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VOLUNTEER A Publication of Maranatha Volunteers International
DISCOVERING IDENTITY:
Teens answer critical questions on Ultimate Workout
I S SU E 4, 2023
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VOLUNTEER Julie Z. Lee Heather Bergren Dustin Comm Sidney Needles
Editor Managing Editor/Designer Writer 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.
Maranatha spreads the Gospel throughout the world as it builds people through the construction of urgently needed buildings.
GRANGEVILLE, IDAHO Roger Vanatta (white shirt) and Marion Pritchard, both from Idaho, frame the wall of what will be a 5,700 square-foot addition to the Grangeville Seventh-day Adventist Church. During the 12day Maranatha mission project, 20 people worked hard to raise exterior and interior walls, install trusses, cut window and door holes, and attach plywood sheathing. They also worked on roof decking and completed framing, siding, and the installation of doors and windows.
The original layout of the Grangeville church building had just one multipurpose room. The space was constantly being repurposed for worship services, Sabbath school classes, potlucks and more. It was always the hope of the congregation to expand the space, and with Maranatha’s help it finally became a reality. The bulk of the addition’s square-footage will be dedicated to a new sanctuary, with an assortment of smaller rooms filling the remainder. Photo by Ed Jensen
About the Cover: First-time teen volunteer Abrianna Drake was pushed outside her comfort zone on Maranatha’s annual mission trip for high schoolers, Ultimate Workout. Here, she helped to build a new church for the Hacienda Estrella Seventh-day Adventist congregation in the Dominican Republic. Photo by Dustin Comm
SHARING THE
Mission
A MIRACLE AT BETHSAIDA By Kyle Fiess
In the Bible, the town of Bethsaida is mentioned several times as a place where Jesus focused His ministry, responding to the physical and spiritual needs of the people who lived there. Situated along the Sea of Galilee, Bethsaida was a fishing village populated by the working class. When Jesus visited the area, people turned out in large numbers to hear Him speak. It was here that Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Throughout the accounts of Jesus’ time here on earth, we see that the miracles He performed served the needs of the marginalized, the sick, the poor and destitute. He would heal the sick but would also offer spiritual hope with the invitation to “follow me.” In the outskirts of the city of Kasama, in the northeast corner of Zambia, there is a Seventh-day Adventist church named Bethsaida. On Sabbath, January 8, 2022, a heavy rainstorm arrived in the region. The congregants had finished the divine worship service and many were waiting out the storm prior to walking home. Suddenly, the wind gained intensity, and in a horrible instant, the church collapsed under the force of a www.maranatha.org
particularly strong gust. The structure, which the members had only recently built, fell on those seeking shelter, killing five and seriously injuring 16. After hearing news of this incident, we sent our team in Zambia to investigate. They found a congregation of 500 people, with 180 children, meeting in a borrowed school facility. The members had no idea how they were going to rebuild their church. So we brought this story to you and proposed that we build a strong church, large enough for 500 people to worship each Sabbath. Restroom facilities with running water from a new well. And a complex of classrooms to accommodate those 180 kids for Sabbath School, as well as to serve as a new elementary school for the area. You responded generously to this need. Matching funds were donated and more than 1,063 people participated in funding this special project. A group of intrepid volunteers made the arduous 15-hour journey from Lusaka to help build the church. This past summer, I was privileged to visit the new Bethsaida Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church and School with a few colleagues. The Pathfinder color guard greeted us, and
a robust group of Dorcas ladies sang a traditional welcome. More than 400 people gathered on a cold Wednesday morning because we had come to visit. Typically, the dedication of a newly constructed building by Maranatha is a joyous celebration. But this event had special significance. There was a somber realization that this event came about because of a tragedy that some members are still living with. But the joy that was reflected was not because of the buildings that were built, but from the realization that they were not alone–not forgotten–but part of a large family of believers who care for each other. This was the miracle that I witnessed at Bethsaida, Zambia. And that miracle will continue to grow as the congregation, motivated by the love shown by each of you, reaches out to their friends and neighbors and invites them to experience the transforming love of God. Thank you for caring for Bethsaida. —Kyle Fiess is the vice president of projects at Maranatha
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AROUND THE
World
A snapshot of volunteers and projects in the mission field.
INDIA Members of the Atmakur Seventh-day Adventist Church in India are happy for a new Maranatha water well, complete with an electric pump and holding tank.
ZAMBIA Volunteer Darlene Bryner serves at the prayer station of a medical clinic out of the Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church, where the team saw more than 700 patients. 4 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 4, 2023
UNITED STATES Volunteers raise the walls of the new 6,300-square foot sanctuary of the Alvarado Seventh-day Adventist Church in Texas. www.maranatha.org
UNITED STATES Twenty volunteers helped to frame a 5,700 square-foot addition to the Grangeville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Idaho. KENYA Clean, accessible water now flows from the new Maranatha water well at the Kapkoimur Seventh-day Adventist Church.
PERU The Centro Pumpuriani Seventh-day Adventist congregation celebrates their new Maranatha church frame, which they will finish with local materials.
KENYA Forty-three volunteers served on the first volunteer mission trip to the Kimogoro Adventist Primary School, where they constructed a boys dorm and retaining wall.
KENYA Bright new classrooms and furniture complete Maranatha’s work at the Mankau Adventist School, where a total of four classrooms were constructed.
PERU Members of the Corani Seventh-day Adventist Church are grateful for a strong Maranatha frame under which they can build walls. www.maranatha.org
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News + H I G H L I G H T S
Kenneth Weiss (right), chief operating officer of Maranatha, translates for Gabriel Paulino (center), president of the Adventist Church in southeast Dominican Republic, during a special ceremony to celebrate 25 years of Adventist church growth in the region.
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF GROWTH IN SOUTHEASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
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n August 26, 2023, Maranatha Volunteers International joined more than 6,000 Seventh-day Adventists in the Dominican Republic for a special celebration of church growth in the southeast region of the country. The event, held in Santo Domingo, highlighted Maranatha’s involvement over the past three decades; church leadership estimates that out of the 370 churches in the greater Santo Domingo area, approximately 30% were constructed or funded by Maranatha. Now, at this milestone, church leadership is determined to continue the trend. “As part of the 25th anniversary of the growth of the conference, we have had a vision to dedicate 25 new churches, and we have reached and superseded that amount with over 6 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 4, 2023
50 new church temples which will be completed, thanks to the support of Maranatha Volunteers International,” said Gabriel Paulino, president of the Southeast Dominican Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Since the launch of Maranatha’s most recent effort in the country, which started in 2022, Maranatha has already completed 17 churches. The overall goal is to build 38 churches and a large-scale school project, along with water wells. “What has happened here during the past 25 years, it’s not simply hard work and planning, nor the product of great churches, but it’s completely based on the miracle that comes from the gifts of God,” said Don Noble, president of Maranatha, at the event. “We get excited about building in this country for this one reason: You are so friendly, and
loving and caring for others.” The Southeast Dominican Conference was established in 1998, first as a mission before reorganizing as a conference in 2011, with 100 congregations. Today, it is the largest conference in the Dominican Republic, with 384 congregations and 58,000 members. Maranatha’s first major effort in the Dominican Republic took place in 1980, when volunteers constructed 160 houses in the aftermath of Hurricane David. Then in 1992, Maranatha kicked off its first major church construction effort called Santo Domingo ’92, which saw 25 churches built in 70 days. Since then, the organization has returned three more times, including its fifth and most recent effort which started in 2022. www.maranatha.org
1,300 ATTEND ANNUAL CONVENTION
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n September 23, 2023, more than 1,300 people attended Maranatha Volunteers International’s annual convention event, Mission: Maranatha, in Sacramento, California. The Sabbath program welcomed presentations from Seventh-day Adventist World Church leaders, including Harrington Akombwa, president of the Southern Africa‑Indian Ocean Division, and Aldo Perez, president of the Cuba Union. They spoke on the urgent need for churches, schools, and water wells in their regions, and the impact of Maranatha’s work on communities around the world.
The program also featured music by Wintley Phipps and testimonies from multiple volunteers, including Sondra Godfrey, an octogenarian who spoke of her experience on a trip to Kenya, where she came to realize that God can use anyone in the mission field, no matter their age or talents. Elementary school teacher Chris Duckett gave his testimony of how missions has impacted his life from a young age, and how he is passing this legacy on to his
children by taking them on Maranatha’s Family Projects. The convention program, which aired live on 3ABN and Hope Channel, can be viewed on Maranatha’s website or The Maranatha Channel app, available on Apple, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.
FIRST DORMITORY COMPLETE AT KIMOGORO
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n October, Maranatha wrapped construction on a dormitory at the Kimogoro Adventist Primary School in western Kenya. A 43-person team—the first volunteer group to work at Kimogoro—helped to build the exterior walls of the dorm, along with a restroom and shower area. They also laid blocks for a retaining wall on the adjacent hillside. At the project’s close, volunteers, students, and teachers gathered to dedicate the structure with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony, opening the dormitory’s doors to an inviting space lined with bunk beds and colorful bedding. Volunteers donated items like shoes and school supplies to Kimogoro students. Gifts from other donors provided funds for the dormitory beds. www.maranatha.org
Additionally, volunteers raised more than $2,000 to purchase Bibles, which they passed out to 200 community members. Next on Maranatha’s project list for the campus is a dining hall and kitchen, which will soon be followed by another dormitory and restroom block. “A transformation is underway at Kimogoro, and we are so happy to be able to provide the students with dorms, a dining hall, a modern kitchen, and bathrooms with running water,” said Maranatha Vice President of Projects Kyle Fiess. “We are grateful for the volunteers and donors who are making this change possible at Kimogoro.”
The Kimogoro school started in the 1950s as a gathering of like-minded believers under a tree amid the tea fields of southwestern Kenya. Today, it is a thriving church and school campus, which gives 230 students a quality Adventist education each year. Maranatha is working to bring Kimogoro’s infrastructure up to par with its stellar educational program. In 2019, Maranatha drilled a muchneeded water well for the campus and is now focused on upgrading its buildings from rickety and cramped, to sturdy and spacious.
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DISCOVERING IDENTITY IN
Service
How teens answered critical questions on this year’s annual mission trip for high schoolers, Ultimate Workout. Story and photos by Dustin Comm
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hat do you remember of when you were young? When you were becoming an adult, but weren’t quite there? What occupied your thoughts? What moments formed you? What events helped to shape and mold you into adulthood? Who were the influential people that asked key questions, or listened as you processed life? How did your faith inform your worldview and future aspirations? If you stop and reflect back on your teenage years, there were probably many events and individuals that prompted you to grow. Today, teens are still in need of positive influences, and they are asking the same questions. They’re searching for answers about who they are, how they fit into the world, and how their relationship with God plays into all of it. It’s often a reason that they come on Maranatha’s annual mission trip for teens, Ultimate Workout. Or, why parents may send their kids on it. “Well, I’m going to be honest,” admits volunteer Demetrius Wells. “My mom, she signed me up, and she said it would be very beneficial for getting closer to Christ and also for college and my future.” Wells isn’t alone—each year a wide spectrum of backgrounds is represented on Ultimate Workout. Some kids have been on this project for
“They’re searching for answers about who they are, how they fit into the world, and how their relationship with God plays into all of it.”
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www.maranatha.org
Through hard work and service, teens are discovering who they can be and how their faith can play a central role in their life. www.maranatha.org
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“It’s definitely harder than it looks. When you look, it’s like, ‘Oh, they’re just shoveling sand.’ But those buckets are heavy and we have to carry them to whoever needs to pour it in.”
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multiple years and can’t wait to reconnect with old friends. Others are new and reluctant to engage, unsure of what to expect. All of these perspectives were on display in July 2023 in the Dominican Republic for Maranatha’s 33rd running of the annual mission trip. In a rural area north of the capital city of Santo Domingo, 125 volunteers assembled to lay block walls for Hacienda Estrella and Villa Primavera Seventh-day Adventist Churches, and to pour the foundation for the Refugio Celestial Church. “I never laid block before, so that was really interesting,” says volunteer Mya St. Louis. “They had to teach us how to put the cement onto the blocks and then lay the blocks on top of the cement, like learn how to adjust it and all that good stuff. And that was really fun, very tiring, really, really, hard work.” The work was indeed difficult—high temperatures and even higher humidity handicapped volunteers’ energy. Without a church frame or roof at the Refugio Celestial Church, volunteers pushed hulking wheelbarrows of concrete in the sizzling sun, without any shade. Each team’s site medic enforced regular hydration breaks to ensure the safety of all. “It’s definitely harder than it looks,” says volunteer Lori Barnett. “When you look, it’s like, ‘Oh, they’re just shoveling sand.’ But those buckets are heavy, and we have to carry them to whoever needs to pour it in. And the people who are doing the wheelbarrows, who are putting them in the molds, they are sweating. You just see everything, and when you’re in the moment, you don’t think about it, but you’re working hard.” Despite physically challenging tasks, these young volunteers pushed through, in no small part because they became familiar with the stories of each congregation they were serving. The Hacienda Estrella and Villa Primavera Churches are filled with earnest and motivated members who want to spread www.maranatha.org
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the Good News in their community but lack a proper place to grow their number. Failing structures and cramped spaces make it hard to attract and retain guests. “We were very uncomfortable because it was a small house made of wood; it was full of termites eating the wood,” explains Villa Primavera Church member, Dinora Lara. Refugio Celestial Church members skipped from house to house over the years, even renting a space next to a loud nightclub for Sabbath worship. “There was always a very big crowd, and it was impossible for us to give the worship services because it was so noisy, and it was impossible for us to continue,” says member Gloria Martinez. Part of the Ultimate Workout experience is getting to know these members and their stories. Many of them are present each day to watch the teen volunteers working in construction, and the volunteers also attended church with the congregations on two Sabbaths. Even with a language barrier, relationships are formed. “When you get there the first week, you kind of get to put faces and people together, and it brings it more to life when you know who you’re doing this for and www.maranatha.org
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how much they really need it,” says three-year veteran volunteer Adrian Serna. “And then just to get to see the joy on their faces when they come in the next week after all the hard work you put in, it just makes it so rewarding.” Each site also facilitated outreach like trash pick up, literature evangelism, prayer, and Vacation Bible School (VBS) programming. Teams at each site helped to lead activities like games, Bible stories, crafts, and singing for neighborhood children. It’s a ministry that provides joy, laughter, and the seeds of connection to the Adventist Church. “We’ve been reading them Bible stories, so even though we don’t realize it, maybe those Bible stories create some type of curiosity in them to want to seek God more,” shares volunteer Michelle Perez. “I mean, you don’t know what happens when they go home and when they talk to their parents about what they did. But definitely through our character and how we talk to them, how we deal with them in certain situations, it could really show them that like, ‘Wow these people are different,’ and maybe inspire them to seek what we have.” A fourth team of volunteers provided free medical services to hundreds in each
MOLDED THROUGH SERVICE
1 First-time volunteer Demetrius Wells shovels sand at the Refugio Celestial Church. 2 Veteran volunteer Adrian Serna enjoyed meeting the Villa Primavera Church members that he served. 3 Teens experienced bilingual Sabbath services in which they shared leadership responsibilities with the local congregation. 4 Seeing the excitement of the local church members on Sabbath provided motivation during the week when the work got difficult. 5 Volunteer Lori Barnett admits that the manual labor is harder than it looks. 6 Veteran volunteer Mya St. Louis enjoyed helping in all phases of the work: construction, outreach, and VBS.
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“We heard about a lot of people’s personal stories. It was really great to see them expressing that faith in front of so many people, and it was vulnerable, and I think that made me want to be more vulnerable.” 12 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 4, 2023
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community where Maranatha was building. Health professionals mentored teen volunteers at stations offering general medicine, pediatrics, pharmacy, vision screenings and reading glasses, and prayer. A total of 654 patients were served in multiple neighborhoods near the job sites. At night, volunteers cleaned up from the sweat and dirt of the day’s work and gathered to consider the spiritual side of the day’s experiences. At worship, youth were inspired by testimonies from their peers, fervent music, and challenging messages from the project chaplain. For many, these daily meetings stirred spiritual ponderings and satisfied a deep yearning to connect with other like-minded Christians and their Creator. “I don’t go to an Adventist school,” says volunteer Sophie Ha. “I don’t really have a lot of people in my community who talk super-openly about what it means to really trust in God and to openly talk about the ways that Christ has changed their lives. [Here,] we had a lot of testimonies, and we heard about a lot of people’s personal stories. It was really great to see them expressing that faith in front of so many people, and it was vulnerable, and I think that made me want to be more vulnerable.” Kids were also impacted each day by the adult staff they served alongside. Each year there are dozens of adult mentors that volunteer their time for this high school project. “I’ve always loved teaching, but it just feels really natural to have someone with me that I can explain things to,” says medical team volunteer Tekla Moller. “But I hope they really get a flavor for the impact that this makes in people’s lives. And then if they want to go on and do it themselves, they’ve had a little exposure, they’ve had some experience.” “The VBS leader is Ms. Sylvia, and I feel like she’s really been an inspiration to me, just because she’s very dedicated to making it a good experience for the kids at VBS, but also for the teens helping to create the VBS environment,” www.maranatha.org
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says Ha. “And I think that it’s like just a positive kind of attitude and outlook on spreading like, just, I don’t know, spreading love and the word of God.” All of these interactions and experiences moved volunteers to make decisions about how they wanted to be in the world as they become adults. A spontaneous call for baptism led to 25 baptisms on Monday, and on the last Friday, 10 more. “We were told that a good number, maybe even the majority of the people that registered for Ultimate Workout, said they wanted to deepen their relationship with God,” says St. Louis. “And we kind of saw that with what happened with the spontaneous baptisms. It was like so many people, in the spur of the moment just chose to get up and give their lives to God—[it] shows me they were ready.” “I feel like experiencing all the difficulties here, the physical, mental and emotional, spiritual, it’s all been an experience that’s made it,” says volunteer Abrianna Drake. “So you’re either going to fall apart on your own, or you’re going to be drawn closer to God and you’re going to be taught to rely more on him.” On the final Sabbath, with their work complete, volunteers worshipped with their www.maranatha.org
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designated congregations for the last time. The physical transformations at each site were proud reminders of all of the sacrifice each team made during the mission trip, and pointed to a bright new future for the local congregations. “To watch young people from other countries taking care of the needs we have in a different place in the world—they may not be aware of the impact they are creating in the lives of these people in the places they travel to for collaboration,” says Villa Primavera Church member Jerson Encarnación. “It will be very good to carry on with that helping spirit, not just financially, but at a human level.” Each young person carried that helping spirit with them as they left Ultimate Workout 33 in the Dominican Republic. They also took new relationships they’ll foster for years to come, and spiritual insights that will set the course for the faith of their future. All a part of a mission trip that provided just one more formational moment along the course toward adulthood for teens searching for their place in the world.
GROWING TOGETHER
1 Volunteer Sophie Ha was moved by her peers’ expression of faith, something she doesn’t hear at a non-Adventist school. 2 Staff volunteer Sylvia Wilson mentored a dozen teens each day as they led VBS. 3 Nightly worships were a chance for rest, reflection, and wrestling with identity. 4 Staff volunteer health professionals provided care alongside teen assistants, who gained valuable health care experience. 5 Volunteers at nightly worship back at camp. 6 Throughout the project, 33 volunteers gave their lives to Christ in baptism.
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FLOWING WATERS A look at Maranatha’s well maintenance program and why we need your help By Julie Z. Lee
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couple hours outside Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, Lukunqoba “Nova” Lupimpi and his three coworkers are stuck. One of the axles of their massive truck is caught on a rut in the road, and the men are laying under the vehicle, chipping away at the hard soil with an ax. Little by little, they free the truck, and Lupimpi and his team are on their way, once again. Today, they are headed to Chimpetu. A little over a year ago, Maranatha drilled a water well in this village, right in front of the Seventh-day Adventist church. But a couple months ago, the well had stopped working. The church leadership called Maranatha, and Lupimpi and his team were on their way–albeit a little delayed– to help. Once there, the crew will talk to the community members about the problem, dismantle the entire well, assess the issues, then make the repairs. The entire process will take about 60-90 minutes, contingent on the severity of the problem. After, the crew will move on to the next village in need of help. Depending on the proximity of the sites, Lupimpi’s team will hit up to six well sites a day. At the last location, when the sun is beginning to dip low on the horizon, they’ll set up camp on the church property, cook supper or enjoy one
“Only an estimated 40% of all wells drilled around the world are actually operating.”
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provided by the community, and settle in for the night before they hit the road in the morning. This is Maranatha’s well repair team in Zambia. They are one of three teams–based in Kenya, India, and Zambia–started by Maranatha in 2021, focused entirely on the maintenance of water wells in their respective countries. A search for water charities around the world will generate a long list of resources and organizations designed to aid communities in need of access to clean water. Thanks to these groups and their supporters, tens of thousands of water wells have been drilled. But one of the challenges of wells is maintenance. With hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people using a single well every day, there’s bound to be worn and broken parts. As a result, only an estimated 40% of the wells drilled around the world are actually operating. With Maranatha having entered the water well arena in 2008, this situation was a frequent topic of conversation www.maranatha.org
among the management team. “Maranatha takes that issue seriously, and we wanted to make a statement that says Maranatha wants to make sure that the water wells that we drill continue to operate over the foreseeable future,” says Kyle Fiess, vice president of projects. “And so Maranatha [implemented] a series of scheduled maintenance visits to all the wells that we drill to make sure that parts are replaced and then to respond to emergencies when a well is broken or stops working.” Fiess began working with his field staff to outline solutions. In the three countries where Maranatha has been most prolific and current in providing wells, they created a team of road warriors to proactively visit every well drilled by Maranatha for scheduled maintenance. Maranatha also began installing plaques with a helpline number for emergencies. “When we drill a new water well, we have a data plate on which we punch all the details about the well. And it also has a cell phone number to call for service. So those two numbers www.maranatha.org
are with the repair team. So whenever we get a call for repair or service, we [enter] it in a register, and then we follow it as soon as possible,” says Luke Johnson, Zambia country manager. Between maintenance visits and repairs, the team stays busy. It’s a big job–daunting when you consider that Maranatha has drilled more than 3,100 water wells around the world, including more than 800 in Zambia. But it’s a start. And for those communities that receive the help, it’s a huge relief. When you have no water life is difficult, but it is, sadly, the norm. Once you receive access to clean water, then suddenly lose it, the disappointment is deep. Jackson Chimbala is a member of the Kaloumina Seventh-day Adventist Church. Some time ago, Maranatha drilled a water well on the church property. Prior to this, people in the community had a number of ways to get water, but none were ideal. From dipping into hand-dug wells, which were usually exposed to the elements and contaminated, to walking two hours to the nearest borehole, community members had to
PROBLEM SOLVING
The well maintenance and repair team measures water depth at the Michelo well, located on the property of the Seventh-day Adventist church. In this situation, Maranatha was making a scheduled maintenance visit to replace worn parts and check functionality. PHOTO BY LUKE JOHNSON
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risk their health or spend a great deal of time for water. Part of the agreement of receiving a Maranatha well is that its use cannot be exclusive to Adventists. It is to be made available to everyone in the community with no strings attached. The gift is a form of outreach, and congregations have actually seen membership grow once a well piques curiosity about the church itself. As a result of this open policy, Chimbala says that the majority of the 500 residents in the area use the well. Then, a month ago, the Kaloumina well broke–a common occurrence with such intense use. “[The broken well] has definitely been difficult because it has affected the life of the people in one way or another. The water collection has been disturbed,” says Chimbala. “Where do you go again? Should you go back to the old system?” Fortunately, by this time, Maranatha had implemented the call system, and the Kaloumina church, who are the official caretakers of the well, called the help line to get on the list for assistance. In time, Lupimpi and his crew arrived and fixed the problem. Two hours later, Kaloumina had water once more.
“The well is to be made available to everyone with no strings attached... the gift is a form of outreach.”
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The difference between well repairs and maintenance is mostly minor. Both typically require the team to take the well apart, either in search of the problem or to ascertain wear and tear. Both typically call for the team to replace all the usual suspects–rods, linings, cylinders, valves, plungers, bearings. Things get a bit more complicated when something is actually broken as the team has to play detective to find the solution. Issues that plague wells can range from misuse, such as pumping the handle too hard or at a wrong angle, to abuse, such as children pouring pebbles into the nooks of the apparatus. One of the most difficult tasks, according to Lupimpi, is when a pipe drops down the hole because of a loose connection or broken socket. Then the team has to use a massive fishing tool to try and retrieve the pipe; it is an endeavor that can take up to six hours. But with every visit, the team gains new insight into how to fix or prevent the issues with better materials and education for the user. Long-term sustainability is the goal. For Lupimpi, every challenge–even fishing for pipes–is worthy work. The best part of the job, he says, is to see everyone’s face light up with smiles when the well starts working again. www.maranatha.org
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“That smile is what motivates me,” he says. Lupimpi is originally from Zimbabwe. He got his start working with Maranatha in 2012, when crews were in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to build the Maranatha Adventist High School. Over the years, Lupimpi moved into well installation, which is the work of placing the pump and pouring the concrete pad and lip around the well. Then in 2021, he moved to Zambia to lead the team for well maintenance and repair. The work is hard but just as clean water has been an answer to prayer for the hundreds of communities, these wells have been an
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answer to his prayer as well. He’s doing the work he has always hoped to do: missions. “Before I joined Maranatha, I always loved to be a missionary–that is one of my greatest desires. And after joining Maranatha, I actually came to understand that God has answered my prayer. I’m a missionary. Though I’m not preaching the word … what I am doing right now is God’s work. And it’s impacting people’s lives in a very positive way.”
Well maintenance and repair is critical for the success of the water program and the health and well-being of thousands of communities. However, it does require funding. Wellspring is a monthly giving program devoted to Maranatha’s water program. We ask people to commit to a monthly donation of any amount to Wellspring, and all funds will go toward water–from drilling to maintenance to repairs. In 2023, well funding is in urgent need, and we ask that you make a gift toward water or join Wellspring today! maranatha.org/wellspring
ROAD WARRIORS
1 The team enjoys a meal provided by the Kaloumina church members, where they are repairing a well. There is no fee associated with the visits, and the food is a way of saying thank you to Maranatha. 2 A team member prepares a quick lunch for the crew while they work. Most meals have to be prepared on the road as there is no time for long breaks and no restaurants or stores in sight. 3 Members of the Tulongatubili West church watch as the crew works on maintenance for their well. Most visits from the Maranatha team draws quite an audience. 4 The four-man water well maintenance team in Zambia poses for a photo. 5 Nova Lupimpi is the water well maintenance and repair team leader in Zambia. He loves his job because it fulfills a long-time prayer to be a missionary. 6 The team gets sprayed by a rush of water, a common occurrence during these visits. PHOTOS BY MARANATHA STAFF
www.maranatha.org
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THE MANY SIDES OF SERVICE How one volunteer found a place to serve at Kajiado. By Sidney Needles
“This first Maranatha trip demonstrated that Sondra didn’t need to be constructionsavvy to serve. She could use the unique gifts God gave her to serve in other ways.”
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s a construction company, Maranatha’s volunteer opportunities most commonly involve manual labor. Ask any volunteer about their experience on a Maranatha project, and they’ll probably describe long but rewarding days of laying blocks, shoveling sand, and mixing mortar. These physically demanding tasks are necessary to build up communities in need but can seem daunting to those less suited to them. Sondra Godfrey was no different. In 1996, despite her lack of impressive strength or construction proficiency, she reluctantly agreed to accompany a friend on a Maranatha project in El Salvador. While the other volunteers built a dormitory, the two women baked bread to feed the 150 children who would soon have a new home. This first Maranatha trip demonstrated that Sondra didn’t need to be construction-savvy to serve. She could use the unique gifts God gave her to serve in other ways. And that’s just what she did. Whether giving health talks, leading Vacation Bible School programs, or assisting at pop-up clinics, Sondra has worked on Maranatha projects almost every year for the past 27 years. But this year felt different. Sondra and her husband, Frank, had begun to notice the physical reminders of age, and Sondra doubted there would be a place for her to serve. So when their son, Robert, daughter-in-law, Karen, and two grandsons began making plans to join a Maranatha 1 volunteer trip to the Kajiado Adventist School and Rescue Center in southern Kenya, Sondra and Frank made the difficult choice to stay home. Sondra felt mixed emotions as her family obtained visas, bought plane tickets, and began to pack. She was overjoyed that her loved ones would experience the thrill of service, but also felt a tang of sadness when the trip’s volunteer slots filled up without her or Frank’s name on the list. On the Sunday before her family’s Tuesday departure, Sondra and Frank headed to Robert and Karen’s house to pick up the dog, which they were watching during the trip. While there, Karen said, “You know, it’s not too late to go to Kenya.” Sondra felt the Holy Spirit’s nudge at her daughter-in-law’s words. One look at her husband told www.maranatha.org
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Sondra that Frank felt the nudge too. After a frenzied couple days of visa applications, ticket purchases, and packing, Sondra was on her way to Kenya. The school and rescue center in Kajiado is a place where girls escape horrific abuse like female genital mutilation, receive an education, and experience Christ’s healing love. Sondra’s volunteer group would construct the final building for the Kajiado campus: a cafeteria. But Sondra couldn’t lift heavy blocks or balance on scaffolding. How would God use her this time? “The things that I heard about these girls just broke my heart,” recalls Sondra. “I wanted to be a presence of joy for these girls because they had been through a lot.” On the first night at Kajiado, a trip leader described the need for an etiquette class that would boost the girls’ confidence and encourage them to enter the world beyond their haven. Sondra perked up. “That’s a subject I’m excited about and can talk forever about,” she says. But she made one small adjustment. “We changed the word from ‘etiquette’ to ‘kindness’ and [emphasized] treating one another as we would like to be treated.” www.maranatha.org
The 20-minute session, which was taught numerous times to accommodate all 150 girls, was very popular. The girls loved learning about table manners and how to politely greet people. Sondra also taught the girls about the power of a smile, eye contact, and confident body language. “I’ve never seen bigger smiles,” says Sondra. “The girls were so enthusiastic to participate.” From baking bread in 1996 to teaching polite kindness in 2023, Sondra’s story illustrates the many sides of service. She is grateful that God chooses us, despite our limitations, to do His work. “[The trip] made me realize that, no matter how old you get, if you’re willing to go, the Lord will find a way to use you.”
A PLACE TO SERVE
1 Sondra baked bread on her first Maranatha trip in 1996. This trip taught her that she can serve in ways beyond construction work. 2 Gathered around a staged place setting, the girls at the Kajiado School and Rescue Center listened intently as Sondra taught them polite table manners. 3 Sondra and her husband, Frank, loved serving alongside their son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Karen (second and third from the right), and two grandsons, Robbie and Thomas (far left and right). 4 Many of the girls at the Kajiado School and Rescue Center have escaped horrific abuse. Sondra used her class on kind manners to connect with them, cherishing the opportunity to be a beacon of love and hope. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GODFREY FAMILY
T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 4, 2023 | 1 9
HOW YOU’VE
Helped
A look at how your support is making a real difference for communities around the world.
BINJIPALI , INDIA
BEFORE There was not enough room at the Binjipali Adventist School in India, so students squeezed into cramped classrooms.
LEAVING YOUR The Cradle Roll Sabbath School class at the Fayetteville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Arkansas has proven that even little ones can make a big difference. When weekly lessons started emphasizing global mission work, the class’s teacher, Valerie Crosier, knew she wanted to introduce an offering to support a special overseas mission project. She was drawn to Maranatha’s
AFTER Students have plenty of room to learn comfortably in bright, spacious classrooms.
Legacy
$10 Church program because it improves the worship experience for international congregations and sets reachable goals. After several months of giving, the five youngsters in her class had raised a total of $227.71 to help fund the construction of churches all over the world!
PROJECTS THAT NEED YOUR HELP
These are the projects in most urgent need of funding right now. Please consider making a donation! This year Maranatha set a goal to build 440 churches around the world. Some of these churches are One-Day Churches, others are fully blocked buildings, and all are for congregations without a respectable or adequate place of worship. As we approach the end of 2023, we are in need of more funding for church construction as we are short in this category for this year’s budget. If you can, please make a donation today!
PERU CHURCHES
Maranatha has a goal to build 100 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.
Countries
I N 202 3
Here’s where Maranatha is working this year. BRAZIL CANADA CUBA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC INDIA KENYA PERU
INDIA CHURCHES
With a goal of 30 fully completed churches, India is in need of more donations in order to reach this goal. Churches include a steel roof, frame, walls, floor, window, stucco, and paint. Sponsor an entire church in honor of a loved one, starting at $30,000, or make a donation of any amount.
UNITED STATES ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE
KENYA AND ZAMBIA CHURCHES
In Kenya and Zambia, Maranatha is building OneDay Churches in some of the most remote areas, where traditional construction is very challenging. The steel roof and frame is installed directly into the ground, and the congregation uses local materials to build the walls and doors. Sponsor an entire church for $7,500 or a share for $1,500.
CHURCHES SCHOOLS WATER WELLS CAMPS
www.maranatha.org
Anyone can join a Maranatha mission trip! Check out our upcoming opportunities here or go to maranatha.org for the most updated list.
P R OJECT
Calendar
DATE
PROJECT NAME
PLACE
LEADERS
SCOPE
Feb. 1-11, 2024
Dominican Republic Project
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Karen Godfrey
School construction
March 2024
India Project
BINJIPALI, INDIA
TBD
School construction
Mar. 11-21, 2024
Multiple Group Project
KAJIADO, KENYA
Loretta Spivey
School painting
Mar. 24 - April 4, 2024
Monterey Bay Academy Project
CALIFORNIA, USA
TBD
Dorm renovations, painting
Spring 2024
Living Springs Retreat Project
ALABAMA, USA
TBD
New construction
Spring 2024
Walla Walla University Project
WASHINGTON, USA
TBD
Dorm renovations
Apr. 21-May 2, 2024
Camp Yavapines Project
ARIZONA, USA
Charley Chavez, Carolyn Holton
Renovations, painting
Apr. 23-May 8, 2024
Uchee Pines Institute Project
ALABAMA, USA
TBD
New build
Apr. 25-May 4, 2024
Camp MiVoden Project
IDAHO, USA
Jeff Wesslen, Melody Wheeler
Renovations
May 12-24, 2024
Andrews University Project
MICHIGAN, USA
TBD
Renovations
Jun. 9-23, 2024
Pine Tree Academy Project
MAINE, USA
TBD
Renovations
Jun. 20-30, 2024
Summer Family Project
PUCALLPA, PERU
Steve Case
Church construction
Jun. 27-Jul. 9, 2024
Zambia Project
MWAMI, ZAMBIA
Kenneth Weiss, Karen Godfrey
School construction
Jul. 4-15, 2024
Ultimate Workout
SICUANI PERU
Lisandro Staut, Loretta Spivey
Church construction
Jul. 14-26, 2024
Andrews University Project
MICHIGAN, USA
TBD
Renovations
Jul. 29-Aug. 14, 2024
Believe The Promise Camporee Project
WYOMING, USA
Roger Hatch
Camp setup
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
The following Group Project Teams served during the months of October through December.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
KENYA
West Houston and Friends | Texas Andrews Academy Team | Michigan Arden Seventh-Day Adventist Church | North Carolina
22 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 4, 2023
Yuma Mission Team | Arizona
PERU
Isaiah 6:8 Volunteers Team | Washington www.maranatha.org
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES KaraAnn Akers shares her testimony with 1,300 people at the 2023 Mission: Maranatha convention, held on September 23, 2023, in Sacramento. Akers, who is 17-years old, has nonepileptic seizures. To help sense when she may be having a seizure, KaraAnn always has her service dog with her (at her feet in the photo), which gives her a layer of comfort and security. This year, KaraAnn was looking to spread her wings and go on the Ultimate Workout in the Dominican Republic. The only problem was that she could not take her dog. After much discussion and prayer with her parents, KaraAnn decided to take the leap of faith and go on the project alone. While there, KaraAnn served on the medical team. On her first day and several times after, she suffered
seizures which left her exhausted. At first, the episodes renewed her anxiety and fear. But KaraAnn says her family of Ultimate Workout volunteers surrounded her with love and support and helped her to keep pushing through. By the end, she helped to see 160 patients come through the clinic and also gained new courage in herself and faith in God. “I entered the Dominican Republic with a physical disability and worry. I left the Dominican Republic with that same physical disability, an exhausted body, but a heart full of love and an excitement to share what God has done in my life and what I had been able to see done in others.” To watch KaraAnn’s testimony, go to maranatha.org/KaraAnn Photo by Tom Lloyd
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990 Reserve Drive, Suite 100 Roseville, CA 95678
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.
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HOW TO WATCH BROADCAST CHANNELS
(All times PT)
3ABN Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
Your donations have allowed Maranatha to build more than 6,400 One-Day Churches in places where traditional construction is near impossible!
Hope Channel Wednesday, 3:30 p.m. Friday, 8:30 a.m. Sunday, 8:30 p.m.
Thank you for providing thousands of congregations with a safe place to worship. Now, help us to keep responding to requests for help.
ON DEMAND
• • •
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maranatha.org/oneday
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