Participants:
Series Code: MMS
Program Code: MMS010156S
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00:01 Hi, I'm Dustin Comm with the Maranatha Minute.
00:03 Due to COVID-19, 00:05 the last time Maranatha volunteers served 00:06 in the international mission field 00:08 was March 2020. 00:10 But in early December, 00:11 a small group of volunteers landed in Cote d'Ivoire, 00:14 for Maranatha's first international project 00:16 in nearly nine months. 00:18 Volunteers joined Maranatha's local crew 00:21 to continue construction 00:22 on the Niangon Adventist Secondary School. 00:25 They laid block for an office building 00:27 and constructed restrooms. 00:31 Most of the work on the project 00:32 took place at the Niangon School, 00:34 but volunteers also helped construct 00:36 Maranatha's first one day church in the country. 00:40 The Avegou Seventh-day Adventist congregation 00:42 previously met under a bamboo structure. 00:45 Once their new strong frame was erected, 00:47 church members immediately began 00:48 to build up the walls on their own. 00:51 If you're also ready to get back 00:53 into the mission field, 00:54 visit maranatha.org/volunteer 00:57 to see a list of upcoming projects 00:58 around the world. 01:39 Tucked into the conifer hills of Central Oregon 01:41 along the south Umpqua River is what some say 01:44 is the most remote 01:45 Seventh-day Adventist Academy in North America, 01:49 Milo Adventist Academy. 01:51 This rural campus 01:53 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. 02:03 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, Principal of Milo 02:34 contacted Maranatha more than four years ago. 02:39 I've been familiar, 02:40 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 02:52 to be blessed 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 And the thing about Maranatha that has really captivated me, 03:19 I'm certainly grateful 03:20 for all of the incredible 03:22 physical plant work that gets done. 03:25 But your model of building people, 03:28 and the way that I see people changed in serving 03:32 is just incredible. 03:33 And so that, really... 03:35 Yeah, we keep on hoping that 03:38 we'll get a project every summer. 03:41 Because we've 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 began 04:06 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 Kelm 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 knew that the... 04:42 What I can get the list that Lisa sends me 04:44 and it seemed like it grew, and grew, and grew 04:47 and people I talked to said, 04:49 "You know, I need to get out of the house." 04:51 'Cause I did call a few people and say, 04:52 "You know, what do you think?" 04:54 And they said, 04:55 "Well, I'm getting bored. 04:56 I need to get on getting doing something. 04:58 So let's get out and do it." 05:01 So most of the people I think are really receptive about 05:04 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, 05:23 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. 05:30 So June was the next month after April and May 05:33 and I thought, 05:34 "Well, they'll probably block out June too, 05:35 'cause the outside statistics of COVID infections and all 05:40 were going a little crazy. 05:42 So I fully expected this one to never happen. 05:45 But then it never... 05:48 Nobody was saying no, 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 to move forward 05:58 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 06:08 allowed to gather under COVID-19 rules 06:10 for Douglas County 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. 06:21 As Ed 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 06:36 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, 06:42 "Well, you know, Ed, I've done this a long time, 06:45 it doesn't take too long to get my brain back working. 06:49 And I had worked with Ed before so I said, 06:51 "Yes, I'll do it. I'll do it." 06:53 I... 06:54 Just in asking questions 07:00 and discussing with our project coordinator, 07:03 and the questions I was asking, he... 07:05 It became obvious that I'm a physician, 07:08 and that I had some background experience 07:09 with COVID and planning. 07:12 And so then I was asked to just kind of be, 07:14 meeting of the minds, 07:16 so to speak of a group working together 07:18 to come up with 07:22 all of our different background information 07:24 to put together 07:25 to see if we could come up 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 use hand sanitizer. 07:42 We do it again in the evening and do the hand sanitizer. 07:46 We record it just that yes, they passed, not what it was, 07:50 but just that they passed, 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. 08:00 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, we keep our six feet away, 08:14 we wear masks and the tray line, 08:18 and then we clean the tables, chairs 08:22 after every meal. 08:24 One thing that I was really grateful for is 08:28 that Ed Jensen in behalf of Maranatha 08:30 was number one concerned about our population, our kids. 08:35 And but, you know, we've been all here together. 08:38 So again, we already know what we don't have. 08:42 But as more people come on from outside, 08:45 he was very concerned 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. 08:59 It's a work that Milo is grateful for. 09:02 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 09:12 is being refaced and re-sited 09:15 so that it 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, 09:23 painting, decorating, 09:25 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, 09:32 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 projects person which is myself 09:44 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 I really want to thank Maranatha for coming 09:56 because without them it would take us a lot longer 09:59 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 can do a lot 10:12 more than one person can do 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 get 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, 10:37 the volunteers. 10:40 I believe that it's important 10:42 to maintain some semblance of normalcy 10:45 even amid a pandemic. 10:50 We need to... 10:51 Needs don't go away 10:53 just because there's a pandemic, 10:54 and many projects have already been cancelled. 10:57 So I think it's important to make a start somewhere 11:01 and get out there and start maybe stretching God's promises 11:08 and calling on Him to say, 11:10 "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 hear more about the unique community 11:26 found on North America projects 11:27 and how the experience is touching people's lives. 11:44 Maranatha's free quarterly magazine, 11:46 The Volunteer, 11:47 is on its way to mailboxes. 11:48 In this issue 11:50 you'll read how Maranatha surpassed expectations 11:52 for Kenya in 2020. 11:54 You also see 11:55 how Maranatha's work in Cote d'Ivoire 11:57 has led to early church growth. 11:59 And you'll meet Randy Purviance, 12:01 a volunteer with PTSD 12:03 whose life was changed 12:04 by serving at our shed building projects 12:06 in Paradise, California. 12:10 Each issue of The Volunteer 12:11 is full of inspiring articles on the people, 12:14 places and cultures 12:15 in which Maranatha is working. 12:18 With photos and profiles on volunteers, donors 12:21 and local church members around the globe, 12:23 you'll be inspired by our community of faith. 12:26 If you haven't already, 12:28 be sure to subscribe to The Volunteer for free 12:30 by sending your name and mailing address 12:32 to info@maranatha.org. 12:35 Or go to our website @maranatha.org/magazine, 12:39 where you can also read each issue digitally. 12:46 Are you wondering 12:47 what is happening in the world of missions 12:48 during these unique times? 12:50 Watch Mission Maranatha for a comprehensive look 12:53 at how God has been 12:54 and continues to open doors 12:56 for the mission of Maranatha in 2020. 13:00 Visit maranatha.org 13:01 to watch the program in its entirety. 13:04 Or pick an individual segment 13:06 to watch and share with a friend. 13:09 You can also watch this mission event 13:11 on Maranatha's YouTube channel 13:12 @youtube.com/missionstories. 13:17 Bring the mission field to your living room 13:18 by watching Mission Maranatha 13:20 on the Maranatha channel for Roku, 13:22 Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. 13:29 Or download the Maranatha channel 13:30 on your iOS or Android device. 13:34 Stay connected to the mission. 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 each year 14:16 to countries around the world. 14:18 And almost half of these projects 14:19 take place in the United States or Canada, 14:22 called North America Project. 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's 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 14:43 is among these repeat volunteers 14:44 in North America. 14:46 I had retired early and so I decided 14:49 I needed to do something 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 15:18 had planned to serve 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 'cause we had done that one in the fall. 15:29 And we're very disappointed. 15:32 Maranatha cancelled that one or basically postponed that. 15:37 And so we were hoping 15:40 they wouldn't postpone the Milo one. 15:42 Milo is special to us, 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 has been always a special 15:57 soft spot in our heart for Milo, 16:00 and we always try to come and help them. 16:03 And this year, 16:05 we have about eight or nine of us 16:09 that are alumni from our generation 16:12 of attendees here at Milo. 16:15 And we feel like that 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 16:22 or so we feel like 16:24 Christian education is important. 16:27 But while this project is extraordinary 16:29 because of her personal connection to the place, 16:31 Susie Fox says 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, 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 we 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 an evangelist 17:07 or, you know, giving Bible studies necessarily, 17:11 but this is something we really feel like that 17:14 there is 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, 17:22 and as a fellow doer, 17:24 these projects keep him busy. 17:26 But Leroy says it's about more than the work and activity, 17:29 it's about the people. 17:32 As I travelled and met people and talk with people, 17:37 there's a lot of people 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 that 17:52 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 18:10 have made it 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. 18:51 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 he's just excited to be able to be of use. 19:06 And the younger two as well are excited to be of use. 19:09 They're... 19:11 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, 19:39 certain accomplishments that we work so hard for in a day 19:41 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 19:48 and then to be able to join together 19:50 with other members of the community, 19:51 like minded, keeping our distance, 19:54 being safe, protecting each other, 19:56 as we work together. 19:59 I read an article that said, 20:00 "We don't social distance, we physically distance." 20:03 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. 20:15 And it will outlast us. 20:18 And so I think 20:20 what we ultimately decided is that 20:21 the best we can do 20:23 is to listen conscientiously 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 20:34 from the trip is that 20:36 we have to come together as a community, 20:38 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 20:51 who has found new community in service through Maranatha. 21:07 Some companies spend millions of dollars 21:09 to bring you these sounds and images. 21:15 These sounds and images 21:16 are created from the dollars 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 sell soda, 21:31 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 21:51 and inspired about the mission. 21:55 Watch your favorite episode of Maranatha mission stories, 21:58 as well as other Maranatha videos 21:59 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. 22:38 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 22:56 a short video featuring a person, 22:59 place or facet of the work Maranatha does 23:02 around the world. 23:03 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 23:51 are formed on international projects, 23:53 the ones formed through North America mission trips 23:55 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 24:04 they see 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 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 had heard about Maranatha 24:24 back in probably the 80s and the 90s. 24:27 And I thought, 24:29 "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. 24:37 Well, I always watched 3ABN quite a bit. 24:41 And what's her name? 24:44 Hilary Macias. 24:45 She was on there and she would promote Maranatha 24:49 and you need to come and all that. 24:51 And it's kind of like the Lord was saying, 24:53 "Yeah, you better go." 24:55 So I put it off 24:57 and I watched another one and it got more stringent, 25:00 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, 25:13 "Oh, wow, oh, boy. 25:16 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 the friendship. 25:27 And the more that I worked, the friendlier they got 25:31 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 join Maranatha, 25:44 you become part of the group, 25:47 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 is that 26:17 the people that are part of Maranatha, 26:19 they want to be a blessing, 26:21 they want to serve. 26:22 And it's just amazing to be with people 26:25 who love the Lord 26:27 and want to be a blessing to others. 26:29 It's just invigorating 26:31 to be among a group of people like that. 26:36 The Coronavirus pandemic 26:37 has certainly upended 26:38 the service aspect of Maranatha that we all love. 26:41 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 in-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 27:07 in countries like India, Brazil, 27:12 Zambia, 27:17 Kenya 27:21 and Cote d'Ivoire. 27:24 Whether in Milo Oregon, or Abebroukoi, 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, 27:41 we may cherish the joy 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 2021-01-27