Julie Z. Lee Editor Heather Bergren Managing Editor/Designer Dustin Comm Writer Sidney Needles Writer
UNITED STATES HEADQUARTERS:
Maranatha Volunteers International 990 Reserve Drive Suite 100
Roseville, CA 95678
Phone: (916) 774 7700
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
All notices of change of address should be sent to the Maranatha Volunteers International United States address.
WELD, MAINE
Myung Park cuts boards to be used for leveling and fortifying cabin foundations. It was one of the many renovation jobs on the October 2025 Maranatha mission trip at Camp Lawroweld, in Maine. Eighty-four volunteers participated on this North America mission trip, one of 22 organized by Maranatha throughout this year.
Along with reinforcing cabin foundations, volunteers also helped with renovating the interior of the cabins, splitting and moving large quantities of firewood, painting, and clearing debris around Lake Webb, where the camp is set.
Originally built in the early 1900s as a men’s camp for Yale University, Lawroweld oozes with rustic charm. The Adventist Church
bought the property in the late 1940s, and first welcomed campers in July of 1947. Today, this camp welcomes up to 700 people each year. The high traffic requires much maintenance–something the North New England Conference of Seventh-day Adventists doesn’t have a large budget to do. So when they heard about Maranatha’s project assistance program in North America, they asked for help. Since 2020, Maranatha has hosted six projects at Camp Lawroweld, remodeling each and every one of the buildings at the camp. Says Trevor Shlisner, camp director, “Maranatha has single-handedly changed the face of this camp and really breathed new life into it, and gotten people excited about it.”
MISSION STATEMENT: Maranatha spreads the gospel throughout the world as it builds people through the construction of urgently needed buildings.
About the Cover:
Noah Kim works on the wall of the Kilometer 40 Seventh-day Adventist Church on this year’s Ultimate Workout in Paraguay. See page 8 for the full report on this project!
Photo by Logan Carter
Photo by Christina Lloyd
One of the things I love most about working for Maranatha is meeting local church members in each country where we work. They are some of the most genuine, loving, and generous people I’ve met. It’s especially humbling to be welcomed into their current place of worship on Sabbath morning. Sometimes this is in a building with four walls. Other times the walls have gaps and holes. Sometimes it’s a rented space. Sometimes it’s in a member’s house. Other times there’s not much of a structure at all, but more of a shelter, like a tarp strung overhead, or even simply under the shade of a tree. There’s a common element I almost always see in these spaces: plastic chairs. They can be different colors and shapes, and I’ve learned, varying strengths (don’t ask me how). They may sit on tile, wood, concrete, or dirt. They might stay lined up in rows seven days a week, or they might be stacked and stored during the week; sometimes they’re even transported some distance each Sabbath for worship. But no matter the logistics, these chairs are in effect the pews that God’s people gather on week after week.
THE PEWS OF THE WORLD SHARING THE Mission
When you sit in one of these chairs, surrounded by earnest and proud Seventh-day Adventists worshipping the Creator, you realize that you are indeed in the house of the Lord, no matter the location or what you’re sitting on. For so many congregations around the world, their spiritual community is so important, despite what is over their heads or beneath them. These saints faithfully assemble week after week, despite hindrances like oppressive heat, leaky roofs, wind storms, loud neighbors, and distracting street noise. They may gather for years in inadequate conditions, sitting in these chairs, making do with what they have.
It reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The master praised the servants who worked with what little they had, growing the master’s assets in the meantime. “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
Thanks to your support, Maranatha is able to come alongside these faithful
servants of God and improve their worship situation. For years these members have worked to grow what the Lord has given, and with each new church Maranatha builds, I imagine Jesus saying “Come and share your master’s happiness!” They have been faithful for so long, and the dedication of a new house of worship brings much-deserved joy. Not only is there rejoicing inside the church amongst the members, but a bright new sanctuary also attracts the community, helping the congregation share Jesus’s joy with so many more.
This is ultimately what the mission of Maranatha is all about: pointing people to Jesus. Bringing committed members who have endured unideal settings for years into better spaces. This is the work you do. This is the investment we make together as servants of the Master. And it happens no matter what kind of pews we’re sitting on.
Dustin Comm is the communications manager of Maranatha Volunteers International
AROUND THE World
A snapshot of volunteers and projects in the mission field.
UNITED STATES
Eighty-four volunteers served at Camp Lawroweld in Maine, completing a wide variety of maintenance tasks.
INDIA
Pine Hill Adventist Academy’s new Elementary Education Center steadily rises atop a hill in the state of Mizoram.
BRAZIL
Volunteers pose in front of the Garapu Seventh-day Adventist Church, whose block walls they laid during their project.
KENYA
After Maranatha completed a repair, clean water continues to flow from the water well at the Mwingi Adventist School.
PARAGUAY
Members of the Mariscal Lopez Seventhday Adventist Church worship in their recently-finished Maranatha church.
BRAZIL
Maranatha drilled a well for the Riachao do Bacamarte Adventist congregation.
INDIA
Students, staff, and Maranatha workers pause for a prayer of dedication before construction begins on a new girls dorm at the Irvine Adventist English School.
ZAMBIA
Maranatha’s water well crew provided service to a well at the Roadside View Seventh-day Adventist Church, ensuring it continues to provide clean water for free to the entire community.
PERU
Members of the Tingo de Saposoa Seventh-day Adventist Church are thrilled with their new Maranatha structure. They will build up the walls themselves using local materials.
ZAMBIA
Volunteers from Atlanta worked on a staff housing duplex at the Sala Adventist School.
This year’s Mission: Maranatha had the honor of welcoming the newly elected General Conference President Erton Köhler as the featured speaker. Approximately 2,000 people packed the church to hear him speak at one of his first events in this role.
G.C. PRESIDENT CALLS ON ADVENTISTS TO GET INVOLVED IN MISSIONS AT MARANATHA CONVENTION
Speaking to an audience of nearly 2,000 people at Mission: Maranatha, Maranatha Volunteers International’s convention, on September 20, President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Erton Köhler called for everyone to take part in missions.
“The mission is a miracle. We can’t prepare everything. We can’t anticipate everything. The Lord calls us to move forward by faith. And today, at the end of this message, I would like to invite you, to call you, to renew your commitment to the Lord and to be part of this miracle …” he said, in an energetic sermon. “You can be part of this miracle as one of the volunteers serving with Maranatha or any other supporting ministry of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church.”
Köhler, who was elected into his new role in July 2025, was the featured speaker for the annual event, which focuses on the current needs in the mission field along with stories of transformation through service. In his speech, Köhler emphasized the vision to have the Adventist Church “grounded in the Bible, in the spirit of prophecy, and focused on the mission,” a call to share Bible truths, including the gospel, with the world.
In addition to his presentation on Sabbath, Köhler earlier participated in an interview on “Maranatha Mission Stories,” a television show highlighting stories from the mission field. During the conversation, Köhler spoke on the various mission programs he has
overseen during his career, from his time as president of the South American Division to the Mission Refocus initiative he launched while the executive secretary of the General Conference. He also spoke on how Maranatha delivers critical support to the Adventist Church as not only a provider of infrastructure, but also of opportunities to serve.
The convention also featured several Adventist Church leaders from around the world, including Cuba and India. Teófilo Silvestre, president of the Dominican Union Conference, where Maranatha worked on 24 projects this year, brought eight leaders of various conferences in the country in a show of gratitude for the impact of Maranatha’s work.
Along with reports from Maranatha’s own country directors, the program welcomed heartfelt testimonies from volunteers and donors. Helen Bautista joined Maranatha’s annual volunteer project for teenagers, called Ultimate Workout, and described how the trip impacted her decision to follow Christ. “I no longer had to worry about what I was going through or the things that were just marking such a big territory in my personality. I could now erase them. I decided to dedicate my life to God after that day.”
Volunteer Chris Guarin-Adap spoke about going on Marantha’s Family Projects. While it is an experience that requires quite a bit of financial planning,
the results have been life-changing for her family of five. “These mission trips always reset our focus back to what’s important–God’s work of cultivating in us the character of Christ, a selfless spirit that places the needs and wellbeing of others above our own comfort or gratification,” she said.
Gospel music ministry Heritage Singers delivered powerful musical performances throughout the program and a mini-concert during the afternoon session.
“It was truly a wonderful experience, permanently etched in our memory,” said Karlene Phillips, who attended the event with her husband for the first time; she was also one of the
volunteer speakers. “It has left us with the determination that wherever and whenever possible, we will serve on future mission trips, by the grace of God.”
If you weren’t able to attend Mission: Maranatha in person or want to experience your favorite part of the program again, watch the event on demand at watch.maranatha.org or our app, The Maranatha Channel. Download the app on any Apple or Android device, or on Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV.
ARIZONA AND NORTH CAROLINA CHURCHES TEAM UP IN PERU
In August, members of the Monticello Seventh-day Adventist Church in Arizona and Hillsborough Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Carolina teamed up for a service project in Southern Peru. The 13-member volunteer group laid the block walls of a new church structure for La Voz de la Esperanza Adventist congregation; the group had been meeting in a small shack with a leaky roof.
During their project, the volunteers were occasionally joined by members of La Voz de la Esperanza. Working side by side provided moments of connection and camaraderie between the Americans and the Peruvians.
The overall experience gave the volunteers a perspective shift that followed them home. “When you go on a mission trip, you go back with a broader visualization that the World Church is much larger than your local church,” said Roy Robinson, pastor of the Monticello church and project coordinator. “It creates a desire to share the gospel and provide. We’re
all part of the same family, so we should be interested in each other and aware of each other … There’s a wide open opportunity where we can really make an impact if we choose to think more globally.”
From 2004-2006, more than 3,000 Maranatha volunteers worked in Peru, constructing nearly
100 churches and schools. In 2019, Maranatha returned at the request of the Adventist Church in South America and has been there ever since.
BECOMING THE Story
Going from observers to main characters in the story of God’s transformation on Ultimate Workout 35
By Julie Z. Lee
GOD’S STORY: Representing six countries, 122 volunteers split into five teams to serve communities in southeastern Paraguay on the 35th annual Ultimate Workout mission trip.
There are mission trips and then there’s the Ultimate Workout. A tentpole project for Maranatha Volunteers International, UW, as it’s commonly called, is a one-of-a-kind service experience specifically for teenagers, ages 14-18 years old. It was started in the 1990s as a way to offer Seventh-day Adventist teens, especially those in public schools, an opportunity to connect with fellow Christians. The goal? Be big on authenticity and low on luxury, a sort of bootcamp to provide a distractionfree zone for mental and spiritual
growth. The idea was a success. Today, UW continues to draw teens from all types of backgrounds–from public to private to home schools continuing to tout a bare-bones experience with a strong emphasis on spiritual programming.
And this year was no different. More than 100 volunteers gathered in southern Paraguay for the 35th year of UW. Under the spiritual leadership of Christian Martin, pastor of the Living Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church in Virginia, teenagers focused on the theme of “Be the Story.” His hope was to help kids discover the
ways in which God is guiding their narratives to not only impact their lives but inspire others, too.
Says Pastor Christian, “We all come with a unique story. And when God changes us, He introduces a new chapter in the story that will completely redirect us in a whole new direction. And then we become the story ourselves that will inspire others to want to get to know the God that we’ve encountered.”
The next few pages are a glimpse of this summer’s project and the new chapters God wrote in each of the volunteers’ lives.
by
Photo
Logan Carter
TEAMWORK:
1 Levi Sampson (left) and Belén Paico build the walls of the Kilometer 40 church.
2 Emily Sendros (left), who served on the medical/ dental team, distributes medicine to a patient at one of the clinics.
3 (left to right) Ann Ruth Stinfil, Sianna Witter, and Hannah Emmanuel approve of the painting project at the Kilometer 8 Church.
4 Kiara Pierson works on a sticker activity with a child on the Vacation Bible School team.
The Work
Volunteers were divided into five primary teams, each doing either construction, painting, or outreach. Two teams spent their time laying block to build the Campo 9 and Kilometer 40 Seventh-day Adventist churches. The painting team was stationed at Kilometer 8 Adventist Church, which was constructed by Maranatha decades ago and in need of a refresh. A medical and dental team and a Vacation Bible School crew traveled to various locations, where they set up clinics and taught children about Jesus. In each instance, most volunteers had to dive into a new skill set–whether it was pulling a tooth, cutting edges with a paint brush, singing in Spanish, or laying block.
“It’s been fun,” says Joel Duran, a volunteer from Texas. “The first few days were pretty stressful because laying the blocks, getting them right … But after we got through the habit of laying the blocks, I think our skills of laying blocks became better. It was pretty smooth. Overall, laying the blocks and building up the church, knowing that we’re building this church for the community and we’re building God’s temple at the same time–it fills your heart. It gives you joy.”
PHOTOS: (1, 2, 4) JULIE LEE (3) DINA RAMIREZ
The Friendships
Most of the 122 volunteers (93 teens and 29 staff) on UW were from North America, but this year’s group also welcomed 16 from Peru and one each from the United Kingdom, Bolivia, and Argentina. Most of those from South America did not speak English, but language was no barrier as project leadership created plenty of opportunities for interaction through icebreaker games, worship discussion groups, an epic excursion to Iguazu Falls, and free time for play.
The experience, which required 122 strangers to work, eat, sleep, and worship together, forced even the shyest person out of their comfort zones; it is a process that can be painful at first but ultimately leads to positive growth.
Emilie Vogel is a volunteer and self-described introvert from Florida. Upon stepping off the plane, she grew anxious and said she regretted coming on the project. “I just was not thrilled about being around all these other kids,” she says. But the trip helped to open her up. “I’ve definitely seen a change in how I interact with other people … I feel like once I get home I’ll be able to talk to other people easier because this group is just really nice, and that kind of gave me the confidence to start talking to people that I know less. And I think that’ll carry through to my life after this mission trip.”
BUDDY SYSTEM:
1 Each day starts and ends with all 122 volunteers, but you can’t help the intense bonding that takes place with your daily work team.
2 Jessie Pagna Disso (left), with Yamileth Herrera and Eve Lindbeck, says that the social interactions were “nerve-wracking” at first, but she’s learned that it’s “not that hard to make friends.”
3 At the end of the project, the volunteers were rewarded with a trip to the epic Iguazu Falls.
PHOTOS: (1-2) DINA RAMIREZ
FELLOWSHIP:
1 Worship is always a central part of UW, and this year’s project was no exception.
2 Volunteers lead worship at the Campo 9 church. There were teams at each of the sites, providing music, a children’s story, and the sermon.
3 Teens dive into their Bibles during worship.
4 Each day starts with prayer, song, and study of God’s word—a highlight for the volunteers.
The Worship
Volunteers started and ended each day with worship, which brought the entire group together for praise, prayer, and a short sermon. “Something that has impressed me is the way that the teens have shown up to worship. Not only on time, but as soon as I mention, ‘Alright, let’s take our Bibles,’ I am impressed with how nearly every teen is carrying their Bibles. They’re opening them and following along, engaged,” says Pastor Christian. “For me, those are simple signs that they’re not only taking it seriously but they’re listening.”
Winter Cherry, from Arizona, is a new Adventist. He registered after a woman from his church offered to sponsor him on the trip. He didn’t know anything about UW but decided to jump into the experience. “I wanted to know Jesus Christ more. And I felt like if I just spent some time away from my own town and away from all the social media … I thought that I would come to know Him a little bit more,” he says.
His hunch was right–the impact started right away. “I almost cried the first time [Pastor Christian] spoke,” he recalls. “He would make eye contact with me and he would just tell me God is here for you. He’s always been there for you, even when you’re not connected with him … I’ve been away from Jesus for a little bit, and it’s been a while now. I’ve been like in my own world and just hearing that–that God has always been there for me, even when I’m not thinking about Him, He’s always going to wrap His arms around me when I come back to Him.”
As someone with an interest in healthcare, Hunter Cicle, from California, immersed himself into the clinics, even pulling a tooth under the supervision of the dentist on the team. But it was the worship that ended up being the highlight. “I would say the main thing that’s been
PHOTOS: (1, 3) LOGAN CARTER (2, 4) JULIE LEE
really surprising to me and that’s been great–I wasn’t expecting the spiritual aspects to Ultimate Workout. And I just feel like I’ve grown way closer to God in a way that I didn’t know I could.”
The Transformation
By the end of the trip, 12 volunteers were rebaptized or baptized for the first time. Audrey Welty, from California, was among those who felt moved to rededicate her life to God. To her surprise, so did her brother and cousin, who both stepped up when Pastor Christian made the call. It was a triple blessing on top of a decision that already felt so good. “I just had this incredible feeling of peace and joy, and it was something that I hadn’t experienced in a while, and I felt genuinely happy. It was amazing, and I want to feel like that for the rest of my life,” she says.
On the last day of UW, all the teens gathered for one last worship. Two teens shared their testimony stories of pain and healing found in God sparked at UW and strengthened through a consistent connection with him.
Then at the end, everyone stood up to sing the theme song, “I Thank God.” Throughout the week, a small group of volunteers had stood from the front to lead in song. But as time went on, the praise team grew larger. And on that last worship, nearly all the volunteers walked up to the front, wrapping their arms around each other and singing their hearts out–not as just consumers but the producers of joy and evidence of His healing, shouting praise and gratitude together.
REBIRTH:
1 Giovanna Souza (far left) with Pastor Christian and her father and brother, is joyful after her baptism.
2 Audrey Welty, who was rebaptized, says her favorite part of UW was “coming out of the water. It felt like it was just me and Jesus. It was a breath of fresh air.”
3 Volunteers gather around the 12 teens, who chose to be baptized, for prayer and support.
4 Volunteers have an impromptu prayer with a family in the Campo 9 neighborhood after delivering food as an outreach— showing how worship stretched beyond the morning and evening meetings on UW.
GROUNDED IN THE BIBLE, FOCUSED ON THE Mission
G.C. President Köhler Talks About His Vision for the Church
“Everything that we are, everything that we have is for the mission of preparing this world to see Jesus coming soon.”
In September, Pastor Erton Köhler, president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, was the featured speaker at Mission: Maranatha, Maranatha Volunteers International’s annual convention in Sacramento, California. As part of his visit, he also filmed an interview for “Maranatha Mission Stories,” during which he talked about his career, his perspective on mission, and how Maranatha can play a key part in fulfilling the vision for the Adventist Church. The complete interview, can be viewed on The Maranatha Channel app or watch.maranatha.org. The following is an excerpt from the conversation between Pastor Köhler and Julie Z. Lee, Maranatha’s vice president of marketing.
Pastor Köhler was born in Southern Brazil, the son of a pastor. From the start, as he attended meetings and activities with his father, Köhler was enamored and convinced that he too would be a pastor, one day–there was no other calling for him.
Köhler: You know, usually when someone decides to be a pastor, is that because that person received a special call, a week of prayer, or a dream or something similar? As you mentioned, I am a son of [a] pastor and since the beginning of my life, my childhood, I had the decision in my heart. I don’t remember any specific incident that was the moment when I made the decision.
I remember that when I was a child, my father always invited me to go with him to his activities as a pastor. He was an evangelist director. He had a lot of conference meetings … and he invited me to go with him to greet people and at the door to share something with them, some gifts, et. cetera. And I was always
there participating. And I believe that that was like a disciple-making process. And because of that, I started to love Jesus, to love the Church in all of the ministry. From my childhood, I never had a second option.
After graduating from seminary in Brazil, Pastor Köhler pastored a couple of churches before working at the conference and union levels in Brazil. Eventually, he was hired to be the youth director at the South American Division (SAD) at the age of 34; then four years later, in 2007, he became president of the SAD.
During Pastor Köhler’s time as SAD president, Maranatha worked in six countries in the division: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay. In Brazil, Maranatha completed more than 1,300 projects during his tenure, providing churches for the most urgent situations. Pastor Köhler reflected on what he learned from that partnership.
Kohler: The church in Brazil and in South America as well is growing fast … and all this kind of growth requires more support in terms of places for worship … And I remember, maybe ten years ago or more than that, maybe 15 years ago, when Maranatha arrived in South America,
they came to say, “we are ready to support you.” And I was thinking “Do we need support? Do we need to build churches? I think that we have enough churches for all our members.” And when we started to talk with the leaders of our unions and local fields, they said, “Please send Maranatha to us. We are in desperate need of a place of worship.” And that was the beginning of a movement that reached many areas of South America. And I know that now, this movement is very strong in Brazil because we have many areas in Brazil where they have strong projects to open new churches, to reach all the territory of some unions, but they don’t have money to go behind that movement, building the churches that are needed to accommodate the people who are coming to the church. And Maranatha is instrumental, is vital–is strategic to help us. While the church is converting people, Maranatha is building the places of worship, and together the Church is stronger.
Kohler also increased focus on media as a means of sharing the gospel message. He invested in strengthening Novo Tempo and Nuevo Tiempo, the Portuguese and Spanish Hope Channels in South America.
MISSION TALK:
Only a couple of months into his new role, Pastor Kohler was happy to stop by the “Maranatha Mission Stories” studio and record an interview for the show and podcast. The next day, he was the featured speaker at the 2025 Mission: Maranatha convention in California.
PHOTO BY MAGDIEL PEREZ SCHULZ
PHOTO BY TOM LLOYD
Lee: Why was that such a focus for you to expand media?
Köhler: When you invest in communication, you can reach people wherever they are. When you invest in communication, we can speak the language that they can understand and that can attract them to pay attention … Great communication can be a blessing for our mission or can be a huge distraction for us, because it is a huge investment. You have a lot of things to do. But when you have a clear focus, the Lord blesses hearts, and people will be reached, and they will come to study the Bible and later they’ll be part of God’s family as well.
Lee: We actually have a Portuguese version of “Maranatha Mission Stories” that aired on Novo Tempo for a number of years, and we still have a segment that airs on one of your shows there. And now we have projects that we do that are in Portuguese. And so it’s been a wonderful expansion of our ministry to those beyond North America, serving on the projects.
Köhler: And I really appreciate that, especially because our church members there in the community, those who are watching Novo Tempo, they need to understand that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not a Brazilian church or a Peruvian church or a Bolivian church. It’s a global church, a global family. And when they watch your program, Maranatha on TV, they are hearing news and stories from other parts of the world.
And it helps them to understand the importance of being a worldwide church family, supporting each other, and supporting the mission of the Church other than their territory. And then Maranatha is helping not only building churches, but also expanding the vision of people for the worldwide Church mission.
In 2021 Köhler was elected to become the Vice President of the Secretariat at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, a position that oversees the technical aspects of the Church minutes, agendas, meetings, reports, policies, and Church administration. Another part of his portfolio was world missions. In his role, he launched Mission Refocus, an effort to have divisions support each other in areas of need. If one place is strong in a specific area, they could help a region that lacks that experience or resource. He also took his team on a mission trip with Maranatha.
Köhler: I was talking with my people, you know, we are always here in the office of the Church, the United States, nice structure, very comfortable. We have the money that we need, all the structure that we need. But in other parts of the world, people are facing challenges. It will be important for us to go to see what’s happening outside of this building and outside of our country … and more than see what’s happening, we can go there to do something to help them and their needs. And that was the beginning of that dream.
They embraced the idea. They paid for their tickets … and they went to Cuba to do evangelism, to renew a local church, and to do many other things. And Maranatha was behind that project. We sent the people, and Maranatha prepared the way for everything. And let me tell you something, it was perfect.
We were able to do something there because Maranatha took care of the logistics and the preparation and everything. When we started to do something, Maranatha was there with all the equipment that we needed to do that work. It was excellent. And during that time, when we [were] there supporting the Church, I had the opportunity to visit all their projects Maranatha did in the past and all projects Maranatha was doing in Cuba, and I was very impressed.
I heard from many different people in Cuba. They have a deep gratitude for Maranatha. For everything that you did and you are doing in Cuba.
Lee: What kind of significance do you think that short-term mission experience brings to people?
Köhler: When you can dedicate one week, maybe half a week or a month to go to the mission field, when you are there, when you are serving, you can see meaning in your life. You can see that you are not only someone paying attention to the local church, you are being part of something relevant, and that something is the mission that the Lord entrusted to us.
If you are building a church, you are fulfilling the mission. If you are telling stories for children, you are fulfilling the mission. If you are sitting there, you are fulfilling the mission. If you are shaking hands at the door, you are fulfilling the mission. You help to save others, but you will be saved.
In July 2025, Pastor Köhler was elected to be the president of the General Conference. His vision is to have a Church that is “grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission.”
Lee: What do you mean by “mission”?
Köhler: Well, number one, grounded in the Bible. I believe that mission is a consequence of faithfulness, because if we are not faithful to the Word of God, we have nothing to share with the world … We are God’s voice, not the echo of the culture. And second is the mission. And the mission for me is to prepare this world for the second coming of Jesus. This is the call of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We are not called to be a temple, a sanctuary, a building, or a group of people. We are here to prepare this world to see Jesus come. It means our theology is for mission. Our structure is for mission. Our buildings are for mission. Our institutions are for mission. Everything that we are, everything that we have is for the mission of preparing this world to see Jesus coming soon in the clouds of heaven.
Lee: How do you see the mission of Maranatha fitting into that? How can we help to fulfill that vision?
Köhler: Maranatha is helping us in both aspects, because when Maranatha calls people to be volunteers–helping to build churches–we are strengthening their faith and their commitment to the Church and to the Lord. Because when you travel, you travel by faith. When you give your offerings or donations to support Maranatha, you are doing that by faith. It strengthens your spiritual life, your commitment to the Lord, and it makes you grounded in the Bible, grounded in the Word of God … Maranatha is a protagonist in the mission of the Church because while others are touching people’s hearts, Maranatha is coming behind and preparing the place of worship. These elements are part of the Maranatha vision, and if you are doing both, well, you are giving a great support, not only for me and for my leadership, but the very special way for God’s Church on this earth.
Scan to watch the interview
PHOTO BY LEO MACIAS
WHAT’S WRONG WITH ANGELINA JUMA?
Sometimes speaking up takes courage, and finding shelter takes help from Maranatha’s
One-Day Church program in Kenya.
By Sidney Needles
“Feeling unwelcome within her church family because of her convictions was a difficult experience for Angelina–but one that gave her an idea.”
“
Nowadays you are not doing well. You have too much gospel and too many words. What’s the matter?”
Angelina Juma thought this was an odd question. She pondered her uninvited guest and his uninvited input. It was a partial truth. She had been rather outspoken lately to fellow attendees of her church in southern Kenya. But “not doing well” was simply inaccurate. In fact, Angelina felt better than she had in nine years.
It all started in 2016 while she was teaching a Sunday school class for kids. “I was reading the Bible and came across the book of Exodus,” Angelina recalls. “When I read verse eight, which says ‘remember the Sabbath day,’ I began to question which day was actually the Sabbath. As I read more, I realized Jesus died on Friday, rested on Saturday, and rose on Sunday—so the Sabbath must be Saturday.”
One day while listening to the radio in her home, Angelina heard a message from a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist. “I began reading more–listening more,” she says. “I’d prepare my notebook and pen and follow along with the sermons on the radio.” Angelina could not help but share what she was learning with others in her church. But they seemed to think something was wrong with her. “Some women began asking me questions, wondering why I was changing,” Angelina recalls. It was her outspokenness which earned her a visit from her pastor the uninvited guest with the odd question.
Angelina chose her next words carefully. “I don’t have a gospel that causes problems, but I do listen to the radio, and that radio has helped me a lot.”
“Nowadays many people are becoming prostitutes of the church,” was her pastor’s cryptic response. “Don’t become one of them.”
Feeling unwelcome within her church family because of her convictions was a difficult experience for Angelina–but one that gave her an idea. There was no Adventist church in her remote village, called Mutune, so she would start one herself. Angelina spoke about Jesus to anyone who would listen. Over time, 17 people started meeting in the wooden shed on her property each Sabbath.
But the more their membership grew, the more inadequate their meeting place
became. “The church was small,” says Angelina. “It became difficult for us to worship.” Wind and rain passed through large cracks in its walls and roof, often making it uncomfortable to meet there. When invited to join worship, potential guests often refused because of these factors.
The solution to the Mutune Seventh-day Adventist Church’s problem arrived on June 13, 2025, in the form of a large blue truck, rumbling through the village. It rolled to a halt on land Angelina had donated for a church. Crew members hopped to the ground, unloading tools and steel parts. Angelina watched all of this–and kept watching as her brand new One-Day Church structure took shape.
Unlike some of Marantha’s more elaborate projects, which include more complex and aesthetic elements, the One-Day Church was designed with the single goal of efficiency. Its parts are easily transportable, and its strong frame, roof, and concrete anchors provide a stable starting point for members to add walls to with local materials.
One-Day Churches are especially useful in rural Kenya. Roughly two percent of the country’s population is Seventh-day Adventist–a proportion that is growing because of people like Angelina who share their faith with tenacity. But Kenya’s Adventist Church doesn’t yet have the financial viability to provide adequate meeting places for new congregations. In many remote villages like Mutune, incomes are meager and resources scarce.
“They don’t have churches,” says Maranatha’s country director for Kenya, Anu Kedas. “When it rains, they can’t worship under the trees … They look for places where they can rent. But they don’t have a lot of income, so the church members sometimes are not able to pay the rent … Most of the time they are forced to stay in their homes without having a place to worship.”
A permanent church structure solves these issues and gives congregations a sense of hope and dignity, as Angelina experienced firsthand. “When the One-Day Church was done and she actually saw it with her eyes, she was just dancing in praise of her heavenly father,” recalls Anu. “She was so excited. I mean, you couldn’t stop her. She was just going on singing and dancing and just looking up at the roof and not believing what just happened on that property.”
Now instead of assuming that something is wrong with Angelina, friends and neighbors see her new One-Day Church and wonder what went right. “I know that when people in this area see how we are progressing, the church will be filled,” Angelina says. “To those who gave the donation for the church, I want to say thank you, because we in this community have come out of the darkness.”
Scan to give to the One-Day Church program.
CHURCH BUILDING:
1 Angelina Juma started the first Seventh-day Adventist Church in her community 2 and Maranatha’s One-day Church crew built them a solid frame to worship under.
3 The congregation praises God for this blessing of stability and permanence.
4 Angelina believes that this church will soon be filled with new members who take notice of the structure.
Give a OneDay Church Today
The price of a One-Day Church kit starts at $7,500 ($1,500 per share) and varies depending on location.
PHOTOS: (1-3) SIDNEY NEEDLES (4) NICK EVENSON
HOW YOU’VE Helped
CHIMCHELE, ZAMBIA
A look at how your support is making a real difference for communities around the world.
LEAVING YOUR Legacy
The Meaning Behind the Gift
“Compared to what is donated daily by the many thousands of Maranatha donors around the world, it is only a pittance,” shared Bob in the note he included with his gift to Maranatha. “We wish we could afford to be your largest donors, but we cannot. Nonetheless, the purpose, meaning, and emotions that lie behind this gift are a sacrifice.”
Bob was inspired to donate while attending Maranatha’s annual convention, which was held in California, in September. “I was so filled with the Spirit of the Lord as I witnessed the heartfelt testimonies and pleas of the faithful,” he recalled. “I was impressed to learn that Maranatha has carried this torch for 56 years, thus the amount of $56.”
His confidence in God’s acceptance of his humble offering stems from Bob’s belief that God will multiply it for His purposes. “There are so many things
AFTER But now they meet under the new One-Day Church structure that you funded. This frame is much stronger, and its roof is watertight.
that $56 could do,” Bob said. “The possibilities are nearly endless!”
Bob’s choice to give what he could was motivated by a simple goal: “To further God’s Kingdom in our temporary home, so we can move to our permanent home soon!”
BEFORE Chimchele Church members in Zambia used to meet in this ramshackle hut.
PROJECTS THAT NEED YOUR HELP
Thank you for your generous support in 2025! Your donations have made a big difference, but we need more help in these areas. Please make one more tax-deductible donation before the end of the year!
PERU CHURCHES
Maranatha is in need of more funding for churches in Peru. Each congregation in need will receive a steel frame, roof, and foundation. The local congregations will complete the walls, windows, and doors. You can sponsor a Peru church project for $15,000 or donate any amount to help.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CHURCHES
Maranatha’s commitment to build churches in the Dominican Republic is one of our biggest needs this year. The cost of construction is high, but even higher is the need to provide houses of worship for a membership that is growing so fast–indeed a good challenge to have! But we cannot respond to their requests for help without you. Costs vary for full sponsorship of a church, but a gift of any amount will go a long way in helping the overall effort in this country.
UPDATE: Ciudad del Cielo Campus, Dominican Republic
Two years since breaking ground, Maranatha and the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic dedicated the Ciudad del Cielo (City of Heaven) campus, located outside of Santo Domingo, in July 2025. The project fulfills a significant need for education in an area that has plenty of Adventist churches but no Adventist school.
The project is still in need of a little more funding, so if you are inspired to make a donation, please include Ciudad del Cielo in your year-end giving. You can also watch a new episode about this project and its dedication to Darrell Hardy, late vice president of construction.
Give online at maranatha.org/donate or call (916) 774-7700 to speak to a representative.
Countries IN 2025
Here’s where Maranatha is working this year.
BRAZIL
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC INDIA KENYA
PARAGUAY
PERU
UNITED STATES
ZAMBIA
Scan
to watch episode on Maranatha Mission Stories.
PROJECT Calendar
DATE
January 2026
PROJECT NAME
Anyone can join a Maranatha mission trip! Check out our upcoming opportunities here or go to maranatha.org for the most updated list.
Camp Kulaqua Project FLORIDA, USA
Feb. 19 - Mar. 3, 2026 Paraguay Project PARAGUAY
Mar. 22 - Apr. 5, 2026 Indian Creek Camp Project TENNESSEE, USA
Apr. 2 - 14, 2026 India Project INDIA
Apr. 19 - 30, 2026 Camp Yavapines Project ARIZONA, USA
May 18 - 29, 2026
Andrews University Project MICHIGAN, USA
Jun. 18 - 28, 2026 Family Project PERU
LEADERS SCOPE
Betty Beattie-Chrispell, Ben Dawson Maintenance
David and Judy Shull Church construcion
Betty Beattie-Chrispell, Jim Mills Camp renovations
Lisandro Staut Construction
Kim Toyama, Andre Miranda Construction, painting
Nancy Davis, David Gott Dorm renovations
Steve Case School construction
Jun. 21 - Jul. 3, 2026 Upper Columbia Academy Project WASHINGTON, USA Cathie Clark, Jon Yarlott Painting, maintenance
Jul. 2 - 13, 2026 Catalyst Project For collegiate young adults PERU
Jul. 7 - 21, 2026 Walla Walla University Project WASHINGTON, USA
Jul. 9 - 19, 2026
Corbin and Ashton Weiss Church construction
Gail Lutton, David Gott Renovations, painting
Ultimate Workout Project For teenagers DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Elmer Barbosa Church construction
Jul. 16 - 26, 2026 Family Project ZAMBIA
Go to maranatha.org to see all the volunteer opportunities being offered, including full projects and mission trips being coordinated by church or school groups.
Thank You FOR SERVING
Steve Case School construction
The following Group Project Teams served during the months of October through December.
KENYA
Dodge Center Team | Minnesota
PERU
Bluebonnet Missions Stonehill Adventist Church | Texas
ZAMBIA
Atlanta Mission Team | Georgia
KAZUNGULA, ZAMBIA
Members of the Golden Hope Seventh-day Adventist Company gather under the structure they built out of what materials they could afford–branches, grass, and tarp. Their songs of praise echo throughout their rural community in southern Zambia, reflecting a gratitude that persists amid unideal circumstances. “Company” is the term used to describe a church that is still in development, before becoming officially recognized by the Adventist Church. This congregation may be young, but its members are full of determination. Their door-to-
door evangelism efforts have caused their numbers to grow from 15 to 60 baptized members.
But Golden Hope’s worship space is working against them. On days when it is especially sunny or rainy, many members don’t bother coming to church at all. Despite congregants’ best efforts, their structure can’t protect them from the elements, making worship highly uncomfortable. This photo was taken on October 28, the day before a group of volunteers from Maranatha Volunteers International started laying the block walls of Golden
Hope’s new church building. This new structure has a roof that’s watertight and offers delightful shade from oppressive heat.
Although its days of use are limited, Golden Hope’s old structure serves as a testament to the dedication of those who meet there. Its sagging roof, feeble walls, and countless holes speak volumes about the people who overcame limited resources and uncomfortable circumstances to share God’s love and worship Him together.
Photo by Sidney Needles
990 Reserve Drive, Suite 100
Roseville, CA 95678
The $10 Church
Easy. Effective. Eternal.
$10 has built more than 500 churches and seats for 75,000 people! Here’s how it works:
• You commit to giving $10 a month to Maranatha.
• We combine everyone’s monthly donations into one gift.
• The monthly gift is enough to sponsor the construction of a church!
The more people who give, the more churches we can build.
Join this community of donors, today!
tendollarchurch.org
Travel into the mission field and see how God is leading ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference in communities around the world with our television program, "Maranatha Mission Stories."
HOW TO WATCH
BROADCAST CHANNELS (All times PT)
3ABN Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
Hope Channel Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
ON DEMAND
The Maranatha Channel App Watch current and archived episodes and other videos on demand. Download for Apple, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.
watch.maranatha.org
View all episodes online at Maranatha’s video website. Find segments by using our “Search” function.
