The Volunteer Issue 1 2021

the

VOLUNTEER A Publication of Maranatha Volunteers International

I S SUE 1, 2021

BUILDING LOVE AND FAITH

Maranatha returns to Paradise

the

VOLUNTEER

Julie Z. Lee Editor Heather Bergren Managing Editor/Designer Dustin Comm 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.

KUITUKA, INDIA A boy drinks cool, clean water from a brand new well in his village, located in the state of Jharkhand in northeastern India.

The borehole was successfully drilled in August 2020 and the Maranatha team installed a hand pump a month later. Now, this small square of concrete is a popular gathering place as everyone is welcome to draw water from the well. As with most Maranatha wells, the water source is next to a beautiful Seventh-

day Adventist Church, which was constructed by Maranatha in 2017. The sanctuary serves as a reminder that God is the source of all blessings and the wellspring of love and grace.

Thanks to the generous gifts of so many donors, Maranatha drilled 133 water wells in India in 2020.

There are plans to drill 200 water wells this year—a goal that can only be achieved with your help. Full sponsorship of a water well in India is $10,000

About the Cover: Bridger Ramsey, age 12, attaches trim on one of the new sheds constructed during the third installment of the Paradise project in October. He joined his parents and three brothers in traveling from Idaho to California to be part of the experience.

Photo by Ed Jensen

2 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 www.maranatha.org Photo by Naveen Ali

SHARING THE

Mission

“DON’T WORRY”

By Don Noble

It was several years ago when I saw the bright yellow wording on the magenta colored sweatshirt. It stood out like a billboard to me, although the young girl wearing the sweatshirt walked by quickly and had no idea I had even noticed the words. The message was powerful, and I have thought about it often during this pandemic time where we all face so many issues. The moving sign read: “Don’t Worry, God is in Control.”

We definitely cannot downplay the seriousness and reality of the COVID-19 impact on our lives and on our world, but it is very comforting to know that we can be completely confident that God is in control; He is patiently working out His will for us and for this world. As we look around, it does seem as though something great and decisive is soon to take place. Our lives and lifestyles are certainly disrupted, but being able to fully trust God is wonderful.

www.maranatha.org

The current circumstances make the planning process that we typically do at Maranatha considerably more challenging. How do we plan projects, volunteer involvement, finances, impact on lives, travel, and work with our international teams? More than ever we are asking God to provide clear direction as we seek to accomplish as much as possible in the areas we are being asked to work.

We believe that ministry matters, perhaps now more than ever, as we observe the steady tread of events that we believe will lead to the glorious second coming of Jesus. Our plan is to move ahead aggressively with all the projects we can reasonably accomplish.

Our teams in the field are building, and we will organize volunteers as soon as the way is clear in the various areas where we are working. We are also drilling wells—lots of wells to provide fresh water for tens of thousands of people and, of course, their animals.

Our goal for 2021 is to drill at least 500 wells to provide this great gift from God in five countries.

We want to say “Yes” to as many project requests as possible in 2021.

Knowing that there is a God in Heaven, who is overseeing everything in this world, gives us confidence to continue trusting Him through the current challenges, just as we have in the past.

We see the reality of “Maranatha” just ahead, and we can move confidently because we “don’t worry, God is in control!”

Will you join us?

T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 1, 2021 | 3

AROUND THE

World

A snapshot of volunteers and projects in the mission field.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE The first well drilled by Maranatha in this country is pumped by local community members at the Anan Seventh-day Adventist Church.

ZAMBIA Maranatha wrapped up its work at the Emmanuel Adventist Secondary school, completing a new girls dorm, restrooms, six classrooms, and a water well.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE Our first international volunteers in nearly nine months work on a building at the Niangon Adventist School.

4 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g

INDIA The Jingshai Mihngi Adventist School, a major focus for Maranatha throughout the pandemic, is nearly complete.

KENYA The community lines up to collect water at the new Syomikuku Seventh-day Adventist Church well.

PERU After more than seven months of strict lockdown, restrictions softened to allow construction. Our team finished the foundation of a large school building in the town of Ica, and our fabrication shop is manufacturing steel windows.

KENYA New classrooms were recently constructed on the campus of Chumviere Adventist School.

INDIA A happy Gowa Seventh-day Adventist congregation celebrates the opening of their new church building. www.maranatha.org

BRAZIL The Nova Vida Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brazil recently dedicated their new Maranatha water well with a ceremony to introduce their neighbors to the free resource.

T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 1, 2021 | 5

News + H I G H L I G H T S

While a number of mission trips had to be canceled or postponed due to COVID, Maranatha still had 23 projects involving more than 1,200 volunteers. More than half of the projects took place in the United States.

2020 MOBILIZES MORE THAN 1,200 VOLUNTEERS

W

ith a global pandemic limiting travel this year, you might be surprised to learn that Maranatha volunteers served 1,210 times in 2020.

The first rush of volunteers came between January and March, when we had 506 serving in six countries. Then, COVID-19 brought travel to a halt, and all Maranatha mission trips were postponed or cancelled for nearly three months. In the meantime, Maranatha’s crews safely resumed the work by sheltering in place at construction sites around the world.

It wasn’t until June when volunteer trips started up once more, but only in the United States and Canada.

The first was a campus renovation project at Milo Adventist Academy in Oregon. Following the success of Milo,

Maranatha began opening up more projects in North America on a case by case basis. This year, 660 people volunteered on 12 projects in North America.

Then in December, Maranatha volunteers finally returned to the international mission trip by heading to Côte d’Ivoire. It was the first overseas project in nine months, and Maranatha’s tenth international project in 2020; a total of 332 volunteers served overseas. Overall, 446 first time volunteers served with Maranatha last year.

“As we look back to 2020, we are grateful to God that we were able to offer opportunities for so many people in spite of the difficulties,” says Maranatha’s director of volunteers,

Lisandro Staut. “We are thankful because every volunteer came home safe, nobody became sick during our projects, and communities were blessed by our volunteers.”

6 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g

#GIVINGTUESDAY DONORS RAISE $250,000 FOR WATER

T

his year, Maranatha raised more than $250,000 for the annual online fundraiser #GivingTuesday, breaking last year’s record by nearly $150,000. The funds went toward providing water wells in Zambia, as well as one in Kenya.

This year’s campaign also included a challenge to go one full day without using house tap water. Called #NoTapTuesday, participants were encouraged to turn off their faucets and instead collect water from a neighbor’s house or purchase it from a store, and share their experience on social media.

Many commented on how impactful the challenge was in showing how integral clean, accessible water is to us all.

Zambia, a country in south-central Africa, was one of the main focuses of Maranatha’s work in 2020. Despite challenges with COVID-19, Maranatha’s local teams were able to continue working, safely, in rural areas. Along with

One-Day Church and school classroom construction, crews also provided water wells. In 2020 alone, Maranatha drilled 208 wells in Zambia.

Each water well is located at the site of a Seventh-day Adventist Church–either built by Maranatha or pre‑existing. The wells, which are open

to the public with no prerequisites for use, are meant to be a form of outreach to serve the local community. Adventist presence has significantly increased in the areas where Maranatha has provided a church and water well.

CAMP KULAQUA PROJECT KICKS OFF 2021

O

n January 6, 2020, 38 volunteers gathered in Florida for the first Maranatha project of 2021. The goal was to work on renovations at Camp Kulaqua, a Seventh-day Adventist camp and retreat center in High Springs, a city two hours north of Orlando.

Along with renovation projects around the property, volunteers focused on erecting a 40 by 60 foot open-air pavilion or pole tent to be used for picnics, meetings, and other outdoor events.

This is Marantha’s third annual project at Camp Kulaqua. Over the years, volunteers have worked on rebuilding decks for various structures, www.maranatha.org

landscaping, fencing, and much more.

With 800 acres, Kulaqua is the largest Adventist camp in North America, and the maintenance and landscaping needs are great. Having a team of volunteers from year to year has allowed the staff to catch up and start new projects at the camp.

“The biggest overall effect is that it gives a new fresh look to the camp.

[The volunteers] may not realize how much of a difference they are making,

but someone who has seen things at the camp in the past will come back and say ‘wow’ because the difference is so tangible,” says Michael Hopkins, building maintenance director at Camp Kulaqua. “The stuff you do for us is huge.”

T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 1, 2021 | 7

452 BOXES OF Hope How the return to Paradise built love and faith in more ways than one

By Julie Z. Lee

I

t was a familiar scene in the parking lot of the Paradise Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Dozens of people in hard hats. The constant bang of hammers. Forklifts cruising back and forth with stacks of trusses. Whirring generators.

Screaming saws. The occasional human voice shouting orders across the way.

And the rows and rows of grey and white sheds, waiting for a last coat of paint, a plaque, and an owner.

It all looked and sounded nearly identical to what had taken place 10 months prior, when approximately 400 volunteers came through Paradise, California, to build storage sheds for survivors of the Camp Fire—a wildfire that nearly leveled the city of Paradise in 2018. The 10-by-12-foot sheds provide a place for residents to keep their remaining things while rebuilding homes that were lost in the fire. The mission project, which was a collaboration between the Paradise church and Maranatha, resulted in 202 structures in just three weeks and drew the attention of the local community and surrounding media. It was so successful that they were asked to repeat the effort to provide more sheds.

“So after the first project we completed in November, we received over 900 applications or requests for sheds. We only had 200 to give out.

So we obviously saw that there was still a huge need in the community,” says Joelle Chinnock, director of development and disaster recovery for the Paradise Seventh-day Adventist Church,

“Lord, I know there are going to be challenges. And I know that you’re bigger than those.”

1

which helped to create, fundraise for, and launch the project.

Chinnock partnered with Maranatha for a second round, and, for the most part, everyone expected it to be relatively easy. After all, the details had already been figured out—the shed design, assembly line process, and volunteer coordination. Now, the leadership could focus on ironing out the wrinkles and making improvements, such as adding a massive canopy over the main work area for shade.

But nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

“I think I always had a sense from the first project that I knew the next project wasn’t going to go as smoothly as the first one had,” says Chinnock. “I had no idea it was going to have this many challenges in it though… It had been my prayer from the very start—‘Lord, I know there are going to be challenges. And I know that you’re bigger than those.’” “‘Just help me to have the faith to hold on.’”

Originally, the second shed project was scheduled for April, 2020, with a goal to build 250 sheds. But a month out, the world shut down from COVID. The pandemic, declared in March, postponed all volunteer projects, indefinitely.

It was anyone’s guess as to when things would restart.

By summer, restrictions eased and a modified level of activity resumed in the United States. In June, Maranatha held a project—the first since the lockdown in March, and 50 volunteers gathered to work on renovations at Milo Adventist Academy in Oregon. Following Milo’s success, Maranatha

8 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g

3

2

put the shed project back on the calendar, scheduling it to start at the end of August.

But COVID and time had had its impact. The number of registered volunteers was lower than anticipated. Also, the cost of materials had jumped due to companies slowing down production.

Expectations were adjusted all around.

Susan Woods, Maranatha’s medical services coordinator, was the project leader. She managed the volunteer experience and handled the logistics of their health according to California requirements for COVID. As expected, the addition of masks and social distancing altered the vibe of the project. But Woods also felt the strain of what had been a tense year for everyone.

Says Woods, “I think one of the things that I noticed on this project was the stress that a lot of people are under because of what has been going on in the world, and then what’s been going on in this community in the last two years. And we’ve had a lot of stress and that affects people’s interactions with each other.”

Then another challenge hit the project. Wildfires had started ravaging California, and one started up in Oroville, a town about 20 miles from the project. The power shut off and smoke darkened the sky in Paradise, making the air too hazardous to work. A peripheral zone of Paradise was asked to evacuate and, out of caution, Maranatha asked volunteers to temporarily leave the area. Some volunteers from Oregon left for good as they had to tend to wildfires near their homes.

Two days later, the project resumed with fewer people but a strengthened resolve to keep building.

The adjusted goal had been to build 150 sheds. On the last day of the project, the volunteers finished www.maranatha.org

4

shed number 118.

“We went into the second project knowing we were just going to be thankful for what we could produce,” says Chinnock. “And I’m really grateful, after all of this happened. It’s amazing to me to see that we [have] 118 sheds rolling off that line despite everything that we’ve been through on this project.”

It’s obvious that the experience has been demanding on Chinnock. Organized, patient, and calm, Chinnock seems unflappable. But she admits that the roller coaster emotions and events of this second project rattled her faith. And for that, she is grateful.

“My faith needed to be challenged because it needed to grow. And I saw there were multiple times throughout the project where I couldn’t see how God was going to pull it off,” says Chinnock.

“And yet He has. And He’s provided more abundantly than I ever thought He could. Again.”

With construction materials remaining, volunteers eager to help, and lingering requests for sheds, Chinnock and Maranatha decided to quickly organize another project. In early November 2020, volunteers gathered once more in Paradise. This third and final installation went off without a hitch, bringing 216 volunteers through the site to build 132 sheds.

In total, the three projects resulted in 452 sheds, totaling 3.76 miles of walls, 1.38 acres of roofing, and 54,240 square feet of storage. Whether it was for one day or 30, 780 volunteers came from as far away as Maine and Florida and as close as a few blocks away. In fact, a good portion of

HOPE IN A SHED:

1 A long line of completed storage sheds await delivery.

Over the past year, the gray and white sheds have become ubiquitous in town.

2 Karen Smith, who lost her home in the fire, volunteered on the project as a way to give back after receiving a shed of her own.

3 A team carefully rolls a shed down the line to the next section, where volunteers will install a door.

4 Volunteers run the saw at the truss station. Over the three projects, 780 people came from all over the country to help.

PHOTOS: (1) SUSAN WOODS (2) JULIE LEE (3-4) ED JENSEN

T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 1, 2021 | 9

1

“It’s just been a gift, them showing me what love is and what love looks like.”

2

the volunteers were from Paradise. After hearing of the project in the news or on social media, an unusually large number of local church and community members participated on the project. Many were shed recipients themselves.

Karen Smith is a Camp Fire survivor who lost everything. While she hasn’t yet rebuilt, she has been working hard to clear her property of brush and debris. The challenge was finding a place to keep her tools since the only storage she had was her car. When she heard about the shed project at the Paradise Adventist Church, she quickly signed up.

“About a month ago, I received my shed and I was overwhelmed with happiness,” says Karen, getting choked up at the memory. She apologizes for her tears. “Wasn’t expecting that—which was the same reaction [I had] when the shed came.”

After receiving a shed, Karen decided to volunteer. “I’m so thankful, just so thankful. I just really felt the need to help out, and that’s why I’m here.”

The experience of volunteering has had additional blessings for Karen. She says the service and the socialization have been good for her health. “I’m very curious about everyone—where they come from, what their backgrounds are… it’s been wonderful. Really, really wonderful. I had no idea how many helpful people in the organization that there are.”

Curtis Smith (no relation) is another shed recipient who found his way to the Adventist parking lot, day after day. At 80 years old, Curtis moves a little slower than the others, and he only works a half day. But he’s dedicated to his station, where it’s his job to move lumber from one place to the next for his team. He’s calculated that he only shaves about 15 minutes a day off production time, but it’s 15 minutes that he feels great about.

“It makes me feel better. I’ve done something good for the day,” says Curtis.

He says the service has also been good for his mental health. “Being alone with all the COVID and so on, I’m locked in my house and depression was settling in.

So I knew I had to get out. And when this came along, I came down here, and it just fit. Everything was good. I like the people here. I mean, it’s almost like going to church… They’re just great. Great people.”

Carrie Max is another local who has been volunteering on the project. After losing her family property to the fire, she read about the sheds on social media in the fall of 2019.

“I think I saw it on Facebook or something like that, and it also asked if we wanted to help… This whole fire has created a lot of depression and sadness,” says Max, her eyes filling with tears. “A lot of us that have decided to stay are in our

10 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g

3

places all alone. And we’re not even in a place— I’m in a trailer. And it just helps to be around other people. To be of service.”

Max showed up at the church and was assigned to kitchen duty with the occasional jaunt to the construction site. During the project, Max received a shed.

“It was great! It was unbelievable because I was helping build them,” she says.

Her new structure sits on the corner of her property, which once held her mother’s home and lush garden. After the fire, Max moved a trailer onto the land, built a white picket fence, and placed tables—from the old bowling alley— around her yard. She strung patio lights from tree to tree. The grass is growing back, along with some of the flowers, and in the fading light of sunset, the place looks almost magical. Max has done a good job of creating a home with found objects, but it’s nothing close to what she lost and what she needs, long-term. Everything is temporary. Everything but her new shed.

The shed is the first thing you see when arriving at her property. Already, Max has customized the structure, having added a large painting of sunflowers to the exterior wall. Inside, she repurposed wood scraps into shiplap and a red pendant light hangs from the ceiling. The shed matches her vibrant personality. But there is one thing Max won’t change: the original plaque listing the project sponsors and a Bible verse, Psalms 46:1.

“There’s a sign on it, saying all the people that were involved. So that’s even like, when I’m having a bad day, well all those people love me!” she says, laughing. www.maranatha.org

4 4

Max says she found love in the volunteers, too.

After the first project in 2019, she returned again in August and November. In a time of extreme loneliness and anxiety, the Maranatha experience has been uplifting and comforting for her.

“It’s been really beautiful, [the volunteers] coming and treating us with love and respect. No judgment. No, ‘come join our church and we’ll let you eat’ or anything like that,” says Max. “It’s just been a gift, them showing me what love is and what love looks like. And to be worthy of it? Really? What a gift.”

A year ago, when Maranatha first interviewed Chinnock about the project, she talked about her vision. Back when nothing had yet been built and everything was still a developing idea, Chinnock imagined her town being covered with sheds.

“I could see in my mind, I’m going to drive around, and I’m going to see sheds dotting around Paradise and dotting the landscape and know that this project came together because God orchestrated it,” she said.

Today, the vision is a reality. A drive through Paradise, which is still scarred but recovering, reveals shed after shed after shed—452 boxes of love, built by 780 new friends.

Residents say that the grey and white sheds are often the first thing you see on a property. The first sign of return. A commitment to rebuild.

And a communal hope to heal.

GOD’S WORKSHOP:

1 David and Linda Schaffer, from Washington, stop their busy work to smile for the camera.

2 Ken Carr, from Oregon, was on the painting team. Years ago, he used to lead Maranatha projects.

3 An aerial shot of the worksite, which is where the Paradise Seventh-day Adventist Church used to stand.

The entire church complex was lost in the Camp Fire.

4 Carrie Max, who lost her family home in the fire, volunteered on all three Paradise projects. She received a shed along the way.

PHOTOS: (1-2) ED JENSEN (3) KYLE FIESS (4) JULIE LEE

T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 1, 2021 | 1 1

“THEY DON’T BUILD CHURCHES IN NORTH AMERICA” How a congregation in Tennessee discovered Maranatha’s help

By Julie Z. Lee

“I feel so blessed to have volunteers from all over the country.”

J

uan Sandoval needed to build a church. The question was, “How?” It was 2018, and he was the brand new pastor of the Ooltewah Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Tennessee. The congregation had been meeting in rented spaces for the past decade, and they were ready for a change.

So when church leaders interviewed Sandoval for the new pastor position at Ooltewah, they asked if he could lead them in constructing a place of worship.

“It was a top priority,” remembers Sandoval. “I really had no experience building a church… I told them I was willing to learn. I was willing to try and do everything with God’s help to make it a reality.”

Sandoval got the job, and now it was time to deliver. But where and how to start?

Ten years ago, the Ooltewah group grew from the Collegedale Hispanic Seventhday Adventist Church; the congregation had decided to split when the group grew too large for the place. Over the years, Ooltewah met in rented spaces and most recently in a Methodist church. The arrangement worked, except that any meetings outside of Sabbath worship had to be held in member homes.

“We came to the conviction that we couldn’t be renting forever. We needed our own building if we wanted to hold evangelistic meetings, Vacation Bible School, socials, and all these community outreach programs. And that really helped us realize that we need our own building to really live up to what God is calling us to do,” says Sandoval.

Fortunately, the congregation had managed to purchase a three-acre plot with a house—no small feat in an area with a booming housing market. Initially, the plan had been to renovate the home, but the estimates kept ballooning. So the group went the route of new construction. They demolished the structure and made plans for a more affordable warehouse-type building with metal siding. But 1 the style was a disappointing compromise for a congregation that had been dreaming of a church for so long.

As Sandoval beat the bushes for more ideas, he heard about “Go: Maranatha,” a mini-convention event in Chattanooga, just a few miles from Ooltewah. He didn’t pay it much attention, until someone insisted that he attend.

“One of the church members elbowed me and was [like], ‘Pastor, what if we ask Maranatha if they could build a church,’” says Sandoval. “My first reaction was, ‘That’s only overseas in third world countries. That’s not a viable option.”

Sandoval decided to go to the event anyway. There, he learned a great deal about Maranatha’s work around the world. He was also surprised to learn that Maranatha did plenty of projects in North America—including building

12 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g

2

churches in the United States.

After the program, Sandoval met with staff from the Maranatha projects department. They told him about Maranatha’s standard church design for North America, a blueprint for a simple and cost-effective building. Designed for smaller congregations, the plan includes a sanctuary, a fellowship hall and kitchen, Sabbath School classrooms, bathrooms, an audio-visual room, and an office. The design allows congregations to save architect fees and also have the option to use Maranatha expertise and volunteers for part of the construction, which provides generous savings.

Sandoval was delighted. He went home and jumped on Maranatha’s website. “We ended up filling [out] their application, running it through our conference, and once they approved it, we sent it all in and that got the ball rolling.”

Over the next couple years, Sandoval worked closely with Maranatha’s team to get the project off the ground. There were several delays due to budgets, design adjustments, and other complications with new construction, and Sandoval received quite the education.

“If you’re considering Maranatha to help you, you’re going to notice that this is not their first rodeo. They’re very rich in experience, and they’ll walk you through the process,” he says. “They were very kind and patient in answering my questions.”

In late 2020, Ooltewah finally broke ground on their church. And that October, a team of Maranatha volunteers arrived to help with framing, wood siding, roofing, window installation, and rough electrical and plumbing work.

“I feel so blessed to have volunteers from all over the country. You know, when the first few volunteers from Maranatha arrived, it started to actually hit me. I started to actually process it,” says Sandoval. “And I was so touched when they asked me, ‘How do you feel pastor?’ And I said, ‘I feel www.maranatha.org

3

like we’re a family.’ And their response was ‘That’s right. We’re a family in Christ, and we’re here to help you.’ That melted my heart, and I realized that all the conversation we had had prior were now going to be a reality.”

Roger Hatch, longtime Maranatha volunteer and board member, has been serving as the construction superintendent for the Ooltewah project and worked with Sandoval during the planning phases. “I think the pastor is pretty amazed at what goes on, how fast it’s going up. He’s very appreciative of what we have accomplished in the past week. I think that this church will absolutely grow, leaps and bounds, once we get the doors open.”

Already, the congregation is planning multiple outreach events where the church will be the headquarters. From food banks to tutoring courses for the Hispanic community, to educational classes, the church will likely be used almost daily.

There’s still a long way to go before the 87-member congregation can begin meeting under their own roof. Building a 5,000 square foot church will take more than a two-week project with Maranatha, no matter how fast the volunteers work. And as with any major construction project, there will likely be more hurdles along the way. But Sandoval is undeterred.

“This process has taught me a lot about faith in the sense that there were many days when I lacked faith, questioning whether this project was ever going to become a reality. And I saw how God would allow certain people and certain ministries, like Maranatha and our conference administrators, the local church, and also other investors that have joined on board with our building project,” says Sandoval. “It has taught me to trust God in the process but to also trust other people, other ministries.”

CHURCH HOME:

1 From October 12-30, nearly 60 volunteers helped with the construction of the Ooltewah Hispanic Seventhday Adventist Church in Tennessee.

2 Roger Hatch was the construction superintendent on the Ooltewah project. A Maranatha board member, retired contractor, and longtime volunteer, Hatch has led countless projects and says he loves helping congregations in need.

3 The Ooltewah church uses a standard blueprint for churches in North America, designed and provided by Maranatha.

PHOTOS: NICK EVENSON

T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 1, 2021 | 1 3

Mission RESUMED

Maranatha’s first international volunteers since the start of the pandemic serve in Côte d’Ivoire

By Dustin Comm

W “I had to keep pinching myself.

I’m in West Africa, and in Côte d’Ivoire, where I’ve dreamed about going for a long time.”

hen Maranatha volunteers landed in Côte d’Ivoire in December 2020, it was nearly nine months after our last international volunteers left the same country. With a relatively low number of COVID-19 cases in this West African nation, the situation here was less tense than in March 2020, when the world came to a halt. By the end of the year, international travel had resumed and Côte d’Ivoire imposed very few restrictions. Weighing the potential risks, a small group of volunteers decided to carry on Maranatha’s tradition of international service, despite the pandemic.

It was a decision that Maranatha volunteer and board member Ed Jensen took very seriously, although he realizes some may wonder whether full consideration was given. He emphatically leaves no doubt. “I weighed all of the risks for flying and traveling,” said Jensen.

Jensen is familiar with stepping out in faith during COVID. Last June, he successfully led Maranatha’s first volunteer project in months after the pandemic restricted volunteer involvement. Held on the remote campus of Milo Adventist Academy in Oregon, a plethora of health and safety protocols were developed for the project, and Jensen’s attention to detail ensured safety and compliance with local ordinances.

Jensen applied the same level of care to his decision to travel to Côte d’Ivoire.

“You just have to think about it and weigh the balances,” said Jensen. “What is your stress level, your risk for what you’re contributing, and what you will receive back.”

To be sure, there were more considerations to weigh than on past international projects. Travel is not the same as it used to be. A negative COVID test is required a certain number of days before departure, depending on the destination. There is new paperwork that must be filled out. Face masks must be 1 worn nearly constantly throughout the duration of the 25-30 hours of travel.

But for the volunteers on this trip, desperate to serve again, the experience was worth it. With empty seats for social distancing, updated ventilation, and negative COVID tests for all travelers, volunteers felt comfortable enough to fly safely.

Once in Côte d’Ivoire, the small but experienced group of volunteers settled into relatively normal mission trip activities. They joined Maranatha’s local crew at the new Niangon Adventist Secondary School where they helped to construct an office building and restrooms. For these veteran volunteers, it was routine construction they had all completed many times before. Yet the significance of the moment,

14 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g 14 | THE VOLUNTEER ISSUE 4, 2020 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g

being one of the few people in the world who had traveled internationally to serve since the start of the pandemic, was not lost on them.

“I had to keep pinching myself,” said Jensen.

“I’m in West Africa, and in Côte d’Ivoire, where I’ve dreamed about going for a long time. It felt good to be able to get out there and do the project.

We had been bottled up since March, and it was good to get out.”

It wasn’t only volunteers who felt constricted by the pandemic. With no visitors arriving in Côte d’Ivoire for most of the year, Maranatha’s in-country team also yearned for the interaction of a volunteer project again. Although local workers sheltered in place and continued construction since the early days of the pandemic, there was an element of disappointment knowing that other members of the Maranatha family weren’t coming.

“We thank God because we were able to work each day,” said Gilberto Araujo, Maranatha’s country director for Côte d’Ivoire. “But we were kind of isolated.”

With the arrival of the December volunteers, a shot of energy was injected into the entire local team. Working alongside volunteers who had traveled great distances in uncertain times was a boost to morale that couldn’t be duplicated. This energy was also transferred to the local Seventhday Adventist churches and communities where Maranatha was working, including the Avagou congregation, which received the first One-Day Church in the country during the project.

Many had heard about Maranatha and how it operated, with people from abroad paying their way to serve on projects around the world; but without volunteers coming, what was described to them hadn’t come to full fruition. “To see the faces of Maranatha, it was an encouragement,” said Araujo.

“It was energizing. You could see that the church members immediately started working on the walls when they saw people coming from abroad and building them a church. Even we, as Maranatha workers, are reminded that we are a family. We have been energized.”

On Sabbath, the volunteers worshipped with local congregations in Anan and Abbebroukoi.

They also saw Maranatha’s first water well in the country at the Anan church. For Jensen, the cumulative effect of seeing all that had been happening in Côte d’Ivoire during the pandemic was encouraging. “My favorite part of this trip was seeing Maranatha’s scope. We’ve known how effective the in-country crew is, but during COVID, they’ve really come into their own.”

Thanks to Maranatha’s local crews around the www.maranatha.org

2

3

world, the mission has been sustained through the pandemic. Without their dedicated effort, sacrifice, and determination, the work may have stalled. But for more than fifty years, the lifeblood of Maranatha has been our volunteers, and to have them in the international mission field once more, even if only a small number of them, was significant.

It was a memorable trip for each person on this project, and while thankful for a positive experience, Jensen advises that each person carefully evaluate the right time to volunteer again.

“This trip was successful, but I’d still recommend that they study it on their own. I want people to understand, we are being very proactive and careful about what we’re doing. The reason it was successful is because we were careful. We did our due diligence to make sure it was good.”

“The volunteers who came, it was liberating for them,” said Araujo. “It brought them back to a feeling of freedom, of helping others, and a complete immersion into the mission experience.

We do know that COVID-19 has changed everything in the world. There is no more normal, but the mission is still there, it is still available, and it is still inspiring.”

CONTINUING IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE:

1 Volunteers witnessed the dedication of Maranatha’s first well in Côte d’Ivoire at the Anan Seventh-day Adventist Church.

2 Volunteers helped to construct the first One-Day Church in the country for the Avagou congregation.

The church also received a water well and tank from Maranatha.

3 Maranatha crew members Saul Trujillo (left) and Carlos Morales (right) were excited to receive volunteers after going nearly nine months since the last volunteer project in Côte d’Ivoire.

PHOTOS: (1-2) DAVID BRILLHART (3) ED JENSEN

T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 1, 2021 | 1 5

A Generous Life:

THE STORY OF DAVID FELTMAN

By Becky St. Clair

A

mong friends and colleagues, Karen Godfrey is known for having an extraordinary memory. Godfrey, vice president of advancement for Maranatha Volunteers International, can rattle off phone numbers and birthdays from the top of her head, and she rarely forgets a person’s name—a big feat considering she has led dozens of projects over the years with hundreds of volunteers. So when she received an email from David “Dave” Feltman in April 2017, and he asked if she remembered him from a previous mission trip, it was a given that she would.

Greetings Karen: How are you doing? Staying busy? I do not know if you remember me from the Namibia trip. I wasn’t doing well towards the end…”

The Namibia mission trip, where volunteers built the Mavuluma Adventist School, had been in 2015.

But Karen remembered how Dave had had to leave early because he wasn’t feeling well. This was the first time she had heard from him since the project.

Unfortunately, it was devastating news.

I have been diagnosed with renal carcinoma and over the last 1 1/2 years I have been on 5 different chemo treatments...

My question for you. I do not know how much longer I have to live as I leave it in the Lord’s hands. I would like to set up some kind of fund, for lack of a better word, to leave my home to Maranatha when the time comes.

Three months later, Dave passed away. He left his home and most of his retirement to Maranatha for the construction of One-Day Churches in Africa.

“Even with his dying breath, Dave was thinking of others.”

Dave grew up in Ohio, the eldest of three boys.

John and Don, his younger brothers, have fond

memories of their childhood.

“I remember we used to sequester ourselves together in a room, turn out the lights, and have spitball fights,” recalls John with a chuckle. “Dave was a good big brother.”

The Feltman boys grew up with a dad who was a “vagabond at heart.” Every summer their parents would load the kids and their camping gear into the car and head west.

“We’d drive a thousand miles before stopping,” Don says. “We’d cook over an open fire or with a small cook stove and fall asleep under the stars.”

Growing up, the Feltmans lived in East Cleveland in an “asphalt jungle,” making pushcars out of scrounged-up garbage and racing them around the neighborhood. When they moved to an old farmhouse on the edge of a small town, the boys thought they’d died and gone to heaven.

“We saw the woods and a creek and immediately became Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, going on grand adventures,” Don says.

Perhaps it was the ritual of summer road trips and endless days in the forest, but adventure was a big part of Dave’s personality. When he was drafted into the Army straight out of high school, he became part of the “Whitecoats,” volunteering to test substances likely to be used in a biological attack. (This is, in part, what John and Don believe to have contributed to Dave’s eventual death by cancer.)

Following his military service, Dave earned a B.S. degree in nursing from Southern Adventist University, then completed master’s degrees in nursing and business and hospital administration.

He learned to scuba dive with a few experienced friends supervising his first dive—to 100 feet.

He got his pilot’s license. But what he really loved was caring for people. He worked at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Southern California

16 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g

for 32 years.

As a critical care nurse, Dave enjoyed signing up for the shifts no one else wanted, including holidays, so that nurses with families could spend their holidays at home. Though the family tried, it was nearly impossible to convince Dave to come home for the holidays.

“He felt he was doing more good working so other families could have greater joy,” John says.

His sense of adventure and passion for serving others led naturally into a love of mission service.

He began traveling the world with various groups, including Maranatha Volunteers International, building churches and offering medical care across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

When Dave discovered Maranatha’s One-Day Church program, that became his passion and life mission. He loved the concept of a structure that could be hauled into any part of the world, set up in a day, and expanded by local people if desired; anything that gave a greater number of people the opportunity to get to know Christ suited him. He was soon going on a mission trip every month.

“He developed deep friendships with people he encountered on those trips,” Don says. “There were particular people in Zambia he was close to, and he especially loved the children.”

Dave regularly asked his brothers to donate to Maranatha. More than once, Dave offered John the use of his earned air miles if John donated the amount of the tickets to Maranatha. John always agreed.

In 2008, Dave noticed his abdomen felt abnormally large and heavy. He asked his doctor for a scan but was told to go on a diet and exercise more. So he did. Six months later, doctors discovered and removed a basketball-sized tumor and extra fluid in his abdomen, a total of 25 pounds.

His health improved, and he went on several more mission trips over the following years, but in 2015, Dave’s cancer returned. This time nothing worked, and he got progressively weaker. Don remembers sitting with Dave in the hospital, listening to a constant stream of visitors express their best wishes and heartfelt love for his brother; he was impressed with the number of people Dave had impacted in such a positive way.

“He said he wanted to live a lot longer because he wanted to keep helping people,” Don says. “The truth is that he did continue helping people, even after he was gone.”

In 2016, John took Dave on what they called “a farewell tour.” They drove around Virginia and Ohio visiting family and friends one last time, www.maranatha.org

1

stopping by the hospital once a week to have fluid drained.

Then on July 29, 2017, Dave breathed his last. In his final moments he quoted Matthew 9:37: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

“Even with his dying breath Dave was thinking 2 of others,” Don says. “The lion’s share of his estate went to Maranatha, including his house. His generosity will help so many people for years to come.”

To date, Dave’s generosity has sponsored more than 300 One-Day Churches in four countries.

“Dave’s legacy has the potential to impact 28,000 people who now have a place to worship or will meet Jesus in a church he funded,” says Godfrey.

“What a gift. It’s incredible to see the impact one person can have.”

In his final days of hospice, Dr. Lois Ritchie Ritter, a fellow mission trip volunteer and friend, invited Dave to stay at her home. As they talked about Dave’s legacy, Ritter told him, “You spent so much of your life helping other people, and what you’re giving ultimately with your estate will help even more. Just think of all the souls saved for the kingdom because of you.”

That confirmation was meaningful to Dave and helped him better accept the end that came too soon.

“We thank God the tomb is empty,” Don concludes. “We are so grateful Jesus was willing to pay the price so we don’t have to say goodbye forever. We can’t wait to hang out with Dave again.”

LIFE LEGACY:

1 Dave Feltman on a project. He enjoyed the adventure of mission trips, but most of all, he loved helping others and sharing Christ.

2 (L-R) Brothers Don, John, and Dave Feltman.

PHOTOS: PROVIDED BY FELTMAN FAMILY

—with Julie Lee

T H E V O L U N T E E R ISSUE 1, 2021 | 1 7

2021 Project Scope A look at where Maranatha will be working this year, along with what we hope to accomplish in each country. Some of these projects need volunteers and all of them need funding. Check out page 22 for a list of volunteer opportunities and page 21 to learn how you can help with a donation.

UNITED STATES

CANADA

• Multiple projects

• Potential camp renovation

• Church construction, camp renovations, school campus renovations

PERU • 10 churches • 1 school campus

BOLIVIA • 3 churches • 1 school

BRAZIL • 50 water wells

GOALS FOR 2021 WATER WELLS • Zambia: 200 • India: 200 • Brazil: 50 • Kenya: 40

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

• Côte d’Ivoire: 20

• 20 One-Day Churches • 2 school campuses • 20 water wells

INDIA • 20 churches • 2 school campuses

KENYA • 100 One-Day Churches • 1 large church • 1 school improvement project

ZAMBIA • 80 One-Day Churches • 1-2 school campuses • 200 water wells

• 40 water wells

• 200 wells

HOW YOU’VE

Helped

A look at how your support is making a real difference for communities around the world.

DUDUR, INDIA

BEFORE Previously, the Dudur Seventh-day Adventist congregation met in this cramped room in a member’s house.

BUILDING YOUR

AFTER Now, they have a bright, spacious church building of their own!

Legacy

Although creating a will is one of the most important gifts you can give your family, thinking about this crucial situation can make many people uncomfortable. Others assume there are cost-prohibitive fees to establish a will. Both lead to inaction. The result? Most adults don’t have a will. A will allows you to choose who will take care of your minor children. It dictates who gets your assets and property—and who does not. And it saves your loved ones time, money, and stress.

Maranatha recently partnered with a company called FreeWill to provide wills to our supporters, free of charge. In 20 minutes or less, you can create your own will using their simple online will-writing tool. Maranatha supporters have already been taking advantage of this free service that secures their family’s future and can also help the mission they care so deeply for.

Take the crucial step of creating your own will today, and give yourself peace of mind. To learn more about this program or to create your own will, visit maranatha.org/plannedgiving or call 916-774-7700.

PROJECTS THAT NEED YOUR HELP

This year, Maranatha is working in 10 countries to provide churches, schools, and water wells to communities in need. Here are a few programs that urgently need your prayers and financial support.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE CHURCHES

Maranatha is continuing our efforts in Côte d’Ivoire, with the goal to build 20 One-Day Churches in 2021 while also building two school campuses and drilling water wells. For now, we urgently need funds for church construction. You can sponsor a share of a One-Day Church in Côte d’Ivoire for $1,500 or an entire church for $7,500.

WATER WELLS

Throughout 2020, Maranatha was able to drill water wells in four countries: Brazil, India, Kenya, and Zambia.

The impact has been significant, as we have provided water for nearly half a million people! There continues to be a great need for water, and we want to continue drilling wherever we can. Please help us keep the momentum going for clean water. Make a donation for water. Or sponsor a well, at $10,000 for Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, India, and Zambia and $30,000 for Kenya.

Countries

I N 202 1

Here’s where Maranatha is working this year.

BOLIVIA BRAZIL CANADA CÔTE D’IVOIRE CUBA INDIA KENYA PERU UNITED STATES ZAMBIA

INDIA CHURCHES

Even after more than 20 years, India is still a major focus for Maranatha. Churches are a catalyst for growth in Indian communities, usually resulting in not only membership increases but also the establishment of Seventh-day Adventist education centers. In 2021, Maranatha plans to build 20 churches while continuing to work on two school campuses. Currently, we need more funding church projects. You can make a general donation or sponsor an entire church for $30,000.

www.maranatha.org

CHURCHES SCHOOLS WATER WELLS CAMPS

P ROJ ECT

Check out our upcoming opportunities here or go to maranatha.org for the most updated list.

Please note, projects are subject to schedule adjustments due to restrictions or complications that may arise from COVID.

Calendar

DATE

PROJECT NAME

PLACE

LEADERS

SCOPE

Mar. 11 - 21, 2021

Côte d’Ivoire Project

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Loretta Spivey, Danny Poljak

School construction, outreach

Mar. 24 - April 6, 2021

Zambia Project

LIUMBA, ZAMBIA

Susan and David Woods

School construction

Apr. 15 - 25, 2021

Peru Project

LIMA, PERU

Judy and David Shull

Church constructionfoundation and structure

May 4 - 20 , 2021

Jamestown Adventist Church Project

TENNESSEE, USA

Betty Beattie-Chrispell, Roger Hatch

Church construction

May 23 - Jun. 4 , 2021

Camp Lawroweld Project

MAINE, USA

TBD

Camp renovations

Jun. 2 - 17, 2021

Milo Academy Project

OREGON, USA

Leroy Kelm

School renovations

Jun. 2 - 23, 2021

Mount Pisgah Academy Project

NORTH CAROLINA, USA

Ernie and Jeanice Riles

School renovations

Jun. 6 - 18, 2021

Union College Project

NEBRASKA, USA

Lisandro Staut, Jon Harvey

Dorm renovations

Jun. 16 - 29, 2021

Kenya Project

KAJIADO, KENYA

Loretta Spivey

School classroom construction

Jun. 17 - 27, 2021

Family Project Peru

ICA, PERU

Steve Case

School construction, outreach

Jun. 20 - Jul. 2, 2021

Upper Columbia Academy Project

WASHINGTON, USA

Cathie Clark, Jon Yearlott

School renovations

Jul. 1 - 11, 2021

Young Adult Project

ICA, PERU

Angela Boothby

School construction, outreach

Jul. 6 - 21, 2021

Pacific Union College Project

CALIFORNIA, USA

Leroy Kelm

Siding, campus housing renovation

Jul. 8 - 17, 2021

Kenya Project

KAJIADO, KENYA

Karen Godfrey, Peter Thomas

School construction

Jul. 15 - 25, 2021

Ultimate Workout 31

LIMA, PERU

Lisandro Staut, Rebekah Shephard

Church construction, outreach

Jul. 21 - Aug. 6, 2021

Project Patch Project

IDAHO, USA

Susan and David Woods

Painting, renovations

Sept. 26 - Oct. 8, 2021

Camp Lawroweld Projects

MAINE, USA

Susan and David Woods

Camp renovations

Oct. 11 - 22, 2021

Camp Yavapines Project

ARIZONA, USA

Carolyn Houghton, Charley Chavez

Camp renovations

Dec. 17 - 30, 2021

Family Project India

INDIA

Karen Godfrey

Construction, outreach

22 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1, 2021 w w w . m a r a n a t h a . o r g

HIGH SPRINGS, FLORIDA Behind the beard, first-time volunteer Jose “Leo” Camagay is smiling big at the Camp Kulaqua project in northern Florida, January 6-15, 2021. He was among the 38 volunteers who spent ten days building an outdoor pavilion or pole barn on the 800-acre grounds of this Seventh-day Adventist camp and retreat center.

Volunteers also helped paint, lay a water line, cut down a dozen trees, clean up and make horse trails, and lay 1,500 feet of waterline.

This was Maranatha’s third consecutive project at Camp

Kulaqua. Each year, volunteers make a major impact in helping with maintenance and major renovation projects. Michael Hopkins, building maintenance director, says he’s grateful for the help and the camaraderie over the years. “It feels like friends are coming back each time… They’re part of the family at this point. So that’s a really neat relationship to have there and to have the support of an organization that wants to come and invest in us is just a huge benefit, especially to my responsibilities.”

Photo by Lisandro Staut

Non-Profit U.S. Postage

PAID

Roseville, CA Permit No. 111

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.

The $10 Church Easy. Effective. Eternal.

Who knew that $10 could build a church?

Here’s how it works:

1 You commit to giving $10 a month to Maranatha.

2 We combine everyone’s monthly donations into one gift.

3 The monthly gift is enough to sponsor the construction of a church!

HOW TO WATCH BROADCAST CHANNELS (all times PT)

3ABN Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, 2:00 p.m.

Hope Channel Wednesday, 3:30 p.m.

Friday, 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, 8:30 p.m.

ON DEMAND

The Maranatha Channel App Download our app at the App Store and Google Play.

The more people who give, the more churches we can build.

www.maranatha.org View all episodes online at Maranatha’s website. Find segments by using our online “Search” function.

Join this community of donors, today!

Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Download The Maranatha Channel to watch all current and archived episodes and other videos on demand.

YouTube Go to www.youtube.com/missionstories to watch. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and automatically receive 2021 w w w . m aupdates. ranatha.org

www.tendollarchurch.org 24 | THE VOLUNTEER I S S U E 1,