THE
S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 20 1 4
A Publication of Maranatha Volunteers International
Ultimate Workout 24 Why teens are calling it the ultimate “faith-building experience.”
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
U LT I M AT E W O R KO U T P4
A LIFE WORTH LIVING P8
P R O J E C T S C A L E N DA R P 1 4
Photo by Tom Lloyd
Benevides, Brazil Summer Family Project volunteers arrive at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Benevides 7 Adventist Church on Sabbath morning. Volunteers constructed the church in less than two weeks. Prior, members were meeting in homes or under makeshift patios outside.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
From Shack to Church in $10
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1990, when I took this picture of the Piedra Linda chapel in the Dominican Republic, I could hardly believe that people actually worshipped the Creator God in that shack. Maranatha knew that they had to provide a more functional and representative church for the congregation. But we had no funds. n
At the time, it had been a little more than a year since Maranatha had started The $10 Church program, where many people gave small amounts, and their combined gifts made new churches possible. Here was the answer. Piedra Linda would become one of the early $10 Churches! What a blessing that was for Piedra Linda and the hundreds of $10 Churches built since that time. A few weeks ago, I went back to the Dominican Republic and Piedra Linda to see what had happened to the church. I could hardly believe what I saw! In fact, I didn’t even recognize the neighborhood because there were so many new houses, businesses, and roads built in the area. I talked with a leading church member, Raquel Garcia, who had been a Sabbath School teacher in the old church. When I showed her the picture of the original shack, she began to cry. She confirmed that this was the place. Then she began to tell me something I had not expected to hear. She described the missionary activities of that little group from 24 years ago and how the new Maranatha church had quickly filled to capacity. The congregation began to form groups in nearby areas and started other congregations. Those churches also reached out and formed new churches. At least four generations of churches have developed from those churches, and thousands in the area now call themselves Seventh-day Adventists! Wow! What a blessing from just $10. I found myself in awe of the God who had it all planned out—even before I had taken that simple picture.
Don Noble, president
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A Faith-Building Experience for Teens By Carrie Purkeypile
When teenagers leave their comfort zone to focus on serving others, amazing things can happen!
T
he ultimate workout is an
awesome mind-expanding, energy explosion that leads teen participants to a new way of looking at life, and for some, a chance to start over. 2014 was the 24th consecutive year for the project, and this year the Ultimate experience got even bigger! The project grew to 289 people from 11 countries. More than 60 of those volunteers were youth local to the Dominican Republic, where the project was held. The massive group of volunteers spread their efforts wide over the small city of Barahona. They constructed two churches and built four new classrooms for an existing school in urgent need of more space. “They don’t have much,” says volunteer Bethany Walker of the local people where she was helping build a
church. “They live in shacks with tin roofs, like the one over there. They get water out of a hole in the ground or out of a river. And they don’t obviously have electricity or anything like that.” Many other teams concentrated on outreach that will ultimately grow the local churches and schools. From medical clinics to praying with families, to home repair, the teens met the needs of the community, while inviting them to connect with their local Adventist church. The “big group” dynamic resulted in rich worship and praise services that were a high point for many of the volunteers this year. Songs reverberated from the rooftop worship services. “I love, love, love having worships in the morning before breakfast and then worship in the evening, the song
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Photo by Carrie Jones
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Workout experience was very impactful. “A whole load has been taken off,” she says. “I’ve been able to give God just everything. Talk to Him about what I’m feeling.” The basic living conditions, long work days, and the contrast of an environment much different than their home lives leads many teens to reach out to each other and to God, finding a closeness they may never have imagined. “It’s a real blessing that I found Jesus here,” says Briana. “I’m really happy I came.” “I think that if you’re considering coming on the trip, you should just do it,” says Phil Coconcea from Boston. “You’re not going to regret it, and it’s definitely a faith-building experience.” •
Ultimate Workout youth planned, prepped, and implemented two children’s programs each day. “In a few years you’ll probably be seeing these people leading the church,” says volunteer Renae Cross.
Photo by Brent Bergherm
Photo by Brent Bergherm
There were plenty of opportunities for construction experience on UW 24. The teens built two block churches and four new school classrooms in Barahona, Dominican Republic. “It’s an amazing feeling,” says 16 year old Maylina Graham, pictured below on the left. “I can’t even describe it … The word would be honored.”
Photo by Brent Bergherm
service. I just got goosebumps!” says Madison Carter. Madison continues, “Christ is a very big focus here at Ultimate Workout, so I think it’s a really great opportunity to change things up in your spiritual life.” Many other young volunteers also experienced Christ on the project. “I know it’s a stereotypical thing to say, ‘Oh, I’m on a mission trip, so I’m like, close to God now,’” says UW volunteer Tiffany Ruano. “But I really feel … His presence. Especially in worship when we’re all together singing.” Briana Henkins had been at a spiritual breaking point when she discovered Ultimate Workout. As she was signing up for the project she told herself, “This is kind of like the last straw. If I don’t feel anything here, I’m just going to live my life.” The Ultimate
Photo by Brent Bergherm
Photo by Carrie Jones
Community outreach is a huge part of Ultimate Workout. In Barahona, Ultimate Workout volunteers got outside of the church walls to hold medical clinics, play with neighborhood youth, conduct children’s programs, fix up homes, install garden boxes for local families, and more! Teams walked the neighborhood each day to visit homes, sing, pray, and invite everyone to visit local UW ministry sites and their new local Adventist Church!
Many medical professionals attended the Ultimate Workout, not only to treat patients, but to actively mentor young volunteers. Teens helped triage patients, distribute medications, and even pull teeth. Over the years this firsthand glimpse into patient care has proven a deciding factor for many to pursue a career in medicine.
A Life Worth Living The legacy of Stewart Bainum
T
he founder of several
successful businesses in the United States, and the 2009 recipient of the Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year Award, the Washington Post called him one of the “most prominent businessmen and philanthropists” in the D.C. area. When Stewart W. Bainum passed away on February 12, 2014, newspapers and business journals published obituaries that lauded his business acumen and generosity for education programs in the United States. An amazing, yet little known legacy, is that Bainum also had an indelible global impact on Christian education. Bainum’s support of Maranatha Volunteers International resulted in the building more than 100 school campuses in 25 countries.
Bainum’s passion for education began early—when he himself was a needy student. His story is the American dream incarnate. Bainum, who was born in 1919, grew up during the Great Depression. He attended Mount Vernon Academy, in Ohio, but could barely afford the tuition despite working multiple jobs on campus. Eventually he had to leave school because of finances—although he later returned
and graduated. In 1936, Bainum hitchhiked to Washington D.C., from his family’s home in Cincinnati, with just $3 in his pocket. He managed to find a job as a plumber’s apprentice earning 30 cents an hour. Because of his unwavering work ethic he saved enough money to open his own plumbing business. Over the years, his company grew, and Bainum became a successful entrepreneur. He developed multiple businesses before opening his
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first hotel in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 1957. The rest is history. Bainum became Founder and Chairman of Manor Care, Inc. which was the parent company to what we know today as HCR Manor Care and Choice Hotels International. Today, Choice Hotels International is the second largest hotel franchise in the world. Despite all of Bainum’s success, the memory of growing up poor and being w w w. m a r a n a t h a .o r g
forced out of school never left him. Bainum’s brother Robert says: “Stewart was persistently interested in the wellbeing of other people. He wouldn’t give up on it. He just kept working with people and wanting to help them in a way that didn’t increase dependency, but increased self-worth and the ability for them to move on with education. He focused a lot on education. I think he remembers how hard it was to finish academy—having to quit for a year and save up before he could go back.” So it was no surprise that in 1968, Bainum and his wife Jane founded the College Fund to provide loans for needy students to attend college. Twenty years later, the renamed Commonweal Foundation participated in the “I Have a Dream” (IHAD) program. Through this program, Bainum “adopted” a class of low-performing middle school students in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Washington. Bainum guaranteed them a college education if they graduated from high school. The results were impressive: Of the 67 sixth-graders Bainum sponsored, nearly 80 percent graduated from high school, compared to area graduation rates of 27 percent. Thirtyeight of Bainum’s IHAD class went on to college. Today, the Commonweal Foundation’s mission, values and vision remain deeply connected to Bainum’s life experience and perspective. The Foundation continues to provide educational and social support to financially needy students in the form of widely expanded services, including grants, scholarships and educational programs. In the late 1980s Bainum’s focus on education expanded beyond the United States when Robert, who had just merged his own non-profit, Volunteers International, with Maranatha Flights International, shared Maranatha’s vision with his brother. “The next morning, I was eating breakfast at 6:30 in the morning, and w w w. m a r a n a t h a .o r g
Bainum sponsored the construction of more than 100 schools through Maranatha. It is a gift that has impacted the lives of thousands of children.
Stewart knocked on my window. He said, ‘Let’s do something through Maranatha.’ And he started donating,” says Robert. Bainum focused his philanthropic donations on the Education and Evangelism Center, a large, multiclassroom facility and Maranatha’s signature school building. “Stewart talked to me a number of times, about how good it was to give to Maranatha because his gift was expanded by not only being a blessing to the people who received the buildings, but also a blessing to the volunteers,” remembers Robert. “Stewart used to tell me that he got more than a dollar’s worth of impact when he gave because of the value of the volunteers. He was proud to be a donor to Maranatha.” Over three decades of involvement in Maranatha, Bainum was not only a supporter but also a mentor to the organization. He regularly met with Maranatha to offer insight and share
lessons learned from his decades of experience. “When we’d get together, he’d be interested in not just the projects that he was funding, but all of the projects we were working on,” says Don Noble, president of Maranatha. “He had a lot of insightful questions, and we got to see how he thought and that helped our decision process.” In late 2013, Bainum, then 94 years old, became sick with pneumonia. Up until then, his family says that he had been active, walking to the office four times a week. “He left a legacy that goes way beyond a business empire. He impacted and continues to impact the hearts and lives of young people around the world, most of whom have never heard his name,” says Noble. “He was more than a business genius. He was a very generous person with a kind heart.” • Photos provided by Commonweal Foundation
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A School in Mauya, Zimbabwe By Richard Duerksen
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H arare is paved, straight, and long. Interminably long. The horizon boasts a few “kopjes,” outcroppings of ginormous rose-colored boulders covered with tall acacia trees, cactus, jackals, and lions. Thousands of acres of dusty and barren fields pass by, broken only occasionally by red dirt huts with carefully-swept yards. There is no trash. At Kilometer 735 a small sign points east toward the “Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School at Mauya.” Six kilometers, it says. We turn onto the dirt road and began the roller-coaster trek to our destination. Today is a day of celebration, for the prayers have been answered and the new school buildings have been completed. Multiple buildings, including classrooms, a toilet block, and administrative offices, await he road from
teachers and students. There will be a large crowd. Mauya was once a collection of well‑kept tobacco plantations; green plants stretching beyond the horizon and tall gum trees lining the paths. The tobacco is now gone, but the workers and the buildings remain. Several years ago the government of Zimbabwe contacted Seventh-day Adventist church leaders and asked if they would like to receive the gift of a large parcel of land near Mauya. “For a school,” the officials said. “You already have a successful and growing primary school in the hills nearby. We would like for you to also open a secondary school campus. Your new land is 120 hectares of farmland and includes all of the buildings of the old Mauya tobacco plantation. The plantation house, the workers’ homes,
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the drying towers, the storage sheds, the wells, and the remaining fences are all part of the property. It will be a good place for a secondary school and a good place to raise cattle.” Church officials assembled a planning team, drove the roads to Mauya, and agreed to start a school. There was no difficulty in recruiting students. Scores of teenagers were waiting beside the buildings, eager for teachers to arrive. However, the wells would need some work, the houses were dilapidated, and the only possible place to hold classes was in the old red-brick, tobacco-drying towers. The list of “needs” reached all the way to the offices of Maranatha Volunteers International in Roseville, California. Maranatha listened to the requests and added “Mauya” to our Zimbabwe w w w. m a r a n a t h a .o r g
list. A brief visit to Mauya convinced us that the needs were urgent and that we could partner with local leaders to provide some of the solutions. Adventist leadership in East Zimbabwe and local church members began revitalizing the houses so faculty would have safe places to bring their families. Work was done to heal the water supply. An industrial-size generator was hauled in and connected to a temporary power grid. Lights came on, water flowed, and faculty children began playing beneath the gum trees. It takes several months to manufacture and ship One-Day School classroom buildings from the factory in Minnesota to Zimbabwe, so the school headmaster recruited local help and turned the tobacco-drying towers into temporary and wholly-inadequate classrooms and dormitories. The old storage shed was gutted and replaced with block walls, cathedral windows, and enough open space for a dining room and a gymnasium! That was just the beginning. Many of the secondary school students, as part of their educational experience, helped with the remodeling,
Maranatha helped transform this abandoned tobacco farm into a thriving new school.
transforming a maintenance shed into a library, student center, and school store. Others began to care for a growing herd of cattle. Cattle? Yes! Beautiful cattle, gifted to Mauya by farmers from throughout the East Zimbabwe Union as a special “tithe” on their herds. A local Maranatha team moved
Students from the Adventist Secondary School at Mauya are thrilled to be in their new classroom. There are 465 students attending the school with more expected in 2015.
to Mauya in late March and began preparing the ground and pouring concrete foundation slabs. When the One-Day classroom containers arrived, the new school buildings rose from the ground like magic. Celebration Day drew guests from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Education, from the local government, and from every family within 10 miles! The celebration tent overflowed with parents. The student choir sang like angels. Protocol was served—many times. Everyone admired the newly planted landscaping, and the buildings passed inspection with “flying colors.” Today, the Mauya Adventist Secondary School is “up and running.” Four hundred and sixty-five students are registered for the current term and more are expected in January. This is your school—a learning center funded and loved by Maranatha donors. It is also their school—a place where quality, value-centered education will help grow the future of Zimbabwe. •
Photos by Richard Duerksen
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Photo by Richard Duerksen
Runyararo, Zimbabwe “Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming!” sang the elated Dorcas ladies, as water well drillers arrive into town. A few months ago, Maranatha constructed a much-needed One-Day Church in Runyararo. Then, as part of Maranatha’s larger effort in Zimbabwe, in July the church received a well to serve the greater community.
NEWS
PLANNED GIVING
Seven Churches Dedicated in the Dominican Republic In August, Maranatha participated in the dedication of seven churches in the Dominican Republic. All were constructed by Maranatha volunteers in the past year. While in the country, Maranatha visited the Piedra Linda Church, which was built by Maranatha in 1991. Back then, members were worshiping in a crumbling shack constructed of tree bark and rusting corrugated metal. Today, the Piedra Linda Church (top, right) is thriving. Over the years the congregation has grown to plant four generations of churches! In January 2015, volunteers will build yet another Maranatha church in a place called Villa Caoba; this will be a great granddaughter church of Piedra Linda. All the church dedications were in the greater Santo Domingo region and part of the southeast conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. By the time Maranatha is done with this effort in the Dominican Republic, volunteers will have built 50 churches in the conference.
Ecuador Honors Maranatha with Festival of Gratitude
Did You Know ‌ Piedra Linda Church Maranatha song (composed by church members), a sermon by Adventist speaker Alejandro Bullon, and a sketch that depicted volunteers constructing a church. Later in the program, 92 people were baptized. Then, as a way to share the blessings received, a representative from each of the newly constructed churches brought offerings to the stage to go toward Maranatha’s current project in Angola. Ecuador held a second, similar festival in Guayaquil, on July 16, which drew more than 4,000 people and had 81 baptisms. A year in the making, church leadership organized the festival as a way to thank Maranatha and motivate members to give—just as others had done for them. Representatives from Maranatha, along with volunteers, attended the events. Maranatha worked in Ecuador from 2007 to 2013. More than 3,200 volunteers helped in Ecuador during this time.
In an event filled with music, drama, and testimony, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ecuador celebrated the completion of 219 Maranatha buildings with a special program called the Festival of Gratitude. On July 15, more than 6,000 people crowded into a convention hall in Quito for the festival. The program included an original
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Festival of Gratitude
You can donate your low interest rate CD to Maranatha and receive a higher rate of return for life, while receiving a charitable deduction. You can donate your home to Maranatha, take a charitable deduction, and live in it for the rest of your life. You can donate stocks and other securities to Maranatha, not pay tax on the capital gains, take a charitable deduction and receive more income for life than you currently receive in dividends. You can easily make a donation to Maranatha from your estate by just naming Maranatha as beneficiary on your retirement assets or life insurance policies. Call us at (916) 774-7700 for more information on these or other planned giving ideas!
PROJECTS CALENDAR
Kohala Open Team
CHIRIQUI, PANAMA Leadership: Sadie & Ted Torrez October 15 - 27, 2014
HAWAII, USA Leadership: Luther Findley Dec. 28, 2014- Jan. 8, 2015
Love is the Answer Mission Ministries
Panama Open Team
LA CHORRERA, PANAMA Leadership: Carol Herbert October 16 - 27, 2014
CHANGUINOLA, PANAMA Leadership: Merrill & Diane Zachary, George Alder January 28 - February 9, 2015
Perry Adventist Church Open Team (Full)
Dominican Republic Open Team
FLORIDA, USA Leadership: Roger Hatch, Dave Schwinn October 22 - November 10, 2014
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Leadership: George Carpenter February 12 - 23, 2015
Kerala India Open Team (Full)
Manipur, Open Team
KERALA, INDIA Leadership: Bruce Fjarli December 4 - 16, 2014
INDIA Leadership: David Lopez, Terry Schwartz February 18 - March 4, 2015
Christmas Family Project 2014 SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Leadership: Vickie & Bernie Wiedmann December 18 - 29, 2014
Chwang India Open Team CHWANG, INDIA Leadership: Dick & Brenda Duerksen Dec. 23, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015
Multiple Group Project DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Leadership: Steve Case March 19 - 29, 2015
Namibia Open Team KATIMA MULILO, NAMIBIA Leadership: Karen Godfrey Dates to be determined
Create a Project! If you are interested in taking a team on a mission trip, let Maranatha guide you through the process! We’ll help you to set a budget, find a site and accommodations, organize your team*, and even provide in-country support from our staff. For more information, call (916) 774-7700 or email groups@maranatha.org. *Group Project teams must have a minimum of 20 participants; leaders recruit their own teams.
Thanks for Serving! The following Group Project teams are serving during the months of SeptemberOctober, 2014: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Living Word Christian Fellowship Canada
PANAMA Ultimate Workout Reunion
Spring Meadows Florida
BONGO ABAJO, PANAMA Leadership: Dan Skau, Daniel Medrano Dec. 26, 2014 - Jan. 3, 2015
Love is The Answer Ministries California
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Photo by Lisa Emmanuel
Panama Painting Open Team
Photo by Tom Photo Lloyd by Dick Duerksen
You can serve on a mission trip with Maranatha! From construction to cooking to outreach, there are many ways to help, and no experience is necessary. Simply look through the opportunities listed below or visit the online Project Calendar at www.maranatha.org. For more information, email us at volunteer@maranatha.org or call (916) 774-7700.
THE MISSION SCENE
Getting to Know
L I Z A BR 2014
Population
MARANATHA PROJECT SCOPE
200 One-Day
203 million
Churches
Capital
1
Brasilia
Education and Evangelism Center
Official language
161 Volunteers
Portuguese
mobilized
1.3 million
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST MEMBERSHIP
Roman Catholic 64.6% Protestant 22.2%* None 8% Spiritist 2.2% Other 1.4% Other Christian 0.7% Other Catholic 0.4% Unspecified 0.4%
During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Adventists in Brazil had a major outreach effort called “Hope Brazil” that included passing out:
500 meals 192,200 books w w w. m a r a n a t h a .o r g
60,000 pamphlets
* (includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%, other Protestant 11.5%)
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Non-Profit U.S. Postage
PAID
Roseville, CA Permit No. 111
990 Reserve Drive, Suite 100 Roseville, CA 95678
Introducing‌ Our New Website! www.maranatha.org
About Maranatha Maranatha spreads the Gospel throughout the world as it builds people through the construction of urgently needed buildings. All notices of change of address should be sent to the Maranatha Volunteers International United States address.
We’ve launched a new website, and we want you to check it out! From an interactive volunteer project map to an endless stream of videos, the new website is full of great resources and opportunities to explore the world of missions and service.
ON THE COVER: Ultimate Workout volunteer Jade Deschamps holds a tiny patient at a medical clinic in Barahona, Dominican Republic. Photo by Steve Keiser.
Julie Z. Lee, Editor Carrie Purkeypile, Managing Editor Heather Bergren, Designer United States Headquarters: Maranatha Volunteers International 990 Reserve Drive Suite 100 Roseville, CA 95678 Phone: (916) 774-7700 Fax: (916) 774-7701 Website: www.maranatha.org Email: info@maranatha.org In Canada: Maranatha Volunteers International Association c/o V06494C PO Box 6494, Station Terminal Vancouver, BC V6B 6R3 CANADA