Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS080710A
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00:01 For many people, summer is synonymous with camp.
00:04 And over the last month, Maranatha volunteers 00:07 have been helping two camp and retreat centers 00:09 prepare for their busy summer season. 00:12 For almost two decades, Maranatha has assisted at Camp 00:15 MiVoden in Idaho, and this year was no different. 00:19 Volunteers tackle tasks, 00:20 such as building an equestrian shed, 00:22 rebuilding a dock and working on landscaping. 00:25 At Big Lake Youth Camp in Oregon, 00:28 volunteers worked on two cabins, 00:30 building decks, installing insulation, 00:32 ceilings, and flooring, 00:34 and assembling bunk beds and desks. 00:36 These are just two of the seven camps 00:38 Maranatha has assisted this year. 00:41 The work of these volunteers saves facilities 00:43 thousands of dollars and gives campers 00:45 safe environments to have fun and learn more about Christ. 00:50 See why people are inspired to serve in the mission field 00:52 by watching Maranatha Mission stories. 00:55 Watch anytime on your phone or tablet 00:57 by downloading the Maranatha channel app. 01:33 It is known as the city of eternal spring, 01:35 Cochabamba, Bolivia. 01:39 It is one of three principal cities 01:41 in this landlocked South American country. 01:45 Surrounded by the Andes Mountains, 01:47 Cochabamba is blessed with a year-round temperate climate. 01:52 Nearly 2 million people live in this fertile valley, 01:55 a population center since Inca times, 01:58 2000 years ago. 02:01 Also known as the garden city, 02:03 Cochabamba is called the breadbasket of Bolivia. 02:07 The region is produce rich, 02:09 providing a dependable economy for many who live here. 02:15 The Seventh-day Adventist Church 02:16 has been active in Bolivia for more than 100 years. 02:21 Today Adventists play an active role 02:23 in the health and welfare of the Cochabamba community. 02:27 This is resulting in rapid growth. 02:30 The challenge, however, is a lack of churches. 03:21 The Chimba neighborhood 03:23 was chosen for the first of eight churches 03:25 Maranatha volunteers are building in Cochabamba. 03:47 Sonia Feraude and her husband Simon Choque 03:50 are two of the founding members of the Chimba church family. 03:55 They live in a small apartment attached to the warehouse space 03:58 where Simon runs a machine shop. 04:02 Simon and his employees fabricate metal molds 04:04 for their industrial customers. 04:10 He and his wife Sonia were part of the first five families 04:13 drawn to the church with an event 04:15 aimed at children. 04:44 Through persistence, 04:46 they tried again to start the Chimba Church, 04:48 drawing the neighborhood with a vegetarian food fair. 04:51 Again, a large group of people joined their fellowship 04:54 and once more, the church failed. 04:57 Worshiping in a house week after week, 05:00 people stopped coming. 05:04 But their vision for a church in Chimba did not stop. 05:08 On their third attempt to start the Chimba Church, 05:10 they decided that first and foremost, 05:12 it must be a surface church. 05:15 And secondly, 05:16 it must be established on a legitimate plot of land. 06:06 The second ingredient, 06:07 a plot of land became Sonia's focus. 06:10 She searched and searched and found the perfect property. 06:41 Simon suggested they lease a property, 06:44 but Sonia persisted. 07:47 What did the neighbors in this middle-class community 07:49 think about having a church on the lot instead of a home? 08:31 Once purchased, 08:33 church members volunteered their time and energy 08:35 to level and clear the lot 08:37 and build sturdy coverings 08:38 along the rear and side of the property for worship 08:41 and children's classes. 08:46 The place was simple, but it was a start. 08:49 And this time 08:51 the Chimba Church community began growing. 08:55 Chimba was now too healthy. 08:58 Fortunately, a plan was in place. 09:04 When we come back, 09:06 Maranatha's first volunteers to Bolivia 09:08 build the Chimba Church 09:10 and discover people just like themselves, 09:12 who know the value of volunteering. 09:38 These women spend 560 minutes a day fetching water. 09:45 Water is life, 09:48 but your life shouldn't revolve around water. 09:57 We're raising money for water wells. 10:00 Make a donation... 10:06 give women the gift of time, health, family. 10:15 Sponsor a well. 10:19 Give water, give life. 10:43 Every time I embark on one of these journeys, 10:46 I feel very fulfilled, satisfied. 10:50 I've always been a person who likes to help 10:53 and certainly I feel like I help 10:56 when I'm on one of these trips. 10:59 There's also a sense of community 11:01 that develops sort of organically out of nothing 11:06 in the sense that a bunch of people come together 11:08 who didn't know each other prior. 11:10 And by the time you're done with a trip like this, 11:13 you've established a new family. 11:16 Jesse Shannon is one of 21 people 11:18 who volunteered to help build the Chimba Adventist Church 11:21 in Cochabamba, Bolivia. 11:25 In the span of a week, a church is completely blocked. 11:29 Together, Maranatha's volunteers 11:31 and Chimba Church volunteers 11:33 formed a bond unique in mission and ministry. 11:38 The best projects are the ones 11:40 where we're able to build a bond 11:41 with the local church members. 11:43 And that bond not only helps the project itself, 11:48 but it tells that little church 11:51 they're not alone in this mission endeavor 11:53 of theirs to the community, 11:54 that there is a world church behind them 11:56 and there's people who want to see that they succeed. 12:00 And they begin to really recognize 12:04 that the greater fabric of our church. 12:43 You know, the volunteers come and they take on 12:45 a lot of the glamour tasks of laying the block 12:47 and pouring the grout and really seeing 12:50 where the difference is made. 12:51 But it's the church members 12:53 who come in and they're the ones 12:55 that worked so hard on sifting the sand and filling the mixer 12:58 and cutting the block 13:00 and doing those things 13:01 that are not nearly as glamorous 13:03 and send them home at the end of the day, 13:05 extremely dirty, 13:07 but yet they know those are necessary parts. 13:09 And by the way, every one of them could work 13:11 any one of us under the table. 13:13 They are such hard workers and they see the pay off. 13:18 They just, toward the end of the week, 13:20 the common term I keep hearing 13:23 is how beautiful the church is going to be. 13:27 David and Judy Shawn were Maranatha's project leaders 13:30 for the Chimba Church. 13:32 David led the construction project, 13:36 Judy handled the logistics, mission assignments 13:39 and spiritual leadership. 13:43 A ministry element common to most, 13:44 every Maranatha mission project is vacation Bible school. 13:50 I was reading about the mission trip 13:52 to Maranatha to Bolivia. 13:54 And I saw that they needed a vacation Bible school worker. 13:57 And I was, I'm a former vacation Bible school leader, 14:01 children's ministry leader for 11 years at my church 14:04 and a Pathfinder director. 14:05 So, I thought I could handle the task. 14:08 Leona and fellow Maranatha and Chimba Church volunteers 14:12 did handle the task. 14:14 I was really concerned because I did not know 14:17 the socioeconomic level of the people. 14:20 I did not know if they would be accustomed to gifts 14:24 or if they had mothers and fathers, 14:28 what their family life was. 14:29 I had no idea. 14:31 So, I really had to do a broad type of program 14:35 to include everyone 14:38 without them feeling uncomfortable. 14:41 What Leona found in the Chimba neighborhood 14:43 was encouraging. 14:45 So, I found family life and I found togetherness. 14:50 I saw people 14:53 very close to their moms and their dads, 14:58 unlike sometimes in New York City. 15:01 And I saw children that did not grab and rush. 15:06 We had a game and we told them to rush with the water 15:10 and they walked very carefully 15:11 not to spill a drop of the water. 15:13 That was, for me that was amazing. 15:15 'Cause children normally are so rambunctious. 15:18 The Chimba Church members 15:20 regularly volunteer in their community, 15:22 providing programs for the children, 15:25 medical clinics for the entire family 15:27 and even haircuts for the local men. 15:31 So, asking one of their neighbors 15:32 for the use of her lawn 15:34 and her welcoming them was only natural. 16:27 I volunteer for Maranatha because I love the Lord. 16:31 I want to share his love with as many people as possible. 16:35 I especially like doing it with the children 16:38 and seeing their excitement about how Jesus loves them. 16:43 In the beginning of each lesson, 16:44 I would ask them, what did we learn yesterday? 16:49 And what got me and touch me so much was they got, 16:52 Jesus is the living water. 16:54 They got, Jesus is the bread of life. 16:56 But the third day, 16:57 when I first asked that they didn't remember. 17:00 And then on the last day they remembered 17:02 there was this one young lady 17:03 who had been coming ever since the beginning, this girl. 17:07 And she remembered that Jesus is the way, 17:09 the truth and the life. 17:11 And I told her I could kiss her. 17:13 I was so happy. 17:14 I liked how there were parents 17:17 who came and just sat there so enthralled or spellbound, 17:22 just totally focused on everything I was saying, 17:26 as I was giving the spiritual direction. 17:40 Chimba neighbor, Kimberly Orellana 17:42 brought her daughter to VBS every day 17:44 after learning about the event at her local grocery. 18:06 What attracted me was working with children, 18:10 and working for the Lord and having fun, 18:13 and traveling to another location. 18:15 I mean, you can't get better than that. 18:16 You're doing God's work and you're having 18:18 the best time ever. 18:19 And you're traveling. 18:21 There's nothing better than that. 18:22 Building an entire church 18:24 and hosting a neighborhood vacation Bible school 18:26 wasn't enough. 18:28 The volunteers and their new Bolivian family 18:31 also gave free eyeglasses in Chimba 18:33 and several other neighborhoods 18:35 where Adventists are determined to be change agents. 18:40 I had told friends 18:42 that I was gonna be taking glasses again on the trip. 18:46 This is the 10th time I've done glasses and... 18:49 Charlotte Marriott and her husband John 18:52 volunteer often with Maranatha. 18:55 John concentrates on electric and plumbing. 18:58 Charlotte brings the gift of glasses. 19:01 She was able to collect over 400 pair 19:04 for this mission to Bolivia. 19:05 Again, because I just love seeing, 19:09 you know, possible miracles and it changes people's lives. 19:18 We worked one on one with locals in different areas, 19:21 and it was very enriching and heartwarming 19:25 to serve people who don't have the ability to get glasses. 19:29 In fact, we could hardly shut down on Wednesday, 19:31 it was so busy. 19:35 As you come into wherever we are, 19:38 you get a number, 19:39 and pretty soon you had mom way over here, 19:45 daughter over here, passing glasses over, 19:47 hoping they would fit her mother. 19:50 People just coming around, it was kind of chaotic 19:53 because I let it get that way, 19:55 but we were just so short of time 19:57 and to see their smiles. 19:59 Oh, my gosh. 20:01 To see, to be able to see far away or to be able to read. 20:05 It's just, it's amazing. It's just amazing. 20:18 When I see somebody receive glasses 20:22 and just hug me and cry 20:24 because now they have glasses and they can see. 20:27 It's worth every mile that I flew to get here. 20:36 One of the things that I learned on this trip 20:38 is we thought we were gonna have more volunteers 20:40 coming in to Bolivia. 20:42 And we were praying that 20:44 we would have the people we needed 20:45 to be able to accomplish this task, 20:48 but we thought we needed more people. 20:50 And when some people dropped out for various reasons 20:54 and we looked at, we had 21 people coming, 20:57 we began to wonder whether 20:58 we were actually gonna get this big church built, 21:01 but God answers prayer. 21:04 And even with the 21 people, 21:06 even with vacation Bible school, 21:08 even with the glass's ministry, 21:10 we got done everything 21:11 we possibly could do on this project. 21:13 And it just reminds me that 21:15 God doesn't need numbers to accomplish things. 21:18 He needs people. He needs our hands. 21:20 He needs our hearts. He needs our minds. 21:22 And that's a pretty exciting thing 21:24 to take back to my church and to my family 21:26 and to my community. 21:27 And hopefully other people will come 21:29 and experience incredible things. 21:33 Completing the Chimba Church when we come back. 21:42 From July 8 to 22, help Maranatha 21:45 with a major renovation project in Pennsylvania 21:47 at Pine Forge Academy. 21:49 The work will involve masonry, painting, 21:52 replacing awnings and windows and rebuilding a staircase. 21:55 Pine Forge Academy is a boarding school 21:57 for grades nine through 12. 21:59 It was established in 1946 and sits on historical property 22:03 with connections to William Penn, 22:05 George Washington, and the Underground Railroad. 22:08 Come help us with this project located at a historical site. 22:12 Then from December 23 to January 5, 22:14 spend Christmas and New Year on a mission trip. 22:17 The Ultimate Workout Alumni Project 22:19 is going to La Paz, Bolivia 22:21 to help build a new church for a congregation in need. 22:24 Volunteers on this project will be digging ditches, 22:26 mixing cement, and pouring a foundation 22:28 for the building. 22:30 We'll also organize plenty of community 22:32 outreach activities. 22:33 This project is aimed at volunteers 22:35 who have been on the Ultimate Workout, 22:37 but everyone is welcome to join. 22:38 Check these projects out on our website. 22:54 The Chimba Adventist Church 22:55 is one of hundreds of volunteers led 22:57 construction project, including Bolivia. 23:00 Maranatha Volunteers International 23:02 is providing volunteer opportunities 23:04 in 15 countries. 23:07 The goal is simple, 23:08 build and improve people's lives 23:11 through the construction of urgently needed churches, 23:13 schools, dormitories, 23:16 medical clinics, and water wells. 23:19 I hope the volunteers have an experience 23:21 that's not repeatable. 23:23 And I want to make sure 23:24 that since they've invested their time and their money, 23:27 that they have an opportunity to do 23:29 what it is they came to do. 23:31 And I also hope to help them understand 23:33 how working together in a group, 23:35 you can do that accomplishing 23:36 a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. 23:39 Even though we come from different parts of the country, 23:42 different, well, different parts of the US 23:44 and different lifestyles and backgrounds. 23:51 We were able to come together and work together 23:53 and work as a team. 23:54 Jim Rouse came from Lincoln, California 23:57 to try his hand at construction. 23:59 He and 20 other volunteers came to Cochabamba, Bolivia 24:03 to help build the Chimba Church in just one week. 24:07 When I came here, I had no idea 24:08 how to lay a block. 24:10 So, it's amazing what can be done 24:12 with a bunch of volunteers 24:14 who know nothing about construction 24:17 and put it together. 24:20 I'm a volunteer, my first time for the Maranatha group. 24:25 At home, I am a lazy person. 24:27 I thought I'm a lazy person. 24:29 I would clean one room and just lie down and say, 24:33 "I'm tired, I need to take a rest." 24:36 But I am here on this job site. 24:39 Everybody is so energetic and lively. 24:43 And that gave me such energy. 24:46 I mean, I haven't felt tired. I can work all day. 24:51 And another thing, I sleep so well at night. 24:55 That is the best part. 25:00 I am here with my son, Cameron. 25:03 He was a little nervous at first 25:05 just because it's completely out of the norm for him. 25:07 And he's never left America before. 25:09 And that's why I thought it was really important for him 25:12 to come see a different part of the world 25:14 and see how other people worship, 25:16 how other people work, how other people get around. 25:18 And on top of that, 25:21 this is a really, really good opportunity 25:23 for me to have my one-on-one time with my kids. 25:26 I'm a busy parent as most parents are. 25:28 And the fact that I can spend two to three weeks 25:30 with one kid is invaluable. 25:33 I like seeing how everybody comes thinking 25:36 they're going to do something for someone else. 25:38 And everyone goes home thinking 25:40 everybody else did more for them 25:41 than they provided. 25:44 Sonia is the head elder's wife. 25:47 She could not hold back the tears. 25:49 As she explained that until this experience 25:51 with the volunteers, 25:52 she never felt important, but now God has shown her. 25:56 As she serves others, she feels useful 25:59 and has discovered peace in her heart 26:01 and happiness knowing there are others like her 26:04 working so hard to grow the church. 26:11 Sonia's husband Simon said that they never imagined 26:14 that people would come from a far 26:15 and build the Chimba Church. 26:18 Volunteering for him is doing something 26:20 and receiving nothing in return. 26:23 He says that together, 26:24 the local and visiting volunteers 26:26 were able to emulate the life of Jesus 26:28 who did things for others 26:30 without expecting anything in return. 26:34 This church is not gonna be just for Sabbath morning. 26:37 This church is gonna be open to the community 26:41 for many different outreach ministries during the week. 26:45 The end of every Maranatha project 26:47 is a time of worship and praise. 26:50 Neighbors and church members 26:51 together with their out-of-town guests 26:53 reflected on the kindness of God 26:55 they experienced at Chimba. 26:57 Children from vacation Bible school returned, 27:00 neighbors who had received glasses 27:02 came to worship. 27:04 The entire community of believers 27:07 shared the joy of new friendships 27:09 and a more lasting hope. 27:12 There is a volunteer opportunity 27:14 waiting for you. 27:16 Take time today to imagine where you will help. 27:21 If you have never done a mission project 27:24 and you've never been out of country, 27:26 I'd advise anyone to take a trip. 27:30 When you go back to America, you will enjoy or realize 27:36 what Christ is doing in other countries 27:39 and what you don't, 27:40 what these people don't have over here, 27:43 and they're so happy and jubilant 27:44 and their worship services are unbelievable. 27:48 Get out and do it before it's too late. |
Revised 2021-01-22