
00:18:28.64\00:18:31.47
also gave free
eyeglasses in Chimba
00:18:31.51\00:18:33.81
and several other neighborhoods
00:18:33.84\00:18:35.34
where Adventists are
determined to be change agents.
00:18:35.38\00:18:40.35
I had told friends
00:18:40.38\00:18:42.72
that I was gonna be taking
glasses again on the trip.
00:18:42.75\00:18:46.09
This is the 10th time
I've done glasses and...
00:18:46.12\00:18:49.96
Charlotte Marriott
and her husband John
00:18:49.99\00:18:52.03
volunteer often with Maranatha.
00:18:52.06\00:18:54.96
John concentrates on
electric and plumbing.
00:18:55.00\00:18:58.30
Charlotte brings
the gift of glasses.
00:18:58.33\00:19:01.74
She was able to
collect over 400 pair
00:19:01.77\00:19:04.47
for this mission to Bolivia.
00:19:04.51\00:19:05.84
Again, because I
just love seeing,
00:19:05.87\00:19:09.04
you know, possible miracles
and it changes people's lives.
00:19:09.08\00:19:12.91
We worked one on one with
locals in different areas,
00:19:18.62\00:19:21.79
and it was very
enriching and heartwarming
00:19:21.82\00:19:25.09
to serve people who don't
have the ability to get glasses.
00:19:25.13\00:19:29.30
In fact, we could
hardly shut down on Wednesday,
00:19:29.33\00:19:31.93
it was so busy.
00:19:31.97\00:19:35.54
As you come
into wherever we are,
00:19:35.57\00:19:37.97
you get a number,
00:19:38.01\00:19:39.91
and pretty soon you
had mom way over here,
00:19:39.94\00:19:45.05
daughter over here,
passing glasses over,
00:19:45.08\00:19:47.65
hoping they
would fit her mother.
00:19:47.68\00:19:50.72
People just coming
around, it was kind of chaotic
00:19:50.75\00:19:53.56
because I let it get that way,
00:19:53.59\00:19:55.39
but we were
just so short of time
00:19:55.42\00:19:57.96
and to see their smiles.
00:19:57.99\00:19:59.79
Oh, my gosh.
00:19:59.83\00:20:01.16
To see, to be able to see
far away or to be able to read.
00:20:01.20\00:20:05.37
It's just, it's
amazing. It's just amazing.
00:20:05.40\00:20:08.64
When I see
somebody receive glasses
00:20:18.45\00:20:22.28
and just hug me and cry
00:20:22.32\00:20:24.45
because now they have
glasses and they can see.
00:20:24.49\00:20:27.72
It's worth every mile
that I flew to get here.
00:20:27.76\00:20:32.06
One of the things
that I learned on this trip
00:20:36.00\00:20:38.17
is we thought we were
gonna have more volunteers
00:20:38.20\00:20:40.54
coming in to Bolivia.
00:20:40.57\00:20:42.34
And we were praying that
00:20:42.37\00:20:44.01
we would have
the people we needed
00:20:44.04\00:20:45.61
to be able to
accomplish this task,
00:20:45.64\00:20:48.54
but we thought we
needed more people.
00:20:48.58\00:20:50.58
And when some people
dropped out for various reasons
00:20:50.61\00:20:54.15
and we looked at, we
had 21 people coming,
00:20:54.18\00:20:57.32
we began to wonder whether
00:20:57.35\00:20:58.69
we were actually gonna
get this big church built,
00:20:58.72\00:21:01.79
but God answers prayer.
00:21:01.82\00:21:04.03
And even with the 21 people,
00:21:04.06\00:21:06.29
even with vacation Bible school,
00:21:06.33\00:21:08.43
even with the glass's ministry,
00:21:08.46\00:21:10.53
we got done everything
00:21:10.57\00:21:11.90
we possibly could
do on this project.
00:21:11.93\00:21:13.94
And it just reminds me that
00:21:13.97\00:21:15.60
God doesn't need
numbers to accomplish things.
00:21:15.64\00:21:18.44
He needs people.
He needs our hands.
00:21:18.47\00:21:20.34
He needs our
hearts. He needs our minds.
00:21:20.38\00:21:22.44
And that's a
pretty exciting thing
00:21:22.48\00:21:24.11
to take back to my
church and to my family
00:21:24.15\00:21:26.38
and to my community.
00:21:26.41\00:21:27.85
And hopefully
other people will come
00:21:27.88\00:21:29.62
and experience
incredible things.
00:21:29.65\00:21:33.59
Completing the Chimba
Church when we come back.
00:21:33.62\00:21:36.06
From July 8 to
22, help Maranatha
00:21:42.30\00:21:45.00
with a major renovation
project in Pennsylvania
00:21:45.03\00:21:47.80
at Pine Forge Academy.
00:21:47.84\00:21:49.80
The work will
involve masonry, painting,
00:21:49.84\00:21:52.01
replacing awnings and windows
and rebuilding a staircase.
00:21:52.04\00:21:55.81
Pine Forge Academy
is a boarding school
00:21:55.84\00:21:57.71
for grades nine through 12.
00:21:57.75\00:21:59.38
It was established in 1946
and sits on historical property
00:21:59.41\00:22:03.12
with
connections to William Penn,
00:22:03.15\00:22:05.22
George Washington, and
the Underground Railroad.
00:22:05.25\00:22:08.06
Come help us with this project
located at a historical site.
00:22:08.09\00:22:11.99
Then from
December 23 to January 5,
00:22:12.03\00:22:14.53
spend Christmas and
New Year on a mission trip.
00:22:14.56\00:22:17.63
The Ultimate
Workout Alumni Project
00:22:17.67\00:22:19.43
is going to La Paz, Bolivia
00:22:19.47\00:22:20.97
to help build a new church
for a congregation in need.
00:22:21.00\00:22:24.37
Volunteers on this
project will be digging ditches,
00:22:24.41\00:22:26.81
mixing cement, and
pouring a foundation
00:22:26.84\00:22:28.88
for the building.
00:22:28.91\00:22:30.25
We'll also
organize plenty of community
00:22:30.28\00:22:32.01
outreach activities.
00:22:32.05\00:22:33.82
This project is
aimed at volunteers
00:22:33.85\00:22:35.65
who have been on
the Ultimate Workout,
00:22:35.68\00:22:37.15
but everyone is welcome to join.
00:22:37.19\00:22:38.95
Check these
projects out on our website.
00:22:38.99\00:22:40.92
The Chimba Adventist Church
00:22:54.00\00:22:55.57
is one of
hundreds of volunteers led
00:22:55.60\00:22:57.44
construction
project, including Bolivia.
00:22:57.47\00:23:00.44
Maranatha
Volunteers International
00:23:00.48\00:23:02.24
is providing
volunteer opportunities
00:23:02.28\00:23:04.15
in 15 countries.
00:23:04.18\00:23:07.05
The goal is simple,
00:23:07.08\00:23:08.62
build and improve people's lives
00:23:08.65\00:23:11.05
through the construction
of urgently needed churches,
00:23:11.09\00:23:13.96
schools, dormitories,
00:23:13.99\00:23:16.09
medical
clinics, and water wells.
00:23:16.12\00:23:19.26
I hope the
volunteers have an experience
00:23:19.29\00:23:21.53
that's not repeatable.
00:23:21.56\00:23:23.40
And I want to make sure
00:23:23.43\00:23:24.77
that since they've invested
their time and their money,
00:23:24.80\00:23:27.60
that they have
an opportunity to do
00:23:27.64\00:23:29.17
what it is they came to do.
00:23:29.20\00:23:31.41
And I also hope to
help them understand
00:23:31.44\00:23:33.68
how working together in a group,
00:23:33.71\00:23:35.24
you can do that accomplishing
00:23:35.28\00:23:36.75
a whole that is greater
than the sum of the parts.
00:23:36.78\00:23:39.85
Even though we come from
different parts of the country,
00:23:39.88\00:23:42.55
different, well,
different parts of the US
00:23:42.58\00:23:44.82
and different
lifestyles and backgrounds.
00:23:44.85\00:23:51.09
We were able to come
together and work together
00:23:51.13\00:23:53.43
and work as a team.
00:23:53.46\00:23:54.90
Jim Rouse came
from Lincoln, California
00:23:54.93\00:23:57.07
to try his hand at construction.
00:23:57.10\00:23:59.77
He and 20 other volunteers
came to Cochabamba, Bolivia
00:23:59.80\00:24:02.97
to help build the
Chimba Church in just one week.
00:24:03.00\00:24:07.01
When I came here, I had no idea
00:24:07.04\00:24:08.84
how to lay a block.
00:24:08.88\00:24:10.41
So, it's
amazing what can be done
00:24:10.45\00:24:12.35
with a bunch of volunteers
00:24:12.38\00:24:14.95
who know nothing
about construction
00:24:14.98\00:24:17.29
and put it together.
00:24:17.32\00:24:20.46
I'm a volunteer, my first
time for the Maranatha group.
00:24:20.49\00:24:25.49
At home, I am a lazy person.
00:24:25.53\00:24:27.73
I thought I'm a lazy person.
00:24:27.76\00:24:29.86
I would clean one room
and just lie down and say,
00:24:29.90\00:24:33.80
"I'm tired, I
need to take a rest."
00:24:33.84\00:24:36.27
But I am here on this job site.
00:24:36.30\00:24:39.51
Everybody is so
energetic and lively.
00:24:39.54\00:24:43.78
And that gave me such energy.
00:24:43.81\00:24:46.85
I mean, I haven't felt
tired. I can work all day.
00:24:46.88\00:24:51.55
And another thing, I
sleep so well at night.
00:24:51.59\00:24:55.82
That is the best part.
00:24:55.86\00:24:57.19
I am here with my son, Cameron.
00:25:00.60\00:25:03.63
He was a little nervous at first
00:25:03.67\00:25:05.00
just because it's completely
out of the norm for him.
00:25:05.03\00:25:07.67
And he's never
left America before.
00:25:07.70\00:25:09.27
And that's why I thought it
was really important for him
00:25:09.30\00:25:12.51
to come see a
different part of the world
00:25:12.54\00:25:14.11
and see how
other people worship,
00:25:14.14\00:25:16.58
how other people work,
how other people get around.
00:25:16.61\00:25:18.78
And on top of that,
00:25:18.81\00:25:21.48
this is a really,
really good opportunity
00:25:21.52\00:25:23.22
for me to have my
one-on-one time with my kids.
00:25:23.25\00:25:26.05
I'm a busy parent
as most parents are.
00:25:26.09\00:25:28.66
And the fact that I can
spend two to three weeks
00:25:28.69\00:25:30.83
with one kid is invaluable.
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.53
I like seeing how
everybody comes thinking
00:25:33.56\00:25:36.63
they're going to do
something for someone else.
00:25:36.67\00:25:38.53
And everyone goes home thinking
00:25:38.57\00:25:40.17
everybody else did more for them
00:25:40.20\00:25:41.74
than they provided.
00:25:41.77\00:25:44.61
Sonia is the head elder's wife.
00:25:44.64\00:25:47.38
She could not
hold back the tears.
00:25:47.41\00:25:49.11
As she explained
that until this experience
00:25:49.14\00:25:51.25
with the volunteers,
00:25:51.28\00:25:52.81
she never felt important,
but now God has shown her.
00:25:52.85\00:25:56.82
As she serves
others, she feels useful
00:25:56.85\00:25:59.89
and has
discovered peace in her heart
00:25:59.92\00:26:01.69
and happiness knowing
there are others like her
00:26:01.72\00:26:04.16
working so hard
to grow the church.
00:26:04.19\00:26:06.49
Sonia's husband Simon
said that they never imagined
00:26:11.50\00:26:14.30
that people
would come from a far
00:26:14.34\00:26:15.87
and build the Chimba Church.
00:26:15.90\00:26:18.31
Volunteering for
him is doing something
00:26:18.34\00:26:20.74
and receiving nothing in return.
00:26:20.78\00:26:23.14
He says that together,
00:26:23.18\00:26:24.51
the local and
visiting volunteers
00:26:24.55\00:26:26.48
were able to
emulate the life of Jesus
00:26:26.51\00:26:28.92
who did things for others
00:26:28.95\00:26:30.29
without expecting
anything in return.
00:26:30.32\00:26:34.82
This church is not gonna
be just for Sabbath morning.
00:26:34.86\00:26:37.69
This church is gonna
be open to the community
00:26:37.73\00:26:41.06
for many different outreach
ministries during the week.
00:26:41.10\00:26:45.33
The end of every
Maranatha project
00:26:45.37\00:26:47.44
is a time of worship and praise.
00:26:47.47\00:26:50.01
Neighbors and church members
00:26:50.04\00:26:51.37
together with
their out-of-town guests
00:26:51.41\00:26:53.17
reflected on the kindness of God
00:26:53.21\00:26:55.04
they experienced at Chimba.
00:26:55.08\00:26:57.35
Children from
vacation Bible school returned,
00:26:57.38\00:27:00.58
neighbors who
had received glasses
00:27:00.62\00:27:02.48
came to worship.
00:27:02.52\00:27:04.42
The entire
community of believers
00:27:04.45\00:27:07.02
shared the joy
of new friendships
00:27:07.06\00:27:09.49
and a more lasting hope.
00:27:09.52\00:27:12.46
There is a volunteer opportunity
00:27:12.49\00:27:14.23
waiting for you.
00:27:14.26\00:27:16.83
Take time today to
imagine where you will help.
00:27:16.87\00:27:21.17
If you have never
done a mission project
00:27:21.20\00:27:24.31
and you've never
been out of country,
00:27:24.34\00:27:26.34
I'd advise
anyone to take a trip.
00:27:26.37\00:27:30.25
When you go back to America,
you will enjoy or realize
00:27:30.28\00:27:36.18
what Christ is
doing in other countries
00:27:36.22\00:27:39.09
and what you don't,
00:27:39.12\00:27:40.49
what these people
don't have over here,
00:27:40.52\00:27:43.09
and they're so
happy and jubilant
00:27:43.12\00:27:44.69
and their worship
services are unbelievable.
00:27:44.73\00:27:48.46
Get out and do it
before it's too late.
00:27:48.50\00:27:51.07