Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS010153S
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00:01 Hi, I'm Dustin Comm with the Maranatha Minute.
00:03 Maranatha recently dedicated its first two churches 00:06 in the West African nation of Cote d'Ivoire. 00:09 Both ceremonies attracted many in the community 00:11 as well as local news crews 00:13 who interviewed country director 00:14 Gilberto Araujo. 00:16 The day began 00:17 at Maranatha's first completed project 00:19 in the country, 00:20 the Anan Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:22 Here Adventist leadership expressed their gratitude 00:25 including the president of the Adventist Church 00:27 in West Central Africa. 00:31 Later, a ceremony took place at the Abbebroukoi Church 00:34 where the transformation of the property was so stunning 00:37 that members now want to add Eden 00:39 to the official church name. 00:41 Maranatha was presented 00:43 with a gift of a restless worker 00:44 for its commitment to the project, 00:46 even through a pandemic. 00:48 Get weekly updates from Cote d'Ivoire 00:50 and around the world 00:52 by subscribing to our email Maranatha Matters. 00:55 Go to maranatha.org/email to sign up. 01:39 Tucked into the conifer hills of Central Oregon 01:41 along the south Umpqua River 01:43 is what some say 01:44 is the most remote Seventh-day Adventist Academy 01:47 in North America, 01:49 Milo Adventist Academy. 01:51 This rural campus sits at the foothills 01:54 of the Southern Cascade Mountains. 01:56 There is no cell phone reception, 01:58 the internet is spotty, 01:59 and the nearest grocery store is about an hour's drive away. 02:04 But the lack of convenience has made up for 02:06 by the beauty of the location. 02:15 The secondary boarding school was established in 1954 02:19 and over the years more than 3,000 students 02:21 have walked through the halls, 02:22 lived in the dorms and graduated from the program. 02:27 But more than five decades of educating young people 02:29 has taken a toll on the physical campus, 02:32 which is why Randy Thornton, 02:33 Principal of Milo contacted Maranatha 02:36 more than four years ago. 02:39 I've been familiar, 02:41 been aware of Maranatha for decades, 02:44 growing up in Adventism, 02:46 and seeing the amazing work they've done for a long time. 02:49 And I got to admit, 02:50 I just saw an opportunity for Milo to be blessed 02:53 with a lot of volunteer labor. 02:55 We had a lot of things that we needed here. 02:58 The first year welcomed a group of high school students 03:01 on Ultimate Workout, a mission trip for teenagers. 03:04 The Milo project 03:06 was the first time Ultimate Workout 03:07 was held in the United States rather than overseas 03:10 and the experience made an impact on Randy. 03:14 The thing about Maranatha that has really captivated me, 03:19 I'm certainly grateful 03:20 for all of the incredible physical plant work 03:23 that gets done. 03:25 But your model of building people 03:28 and the way that I see people changed 03:31 in serving is just incredible. 03:34 And so that really yeah, 03:35 we keep on hoping 03:37 that we'll get a project every summer 03:41 because we got a lot of things 03:43 we'd like to accomplish for God's kids here at Milo. 03:48 Randy's hopes were fulfilled. 03:50 Maranatha renovation projects at Milo 03:52 have become almost an annual tradition. 03:54 But in 2020, 03:56 the streak was about to be broken 03:57 because of an unexpected threat called COVID-19. 04:01 By early March, 04:02 the novel Coronavirus had been declared a pandemic 04:05 and the US government 04:06 began to unroll a series of travel restrictions. 04:09 Most Maranatha projects had to be postponed for months. 04:13 But by early summer in the United States, 04:15 some areas were starting to open up 04:17 for carefully monitored activities 04:19 and volunteers were getting antsy to serve. 04:22 So when the annual Milo project 04:24 started creeping up on the calendar, 04:26 volunteers started knocking on the figurative door. 04:30 Leroy Callum is a longtime volunteer 04:33 and leader for Maranatha project. 04:35 Like the typical Maranatha volunteer, 04:37 he's one who can rarely sit still. 04:40 Well, I just know 04:41 that the where I can get the list of sounds man, 04:45 and it seemed like it grew and grew and grew 04:47 and people I've talked to said, 04:49 you know, I need to get out of the house 04:50 because I did call a few people and say, 04:52 "You know, what do you think?" 04:54 And they said, "Well, I'm getting bored. 04:56 I need to get on get doing something. 04:58 So let's get out and do it." 05:01 So most of people I think are really receptive 05:03 about getting out and let's get something done. 05:08 Ed Jensen is a Maranatha board member 05:10 and volunteer. 05:11 He has served as the project coordinator 05:13 for multiple Maranatha projects. 05:15 And he was slated to lead Milo. 05:19 I went on a project in February to Alabama. 05:22 And then I had three projects lined up in April and May. 05:26 But they were all, 05:28 those months are totally blocked out. 05:29 So June was the next month after April and May. 05:33 And I thought, well, 05:34 they'll probably block out June too, 05:36 because the outside statistics of COVID infections 05:40 and all were going a little crazy. 05:42 So I fully expected this when they never happened. 05:46 But then they never, nobody was saying no, 05:49 nobody was saying no. 05:51 After a thorough discussion with leadership, 05:53 site visits and research on Oregon guidelines, 05:56 Maranatha decided 05:57 to move forward with the project in faith 06:00 and with a long list of protocols 06:02 for safety and health. 06:03 Soon, there were 50 volunteers registered, 06:06 the maximum number of people allowed to gather 06:08 under COVID-19 rules for Douglas County 06:11 where Milo Academy is located. 06:14 Given its rural location 06:15 and low number of cases in the county, 06:17 Milo appeared to be an ideal site 06:19 for a first project during COVID. 06:22 As it looked through the volunteers, 06:23 he saw that a number of them were medical professionals, 06:26 quickly he began calling and asking them 06:28 to be part of a medical team for safety. 06:31 I was a nurse for over 30 years, 06:34 but I was an infection control nurse 06:35 for 25 years. 06:37 At first when Ed called me, 06:39 I thought about it for a minute. 06:41 And then I said, "Well, you know, Ed, 06:43 I've done this a long time, 06:45 doesn't take too long to get my brain back working." 06:48 So I said, he, 06:49 and I had worked with Ed before. 06:51 So I said, "Yes, I'll do it. I'll do it." 06:53 I just in asking questions 06:56 and discussing 07:01 with our project coordinator. 07:03 And the questions I was asking, 07:05 he became obvious that I'm a physician, 07:08 and that I had some background experience 07:10 with COVID and planning. 07:12 And so then I was asked to just kind of be 07:14 a meeting of the minds, 07:15 so to speak of a group working together 07:18 to come up with all of our different, 07:22 all of our different background information 07:24 to put together to see if we could come up 07:26 with the safest plan for everybody. 07:28 Arlene, Michelle and two more nurses, 07:30 Lori and Julie formed a medical team. 07:33 Together, they created a system of safety checks. 07:37 In the mornings, we take their temperature, 07:39 and they used hand sanitizer. 07:42 We do it again in the evening and do the hand sanitizer. 07:46 We recorded just that, 07:48 yes, they passed 07:49 not what was but just that they pass, 07:51 we want to have a trail 07:53 so that if Douglas County Health Department does show up, 07:56 we have proof that we are monitoring 07:58 and tracking everybody. 08:01 There's markers on the floor when they come in the door. 08:04 And we have our own hand sanitizer 08:07 separate from the one on the wall. 08:10 And then you'd go through line. 08:12 We keep our six feet away, 08:14 we wear masks and the tray line. 08:18 And then we cleaned the tables, chairs 08:22 after every meal. 08:24 One thing that I was really grateful for 08:26 is that that Ed Jensen in behalf of Maranatha 08:30 was number one concerned about our population, our kids. 08:36 And, but you know we've been all here together. 08:38 So again, we already know we don't have, 08:42 but as more people come on from outside, 08:45 he was very concerned 08:47 about making sure that we were safe, 08:49 and that we were comfortable. 08:50 And I was really grateful for that. 08:54 With the safety protocol in place and in practice, 08:57 volunteers could focus on the work. 09:00 It's a work that Milo is grateful for. 09:03 So the scope of the projects this year 09:04 is two house remodels. 09:07 Our oval that keeps the students dry 09:09 in the wintertime 09:10 from the wet rains is being refaced and resided 09:15 so that it's doesn't rot away and fall away on us. 09:18 So that's a big plus. 09:19 And there's a lot of renovating going on 09:22 in the girls' dorm rooms, painting, decorating, 09:24 refinishing cabinets 09:26 that are starting to look rough. 09:28 So we have like eight major buildings 09:30 on the campus over proper plus 13 acres we mow, 09:34 plus we have a 400 acre property, 09:36 plus a junior camp. 09:37 And we have one maintenance person 09:39 that takes care of all of that. 09:40 So the idea of the project's person 09:43 which is myself is to do the projects 09:45 that maintenance would never ever look at 09:47 because there's just not enough time 09:48 and hours in a day 09:50 because they're so busy 09:51 taking care of the rest of the campus. 09:54 We really want to thank Maranatha coming 09:56 because without them, 09:58 it would take us a lot longer to improve our campus 10:01 and every year we can see improvements 10:03 but it improves much faster and much better 10:07 with Maranatha's help for two weeks 10:09 because 50 people in two weeks 10:11 can do a lot more than one person can do 10:13 in 52 weeks. 10:15 Year by year, 10:16 the campus is changing for the better, 10:18 thanks to Maranatha volunteers. 10:20 With every project, the family of students, 10:22 faculty and staff gets stronger too 10:25 as they have the privilege of people 10:26 investing in their community. 10:29 But campus renovations aren't the only things 10:31 happening on these projects. 10:33 With each Maranatha mission trip, 10:35 another community is strengthened and built, 10:38 the volunteers. 10:40 I believe that it's important to maintain 10:43 some semblance of normality, even amid a pandemic, it's... 10:50 We need to, means don't go away 10:52 just because there's a pandemic, 10:54 and many projects have already been canceled. 10:57 So I think it's important to make a start somewhere 11:01 and get out there 11:03 and start maybe stretching God's promises 11:07 and calling on him to say, 11:11 Lord, we want to continue this organization 11:13 and continue our volunteering, 11:16 and go ahead and step out in faith 11:18 and do the work that you've called us to do. 11:23 When we come back 11:24 hear more about the unique community 11:26 found on North America projects 11:28 and how the experience is touching people's lives. 11:44 Although international travel is limited, 11:46 one place with no restrictions 11:48 is the country of Cote d'Ivoire. 11:50 Maranatha's December mission trip 11:51 to Cote d'Ivoire 11:53 has been on the calendar for some time, 11:54 and if volunteers are willing to go, 11:56 we'll see the project through if conditions allow. 12:00 Volunteers on this project will help construct buildings 12:02 at a brand new Adventist High School 12:04 in the town of Niangon. 12:06 The Niangon Seventh-day Adventist Church 12:08 has wanted to build a school for decades, 12:10 but never had the necessary funds. 12:13 With Adventist education being a top priority 12:15 for church leadership in Cote d'Ivoire, 12:17 Maranatha has agreed to build several classrooms 12:19 and laboratories for the Niangon School. 12:22 Their goal is to have space for nearly 400 students. 12:26 If you'd like to participate in this project, 12:28 please register at maranatha.org/volunteer. 12:33 This will give us an idea of interest as we move forward. 12:36 We are excited for volunteers to get back 12:39 into the international mission field 12:40 when the time is right. 12:43 It's unique, it's simple, it's affordable. 12:46 This is the One-Day Church, 12:48 Maranatha's worship solution in remote areas of Africa 12:52 for church families who have no church home. 12:55 A frame and a roof is the beginning, 12:57 local church members do the rest. 12:59 The One-Day Church starts at $7,500, 13:02 a price which can be divided into $1,500 shares. 13:06 Each share comes with a photo of the church 13:08 who helped build the One-Day Church, 13:11 a home for our church family. 13:24 Anyone can build a church. 13:26 Simply give just $10 each month, 13:29 and your donation, 13:30 along with thousands of others 13:32 will fund a new place of worship every month. 13:36 The potential for change is all around you. 13:39 All you have to do is look. 13:47 After a long spring season of sheltering in place 13:50 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 13:52 By summer, Americans were anxious 13:54 to jump back into life. 13:56 While most were eager for haircuts, 13:58 beaches and restaurants, 14:00 Maranatha volunteers were eager to serve. 14:03 Given the remaining restrictions 14:04 for international travel, 14:05 the best option for mission trips 14:07 was more local. 14:09 Each year, Maranatha organizes about 60 projects a year 14:13 mobilizing more than 2,200 volunteers 14:15 each year to countries around the world. 14:18 And almost half of these projects 14:19 take place in the United States or Canada, 14:23 called North America projects. 14:24 These mission trips are different 14:26 from the international ones 14:27 and that they do not require a participation fee. 14:30 Except for travel, 14:31 food and lodging are covered 14:33 in exchange for the volunteer service. 14:35 This arrangement has made it easier for people, 14:37 especially retired folks 14:39 to go on multiple projects a year. 14:42 Susie Fox is among these repeat volunteers 14:45 in North America. 14:46 I had retired early and so I decided, 14:49 I needed to do something for to keep busy. 14:54 And I did a few by myself 14:58 and then when my husband retired, 15:00 he really needed something to keep himself busy. 15:03 So we got involved with Maranatha in 2010. 15:08 And we've done anywhere 15:10 from three to six projects a year since then. 15:15 2020 was no different. 15:16 Susie and her husband Fred had planned to serve 15:19 on a number of Maranatha projects 15:20 in North America and one overseas 15:22 until COVID hit. 15:24 We were scheduled, 15:26 we were looking forward to going back to Paradise 15:27 because we had done that one in the fall. 15:29 And we were very disappointed. 15:32 Maranatha canceled, 15:35 outlined or basically postponed it. 15:37 And so we were hoping 15:40 they wouldn't postpone the Milo one. 15:42 Milo is special to us. 15:44 Both my husband and I, 15:45 because we went to school here 15:47 and we graduated a long, long time ago. 15:50 And it is been always a special, 15:57 soft spot in our heart for Milo. 16:00 We always tried to come and help them. 16:03 This year, it's... 16:05 We have about eight or nine of us 16:09 that are alumni 16:10 from our generation of attendees here at Milo 16:15 and we feel like that 16:17 had we not come to Milo 16:18 who knows where we would be today, 16:20 whether we'd still be in the church or, 16:23 so we feel like 16:24 Christians education is important. 16:27 But while this project is extraordinary 16:29 because of her personal connection 16:30 to the place, 16:32 Susie Fox says 16:33 each Maranatha project is personal 16:34 in how it creates belonging and a sense of purpose. 16:38 We do the projects because as time has gone on, 16:42 we have developed a family, 16:45 a lot of the same people came on the, 16:48 come on the projects, and we're just, 16:51 it's just our second family. 16:55 It keeps us busy. 16:57 We like doing things with our hands 16:59 and feel like that we're doing something for God 17:03 or for the community. 17:04 And this is one thing that we could do. 17:06 I'm not evangelist or out, 17:08 you know, giving Bible studies necessarily, 17:11 but this is something we really feel like that 17:14 there's a need and we enjoy doing it. 17:16 As a retired missionary and contractor, 17:19 these North American mission trips 17:20 are all in Leroy's wheelhouse and as a fellow doer, 17:24 these projects keep him busy. 17:26 But Leroy says 17:27 it's about more than the work and activity. 17:29 It's about the people. 17:32 As I traveled and met people and talked with people, 17:37 there's a lot of people that 17:38 that come to Maranatha are broken. 17:42 They have broken families, they have broken relationships. 17:46 And there's just a lot of stories out there 17:52 that when they come here, they're accepted. 17:56 Nobody judges them from what their past was 17:59 or where they've been or what they've come through. 18:02 They just love them and say, 18:04 hey, you're part of our Maranatha families. 18:09 The COVID guidelines for this project have made it 18:11 particularly difficult for Leroy 18:13 as he finds it hard 18:14 to not hug his old and new friends 18:17 and practice social distancing. 18:19 But even with these new limitations, 18:21 the community is still being built. 18:24 Michelle is on her second Maranatha project 18:27 and her first with her family. 18:28 As a physician, 18:30 she had reservations about the project 18:31 but felt reassured by the safety protocol in place 18:35 and the isolation of Milo's location. 18:37 She also felt the project would be a good way 18:40 to introduce her kids to service. 18:42 I have two 12-year olds and I have a 15-year-old 18:45 who are unable to go to school right now. 18:50 So my 15-year-old is a sophomore in high school 18:53 and he is thrilled, 18:55 he's able to learn from some of our contractors 18:58 and retired tradesmen 19:01 and is just excited to be able to be of use. 19:06 And the younger two as well are excited to be of use. 19:10 Of course, they're young, and they're energetic, 19:12 and so they always bring something to the project. 19:16 As a physician, 19:17 Michelle did plenty of research 19:18 before bringing her family to Oregon. 19:20 Ultimately, her decision was motivated 19:22 by the importance of community. 19:27 We have this time together 19:29 and time is something 19:30 that is one of our most precious resources. 19:34 The money doesn't matter. The job title doesn't matter. 19:38 The certain accomplishments that we work so hard for 19:41 in a day, they really don't matter. 19:43 But the time together 19:44 and the time to be able to be together 19:46 as a family is really precious 19:49 and then to be able to join together 19:50 with other members of the community like-minded, 19:53 keeping our distance being safe, 19:55 protecting each other as we work together. 19:58 I read an article that said, we don't social distance, 20:01 we physically distance. 20:04 Times are uncertain and the stakes are high. 20:07 But if you think about it, 20:09 and you go back through history, 20:10 it's not the first time. 20:12 And what we're building with Maranatha 20:14 will outlast COVID and it will outlast us. 20:18 And so I think what we ultimately decided 20:21 is that the best we can do is to listen conscientiously 20:25 to our leaders, 20:27 and come together as a community 20:30 and do good works. 20:32 And that's what I hope my kids take away from the trip 20:35 is that we have to come together as a community, 20:39 and it is upon us to do good works. 20:43 This community is what has drawn 20:45 the same volunteers on multiple mission trips. 20:48 When we come back, 20:49 we meet a man who has found new community 20:52 in service through Maranatha. 21:07 Some companies spend millions of dollars 21:09 to bring you these sounds and images. 21:13 I made it. 21:15 These sounds and images are created from the dollars 21:18 you give to Maranatha. 21:21 Your support of our well drilling efforts 21:23 is bringing clean accessible water 21:25 to communities in Africa, 21:27 India and Brazil 21:29 because while this sells soda, this saves lives. 21:38 For more than a decade, 21:40 Maranatha mission stories is taking you around the world, 21:43 showing you the need 21:45 and challenging you to get involved. 21:48 Now we're introducing new ways for you to stay informed 21:52 and inspired about the mission. 21:55 Watch your favorite episode of Maranatha mission stories, 21:58 as well as other Maranatha videos 22:00 on your Apple TV. 22:02 Visit the App Store, 22:04 search for the Maranatha channel 22:06 and hit install. 22:09 You'll have access 22:10 to all of our latest video content, 22:12 and you can watch anytime. 22:14 Our videos are available on demand 24 hours a day. 22:19 Our content can also be viewed on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 22:24 The Maranatha channel, 22:25 bringing mission adventures to your living room. 22:36 We're friends. You're friend. 22:38 Know a kid who loves mission stories? 22:41 Tell them about Maranatha kids. 22:46 Maranatha kids is a fun and easy way for your children 22:50 to explore the mission field 22:51 and learn how even kids can make a difference for God. 22:55 Each week we'll email you a short video 22:57 featuring a person, place or facet of the work 23:01 Maranatha does around the world. 23:04 You'll also receive a discussion guide 23:06 with additional information, 23:07 questions to consider 23:09 as well as things to pray about. 23:13 You can also join 23:14 the Maranatha kids Facebook group 23:16 for additional content 23:18 and to connect with other mission minded families. 23:23 Visit maranatha.org/kids to sign up 23:28 and get your little volunteer started 23:30 on their mission adventure. 23:37 All of Maranatha's mission trips 23:39 focus on building community, 23:41 not just for the people who are being served, 23:43 but those who are serving. 23:45 Friendships created on experience 23:47 are what makes each project so special. 23:50 And while these relationships are formed 23:51 on international projects, 23:53 the ones formed 23:54 through North American mission trips 23:56 are arguably stronger, 23:57 since these mission trips are mostly free, 23:59 volunteers can participate in multiple experiences a year, 24:03 which means they see 24:05 many of the same faces on the project. 24:07 The familiarity contributes 24:09 to deeper and long-lasting friendships. 24:11 This special community 24:13 is why Wesley Wilson loves Maranatha. 24:16 Wes is a relatively new volunteer, 24:18 but he is discovering an unexpected dedication 24:21 to this lifestyle. 24:22 Well, I'd heard about Maranatha 24:24 back in probably the 80s and the 90s. 24:28 And I thought, oh, I would like to do that 24:30 but I couldn't afford it raising a family. 24:33 Fast forward a couple decades 24:34 and Wes was retired and a widower. 24:38 Well, I watch 3ABN quite a bit. 24:41 And what's her name? 24:44 Hilary Macias, 24:46 she was on there and she would promote Maranatha 24:49 and you need to come and all that. 24:51 Man, it's kind of like the Lord was saying, 24:53 yeah, you better go. 24:55 So I put it off and I watched another one, 24:58 and he got more stringent, more urgent. 25:02 Okay, Lord, I'll go 25:03 and that wound up being the Vancouver project. 25:06 So I loaded it up 25:07 and I went up to Vancouver, Washington 25:11 and drove up there and, oh, wow, boy, 25:16 I really, do I really want to do this? 25:19 Wes was nervous 25:20 until a fellow volunteer came up 25:22 and gave him a big hug to welcome him. 25:25 I like the fellowship and a friendship. 25:27 And the more that I work, 25:29 the friendlier I got and I enjoyed the work. 25:33 The part of feeling included with people 25:37 is a big part of the human experience. 25:40 But people who joined Maranatha you become part of the group. 25:46 You make friends with them, they treat you as an equal. 25:51 And they welcome you at every step of the way. 25:54 This sense of community 25:56 is what draws thousands of people 25:58 to Maranatha mission trips every year. 26:00 Some come in search of adventure, 26:03 others want to stay active, 26:05 all come seeking a purpose and a way to give back 26:09 even in the midst of a pandemic. 26:12 Well, one of the things about Maranatha 26:15 is that the people that are part of Maranatha, 26:19 they want to be a blessing, they want to serve. 26:22 And it's just amazing to be with people who are, 26:26 love the Lord 26:27 and want to be a blessing to others. 26:29 It's just invigorating to be 26:32 among a group of people like that. 26:36 The Coronavirus pandemic has certainly upended 26:38 the service aspect of Maranatha that we all love. 26:42 It's hard to predict 26:43 when Maranatha volunteer projects 26:44 will return to normal 26:46 with a full schedule of opportunities for service. 26:48 For now, we're taking it one project at a time. 26:53 Yet most of Maranatha's construction projects 26:55 have always been built by our local and country crews, 26:59 and now more than ever, 27:00 they are needed to continue the work. 27:02 Since March, these teams have been building churches, 27:05 schools and water wells in countries like India, 27:09 Brazil, 27:13 Zambia, 27:17 Kenya... 27:21 and Cote d'Ivoire. 27:24 Whether in Milo, Oregon, or Abbebroukoi, Cote d'Ivoire, 27:29 the work has never stopped. 27:32 And this mission needs your continued support. 27:35 Please make a donation to Maranatha 27:37 as we carry forward this commission. 27:40 After all, we may cherish the joy 27:42 that comes with service. 27:44 But the ultimate goal of Maranatha 27:46 is to build people, communities 27:48 and the gospel throughout the world. |
Revised 2020-10-04