The Volunteer Issue 1 2023

the VOLUNTEER

FAITH

The inspiring persistence of believers in Peru

SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Ann Cash shovels sand for the mortar at La Caleta 5 Seventh‑day Adventist Church site in the Dominican Republic as part of Maranatha’s family project last December.

Ann was joined by 35 other volunteers, including her husband, daughter, son in law, and twin granddaughters. As a family spanning three generations, this was their second Maranatha project. The first took place prior to COVID in Peru, in 2019. The grandkids, who were six at the time, loved the experience so much that they begged to return, which they finally got to do in December 2022.

While this was only Ann’s second family project, she and her husband Bill have been on 23

projects together. From Cuba to Namibia to Kenya and India, the Cashes have made it a priority to go on mission trips with Maranatha. They have even sponsored multiple building projects, including a school in Uruguay, where Bill grew up as a boy. For Ann and Bill, missions is a way of life and it’s a philosophy they want their grandchildren to also adopt.

“I take them on these mission trips so that they learn to give back and do service—because isn’t that what it’s all about?” says Ann.” We are servants of God. That’s what I wanted my daughter to learn, that’s what I want my grandchildren to learn. It’s all about serving and getting others to know about Jesus.”

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

Website: www.maranathacanada.ca

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.

About the Cover: A member of the Laraquere Seventh‑day Adventist Church, in Peru, stands at the door of their meeting space. Laraquere is one of the many congregations slated to receive a new sanctuary in Peru.

by Logan Carter

Photo

Photo by Danilo Poljak

CONTAINERS, CHURCHES, AND CHRIST

By Don Noble

For many years, Cuba has been an island country of uniqueness and mystery to those of us in the United States. When I ask people in the United States what they first think of when I say “Cuba,” I usually get three answers. The first is Castro, the second is communism, and the third is cigars. I would like to suggest a different grouping of three responses that also start with the letter “C.” First, containers. Second, churches. Third, Christ.

Why containers? Cuba is currently in a very difficult economic time, and the impact on citizens is drastic and immediate. Since the media in the United States rarely covers Cuba, we have been a bit surprised at how desperate the situation is there. Simply feeding their families is extremely challenging. Electricity is intermittent and unpredictable. The result is large numbers of people are finding ways to depart the country. However, most people are unable to leave.

For the Seventh-day Adventist Church, many members are also leaving, and this includes pastors and church leaders. With the desperate challenges of simply finding food, it is hard to blame them. The seminary that

Maranatha built–the seminary that has educated most of the current pastors in Cuba–has found it so challenging to feed the students that enrollment is down about fifty percent.

So Maranatha decided to ask caring people, like many of you, to help us send food and medical supplies to Cuba. The Cuban government is allowing us to import these containers from Panama with no duty, and we hope to send five containers. The second container recently arrived. As we helped to distribute the food, it was so impactful to see the grateful responses of the people. There were both tears and laughter.

Maranatha has been working in Cuba for 29 years, during which time we have built more than 200 churches. We knew about the need for churches in the 1990s, and we are learning that the need is very great now. Despite many people leaving Cuba, the Church is growing with much of the growth taking place among the youth. More than 40,000 people are now Adventists with many visitors that attend.

The Church has received permission from the government to build five major churches at various locations, and we have governmental permission

to import steel and cement; these construction items are nearly impossible to find in Cuba. We want to respond to the request positively. Will you help us?

High on a bluff, overlooking the port of Havana, is a large statue of Christ. It seems a bit out of place in a country like Cuba, but it is there for all to see. Despite the lack of Christian training and influence in the country, it is very clear that He is absolutely making His presence known among the people. Despite all that is happening in the lives of the people, they are responding to Christ in large numbers. What a wonderful blessing!

So, when someone asks you about Cuba, tell them about the containers, the Church and how Christ is working in the lives of the Cuban people. And please pray that Christ will continue to lead Maranatha as we seek to work for His kingdom in the beautiful island of Cuba.

—Don Noble, president of Maranatha

AROUND THE World

A snapshot of volunteers and projects in the mission field.

ZAMBIA

Members of the Hill View Seventh‑day Adventist Church have a new One Day Church to worship under.

KENYA

Maranatha’s team in Kenya dedicates a new truck before sending it out into the bush.

Maranatha leaders, donors, and officials from the Seventh day Church in Peru help to dedicate a new Education and Evangelism Center in the town of Ica.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Volunteers from Greeneville Adventist Academy in Tennessee get ready to build the walls of La Caleta 9 Seventh day Adventist Church.

INDIA

Maranatha board member and volunteer

Valeree Krueger, paints a building at the Pola Adventist School.

UNITED STATES

Young volunteers paint a horse enclosure at Camp Kulaqua in Florida.

PERU

Members of Los Milagros Seventh day Adventist Church worship in their Maranatha‑ constructed temple, to which they added many lovely finishes on their own.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Volunteers with the Family Project in December pose in front of the project they built: La Caleta 5 Seventh day Adventist Church.

ZAMBIA

In country crews are making progress on a large sanctuary for the Bethsaida Seventh‑day Adventist Church, which was previously destroyed in a storm that claimed five lives.

LA TINGUIÑA SCHOOL DEDICATED

In late December, Maranatha leadership participated in the dedication of the brand new La Tinguiña Adventist School in the town of Ica, Peru. Maranatha constructed a large 8-classroom structure called an Education and Evangelism Center, which includes administrative offices and a central meeting space for assemblies. The joyous day was an exercise in patience for all involved, from the local congregation, which has longed to see their dream come to life for decades, to Maranatha’s in-country crew, which was forced to wait helplessly in 2020 as the site sat idle for months during strict

COVID lockdowns.

As restrictions eased, Maranatha’s team began to resume the work, and eventually volunteer groups came through Ica to help build up the block walls of the structure. After enclosing the campus with a perimeter wall and gate and providing landscaping, La Tinguiña was ready for dedication. “This school is a testament to the determination of local church members who have prayed for this day for years,” said Maranatha’s vice president of projects, Kyle Fiess. “It is especially gratifying for our team in Peru that endured long periods of waiting throughout COVID. To finally be able

to hand it over to this community is a truly special day.”

The dedication ceremony included top Seventh-day Adventist leadership in Peru, and featured four baptisms. With the new campus complete, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Peru looks forward to the connections the school will build with the community. Classes started in March 2023, and school officials report that they are already nearly at full capacity.

Adventist leadership in Peru and Maranatha celebrate the opening of La Tinguiña Adventist School, which is already almost at capacity since opening in March 2023.

REMODEL IN LEWISTON

Nearly 20 volunteers participated in a church bathroom remodel project in Idaho at the Lewiston Seventh-day Adventist Church. Maranatha has served here in the past, constructing a fellowship hall in 1998. The church turned to Maranatha again recently, this time for help remodeling bathrooms that had leakage issues. Volunteers removed all of the furniture, fixtures, accessories, and wallpaper. The walls were stripped down to the studs

and the flooring removed down to the joists. Volunteers also created a slope in the floor for drainage, installed new flooring, refinished the walls, and reinstalled all of the furniture and fixtures.

Bathrooms may not sound like the most exciting ministry to support on a Maranatha project, but because of the community outreach mindset of the congregation, these bathrooms will support many initiatives that reach

A SUCCESSFUL 2022 IN INDIA

At the close of 2022, Maranatha Volunteers International’s incountry team in India reached a number of accomplishments across 10 states. Crews labored to construct 32 churches, providing proper houses of worship for congregations meeting in challenging conditions. Clean water has been an increasing priority for Maranatha in India, and last year 272 wells were provided at Seventh-day Adventist Churches. As always, these wells are free to the entire community and offer the opportunity for church members to spread God’s love to those coming to collect water.

Maranatha also worked on four

school campuses, including two large Elementary Education Centers at the Lasalgaon and Falakata Adventist Schools. These structures provide a dozen classrooms that surround a central meeting space that can be used for assemblies or chapel.

In 2022, the Pola school hosted Maranatha’s first volunteers back to the country since before the pandemic began. Two dorms and seven classrooms are complete, and workers are finishing three more classrooms, as well as a cafeteria. Finally, at the Binjipalli School a crew is getting started on four classrooms, an administrative office, a bathroom,

FIFTH ANNUAL PROJECT IN FLORIDA

For the fifth year in a row, Maranatha volunteers have assembled in Florida during January to serve at the largest Seventh-day Adventist summer camp in North America: Camp Kulaqua. The 800-acre property requires extensive maintenance, and the annual Maranatha project means that a slew of tasks can be completed in a short amount of time, which might otherwise

be pushed down the road. During this year’s project, 62 volunteers have replaced the walkway and railings on a boardwalk, as well as equestrian fencing. They are also repairing a 800-square-foot shed and painting a house.

Volunteer project leader Betty Beattie-Chrispell has been on all five Kulaqua projects. She has seen the relationship between the camp and

the larger area, including free meals for those experiencing homelessness, children’s play dates, Vacation Bible School, food pantry, and quilt ministry.

Maranatha has had a continuous presence in India since 1998, establishing an office while building places of worship and education throughout the country. In 2019, Maranatha started drilling water wells in areas in need of clean water. Maranatha has constructed more than 2,400 structures in India.

Maranatha grow and flourish over the years. “They now know what we can do for them,” says Beattie-Chrispell. “They are very appreciative and go out of their way to get whatever we need. They are already planning for us for next year. ”

and a cafeteria.

2023 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. While some of the numbers may adjust during the year, our goal is to complete approximately 2,000 projects in 2023.

CUBA

• churches

CANADA

• camps & retreat centers

UNITED STATES

• churches

• schools

• camps & retreat centers

PERU

• 100 churches

• 1 school

BRAZIL

• 40 water wells

• 20 churches

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

• 30 churches

• 1 school

• wells

KENYA

• 140 One-Day Churches

• 3 schools

• 60 wells

INDIA

• 30 churches

• 1 school

• 300 wells

ZAMBIA

• 120 One-Day Churches

• 2 schools

• 300 wells

ZIMBABWE

• Well maintenance

FROM CAVE TO A Church

One congregation’s search for a permanent place of worship

By Julie Z. Lee

From churches built of scarves to skinny wooden sticks to grasses and plastics, Maranatha has hundreds of stories about unusual places of worship. Each is unique in the individual struggles the congregation has had to overcome, and all are inspiring because they reveal a resilience and devotion to faith.

One of the more unusual stories Maranatha has come across in recent years is the story of the Laraquere Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Peru.

The Laraquere group didn’t intend to meet in a cave. But without a church building, the group was transient, shifting worship from place to place. First they crammed into someone’s home. When that was too small, they met outside, suffering through variations of extreme heat or soaking rain.

Then, they found a cave. It was carved out of a large rock formation, pocked with interesting divots and holes, that rose out of the hills of the city of Puno. The hollow had once been used as a halfway house—a place for weary travelers to find rest. Overnight guests built fires to stay warm and cook food, as evidenced by the blackened interior walls. Now, the cave was to serve as a sanctuary, and it wasn’t perfect, but it was spacious and dry. So the congregation scrubbed down the walls,

“They didn’t intend to meet in a cave...but it was spacious and dry.”

Chipanamamani (right) prays with his fellow church members as they gather in the cave that once served as the Laraquere church. Today, the cave stores hay for cattle.

built a door of piled rocks, and established a church. Nearly 30 people met there every Sabbath, walking in from all over the area for worship. And if the space was strange, no one cared.

“It wasn’t weird. They were all eager to hear the word of God,” says Papias Chipanamamani, who remembers worshiping in the cave. He was among the original members when the church started in 1975.

Several years later, a church member donated a piece of property in the nearby town of Poquellani. The location was more central to the growing number of members, and it was a place where they could build a real structure.

“We moved out from [the cave] because the Gospel wasn’t just preached within a family. They also spread it to their relatives and friends,” says Chipanamamani. “Most of the growth came from a nearby town, located 8 kilometers away; people were having to travel a long distance to attend church. “The distance makes you tired if you have to walk.”

At the new site, the members worked tirelessly to build a structure. It was a community hall, designed to serve multiple purposes, including worship. The funds were scarce, but the congregation collaborated to construct a simple building that could serve their immediate needs, at least temporarily. The dream, of course, was to build a sturdier church in the future.

But the dream was always out of reach, and as the years ticked by, the poor quality of construction materials caught up to them.

“Because the church we had was made of rustic materials, it deteriorated over time. It wasn’t just the walls that were in bad conditions. The ceiling was no longer the original ceiling. One time, the wind blew the roof off, and they had to reroof the building,” says Chipanamamani. “It was no longer in good conditions. It was

“If the space was strange, no one cared...they were eager to hear the word of God.”

deteriorated. When it rained, the water came in. It came out of the ground as well. Everything got wet, so it was no longer a suitable place.”

With no choice, the congregation tore down the building. Chipanamamani opened up a humble space on his property for worship. But in the meantime, he and fellow church members strategized how they might afford a new structure. They knew it would be a long road ahead.

But then the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Peru invited Maranatha to work in Peru. And after a two-year delay, due to the pandemic, the plan is for Maranatha to build them a new church.

“It’s a blessing from God because we didn’t expect this. It’s a great blessing from God,” says Chipanamamani.

Laraquere is just one of approximately 100 projects that Maranatha is committed to constructing in Peru in 2023. As membership

keeps growing and spreading in this region and other parts of Peru, the need for proper places of worship grows, too. It is a testament to the persistence of the Adventist Church in Peru and the dedication of its people.

For the past several months, efforts in Juliaca, Puno, and Cusco were delayed due to political unrest in the country. Please pray for these regions. Work is continuing in other parts of the country.

PERSISTENT FAITH:

1 The entrance to the cave, which served as a sanctuary for years.

2 Chipanamamani and his wife pray together in their kitchen, where they run a bakery.

3-4 Currently, the Laraquere congregation meets in a room at Chipanamamani’s home. It isn’t ideal, but it is available and packed every Sabbath.

5 Members of the congregation wait for potluck to begin after church.

PHOTOS: JULIE Z. LEE

Remembering DARRELL HARDY

A builder of churches, schools, and people

By Julie Z. Lee

Darrell Hardy was kind, warm, and private. So when he died unexpectedly last year, gathering details of Darrell’s life was a bit of a challenge. But still waters run deep, and beneath Darrell’s calm exterior was a soul that was fervently dedicated to the mission and his relationship with God.

The story goes that thirty-something years ago, Darrell was in his twenties when he heard about a series of evangelism meetings being held at a Seventh-day Adventist Church where he lived in Michigan. Curious, he went to one meeting, then returned night after night. He was soon baptized. Not too long after, in 1984, Darrell went on a trip to Mexico to attend Adventist Youth Congress meetings with a group from church. Somehow, they ended up stopping by Nassau, Bahamas, where they joined a team with Maranatha Volunteers International, then called Maranatha Flights International, in renovating a youth camp.

Darrell was hooked. The service experience was so profound that when he returned to his home in Michigan, he researched Maranatha and found another mission trip to join. This time, he headed to Mexico. Then he went back to Mexico again and again and again. Somewhere along the way, he stayed. He sold his house, quit his job as an executive chef at a resort hotel, and moved to

Mexico City. He offered to help with Maranatha projects, showing up to assist wherever he could. Eventually, Don Noble, president of Maranatha, took notice and offered him a year-long stint to help with volunteers and construction.

“He didn’t come to Maranatha for a job. He came as a volunteer. And as he internalized what we were and what we could be, he stayed involved,” remembers Noble, who had started his role as president of the organization just a few years before. “He was invested because of what he saw and what he experienced. He felt led by God.”

In Mexico, Darrell met a young woman named Gabriela (Gaby), who worked at the Central Conference Office. One of the pastors recruited her to assist Maranatha, given that she was one of the few bilingual people at the office. Soon, Darrell and Gaby started dating. They got married in 1989, and two years later, they gave birth to their son, Christopher. Five years later they welcomed twin daughters, Emily and Kenzie.

And as Darrell built a life in Mexico, he also built Maranatha in Latin America.

Darrell grew up in a Methodist family in Boyne City, Michigan. After attending college for a couple years, he dropped out to work. He got a job as a dish boy at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls and worked his way up to cook.

“He was invested because of what he saw and what he experienced. He felt led by God.”

Intrigued, he pursued training and experience, hopping from place to place, until he rose to the ranks of executive chef at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Michigan.

So when he landed a job with Maranatha, Darrell had zero experience in construction, and going from chef at a high-end hotel to construction worker in a developing country was quite the leap. But Darrell was a hard worker. He absorbed everything he could about the world of construction, picking up tips and skills from the various volunteer leaders who would come through. And as he grew in skill, he grew in responsibility in his job with Maranatha. Eventually Darrell began managing all construction projects in Latin America. But it wasn’t just his knowledge of concrete and steel that got him the promotion.

“Darrell worked at a large resort that put out hundreds of meals at a time, and he was in charge of making sure everything got to people at the right time and at the right temperature,”

says Noble. “He had to buy the ingredients and produce it and get it all out on time. It was actually very similar to what he had to do with these buildings. You wouldn’t think there was a connection but there was. He was a chef, but he was also someone involved with production.”

As Maranatha’s operations expanded, Darrell traveled from country to country, setting up teams, creating systems, and maintaining quality control. He was the bottom line for finance, construction, design, and volunteer support. He mentored staff that grew into crew leaders around the world. He was a stickler for details and quality–often requiring a great deal of effort from his team to achieve excellence–but Darrell was a staunch believer in the mission of Maranatha to provide well-designed, solid structures for God’s purpose, and his consistency helped to develop the brand of Maranatha projects.

“Darrell made it a point to always have a job site ready, clean, with all materials and all equipment that was needed, to the point that

FROM COOK TO CONSTRUCTION:

Darrell Hardy, vice president of construction, started his career as a cook at resort hotels before discovering Maranatha. After more than three decades of working with Maranatha, he died unexpectedly on November 20, 2022.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARANATHA

when someone came, all they had to do was start working. That took Maranatha to a whole new standard. And the thing is, people started to realize that if they went with Maranatha, Maranatha was going to make sure it got done,” says Karen Godfrey, vice president of advancement.

Says Noble, “We grew up with him, and he grew up with us. Without question, he was a focal, integral part of the growth of the organization.”

In 2011, Darrell became the vice president of construction and the Hardy family moved from their base in Mexico to Roseville, California. In his new role, he supervised Maranatha’s church and school construction around the world, including management of construction design, quality control, and property assessments. If he wasn’t traveling to visit sites and teams, Darrell could often be found in his office, poring over architectural plans, looking for ways to make them stronger, more efficient, and better overall.

But in those moments when he had to return to the field, he loved to be back in the trenches, getting his hands dirty with the work that started his career with Maranatha.

“He worked shoulder to shoulder with us. He never acted like a boss,” remembers Margarito Trujillo, construction manager, who worked with Darrell for 31 years. “When he was no longer near us, whenever he was back in the country, he would get to work. If we were unloading materials or tools, he would get into the truck to pass us the tools or materials. He worked very hard.”

In early November 2022, Darrell and Gaby were in Chile with their children for the wedding of their daughter Kenzie. After the wedding, Darrell and Gaby stayed to sightsee and visit churches that Maranatha had built in Chile during previous efforts–he always made a point to look for Maranatha projects wherever he was. On November 20, while on a hike, Darrell, showing exhaustion, sat down and passed away. He was 69 years old.

It was then, through the shockwaves of grief that passed through the extended Maranatha family, that Darrell’s true legacy was learned. While it was no secret that Darrell was always ministering to people in his work and personal life–including leading Bible studies and worships for his crew–the depth of his influence came

“What struck me most was his spirituality. He was never too busy to skip building his relationship with God.”

through in the stories that poured from his coworkers and church members of Darrell’s generosity, mentorship, and spiritual guidance.

“Darrell was a silent minister. I say silent because he didn’t go around saying he was a preacher. But honestly, that’s where his heart was, and his heart was reaching others,” says Godfrey. “He did it with his team. He did it with the church in Sacramento that he helped to start. Every time he turned around, he was wanting to be of service to somebody.”

Kenzie Hardy, Darrell’s daughter, says that Maranatha was an integral part of her father’s identity. He was always traveling and working and “he was the Maranatha guy.” But it wasn’t until his funeral in Mexico that she truly understood the impact her quiet, serious father had made beyond the work of bricks and mortar.

“People said he was like a second father to them. They said that he cared for their families,” she says. “They thanked us for sharing our father.”

Caleb de la Cruz, construction supervisor, began working for Darrell in 1990. Over the decades, he observed Darrell’s incomparable dedication to service and quality in his work. But it wasn’t his work ethic that made the most impact.

“What struck me most was his spirituality. He was never too busy to skip building his relationship with God.” The pastor who officiated the funeral service commented that great people are always honored with a statue or

monument. But every temple that was built in Mexico and in many parts of the world under the direction of Darrell is a monument to his memory,” says de la Cruz.

“I believe that the best way to honor Darrell’s memory is by following his example of selfsacrifice and service, passion, dedication, love for what he did, but above all, his love for God and neighbor.”

The very last project that Darrell worked on was an expansive school campus in the Dominican Republic. He pored over the plans, positioning the classrooms, the church, the sidewalks, and the perimeter walls. It looks to be an impressive, multi-year project, and volunteers will begin construction on it this year.

Maranatha will be dedicating the campus to Darrell, a man who stumbled upon a mission project in the Bahamas, then dropped everything to devote his life to missions and to follow Jesus.

The school, located on the outskirts of Santo Domingo, is called Ciudad del Cielo. In Spanish, it means “City of Heaven,” a fitting name for a place to honor a man of God.

LIFE OF MISSIONS:

1 Darrell talking to members of the Nueva Esperanza Seventh day Adventist Church in Peru in 2004.

2 Darrell addresses the crowd in Guatemala.

3 Darrell with longtime board member Don Kirkman and Maranatha president Don Noble in Escuintla, Guatemala, in November 1993.

4 The Hardy Family.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MARANATHA AND HARDY FAMILY

IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH WITH GOD

How a volunteer is continuing to use pumpkins to build churches

By Marina Maher and Julie Lee

Twenty-three years ago, Cheryl Erickson took on the task of growing pumpkins as an experiment in specialty crops for her farm. Little did she know that the experiment would turn into 25 churches and even a devotional book about her unique path to becoming a missionary.

The story begins in 2000, when Cheryl and her husband Dwight dedicated a portion of their North Dakota farm to experimentation with specialty crops. Their farm was going through a rough patch, and the hope was to find a crop that could produce a stronger profit. After researching lavender, various herbs, and alfalfa, Cheryl settled on pumpkins.

That first year, Cheryl planted an acre of pumpkins, “which amounted to 400 hills with five seeds per hill.” The job was labor intensive, and she worked hard to cultivate the squash. At harvest time, she sold 1,100 beautiful pumpkins to the local grocery store.

Her experiment was a success, but the labor was too intense to turn it into a full-time endeavor for the farm. Rather than give up on the crop altogether, Dwight suggested that she turn the project into a ministry to raise money for missions. When a local pastor suggested that she give the profits to build Maranatha Volunteers International churches in India, an idea was born.

The next spring, Cheryl planted another crop of pumpkins. And that fall, Cheryl harvested 5,000 pumpkins! From then on, despite harsh frost or dry weather conditions, she turned out a prolific crop year after year. She considered them a direct blessing from God because whether there was water to grow them or not, they turned out in absolute abundance.

“I had everything go wrong in my pumpkin patch,” said Cheryl. “Some years it was so wet, I couldn’t even drive in the field. Other years the drought was so bad that all I could see was withered plants. One year the plants had barely come up when the whole field froze. Miraculously, they all came back from the roots. Every time I had a crisis, He was there to solve the problem.”

And with that, she has earned her reputation as “The Pumpkin Lady.”

Over the next 21 years, Cheryl earned nearly $200,000.

“I wanted to keep earning money to build churches... so I decided to try writing a book about the miracles that God performed.”

The pumpkin funds helped to build 22 churches in India, 2 churches in Tanzania, and 1 church in Nicaragua. She even went on a mission trip to India to visit one of the churches the pumpkins had sponsored and to help with an evangelism effort.

She was touched and amazed by the people and how some of them have never heard the name Jesus before. By the end of the project, hundreds, if not thousands, were baptized.

“I think it was the most spiritually enriching experience in my life. I’ll never be the same,” said Cheryl of the experience.

In 2020, circumstances forced Cheryl to plant her last crop of pumpkins. There would be no more back-breaking work. No more battling pests, frost, and droughts. No more long days of hauling pumpkins from store to store. But there was one thing she was determined to keep doing.

“I wanted to keep earning money to build churches in India, so I decided to try writing a book about the miracles God performed, and the lessons I learned during that 21 years,” she says.

In 2022, Cheryl published “Missionary Pumpkins: Miracle Stories from God’s Pumpkin Patch.” Written as a devotional–31 short chapters for 31 days in October–the book describes the many trials and tribulations of growing and selling pumpkins–an endeavor that required her to wholly place her trust in God every step of the way.

The proceeds from the sale of the book will go toward funding Maranatha projects. Once again, Cheryl is using pumpkins to share the Gospel message around the world.

“You don’t have to go across the seas to be a missionary,” she says. “God says to use what is in your hand. Take what is in your hand and make a difference!”

Since publishing her book, Erickson had received messages from readers of how her miracle stories made them feel blessed. She had also received donations to support her outreach. She finds great joy in sharing the miracles of God and the lessons learned from a one-acre patch of land.

“I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I wanted to share with others what a personal God is really like, and I wanted to see these people in heaven,” she says of why she wrote the book.

“I just want to point people to God, even as a little light.”

PUMPKIN BLESSINGS:

1 In 2022, Erickson published a devotional book about her experience as a pumpkin farmer

2 Erickson traveled to India to volunteer and participate in the dedication of a church her pumpkins sponsored.

3 The pumpkin patch helped to build 25 churches over 21 years.

“Missionary Pumpkins,” by Cheryl Erickson, is available on Amazon at amazon.com and Walmart at walmart.com.

Proceeds will go to Maranatha Volunteers International.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CHERYL ERICKSON

A LONGSUFFERING MISSION

Maranatha’s faithful and patient ministry in Cuba over the past three decades.

By Dustin Comm

When Maranatha first broached the idea of working in Cuba in 1994, there were very real fears.

“We were afraid,” said Maranatha President Don Noble. “We didn’t know what we were getting into. We didn’t even know if we could go there, if we could get in, if we could accomplish anything to help the Church.”

Since then, Maranatha has held a sustained presence in the country for the past three decades, helping to increase Seventhday Adventist membership from around 9,000 to more than 40,000. Over that time, there have been great successes, frustrations, and long periods of waiting. It’s one of the most unique, challenging, and rewarding places Maranatha has worked in over the past 54 years and 88 countries. But in the beginning it wasn’t a given that it could be done, and it almost didn’t happen.

In the early nineties, Cuban-American Maranatha board member Tem Suarez started raising the idea of Maranatha helping the Adventist Church in his homeland. It seemed like an impossible task in a communist country.

Would they be allowed? How would you even start? Then, a divine pizza dinner in Guatemala changed the course of what seemed possible for Maranatha.

Noble, Suarez, and several representatives from the General Conference were present for a largescale dedication for all the churches Maranatha had built there, including Robert Folkenberg, then president of the General Conference. Garwin McNeilus, an independent businessman and missions supporter said he wanted to build churches in Cuba. Folkenberg asked if Tem would be willing to take the lead.

“I told them that if we can build one church in Cuba, it’ll be a miracle,” said Suarez, who passed away in 2003. “I was scared, but l said if God wanted to do it, I would do it.”

In 1994, after the meeting in Guatemala, Tem and a Maranatha team went back to Cuba. They met with people from the Union office and toured Adventist churches across the island. They

“I told them that if we can build one church in Cuba, it’ll be a miracle.”

learned the Cuban church was depressed after 36 years of persecution. Most of the buildings were falling apart. Maranatha determined to move ahead with 100 new churches and 100 renovated churches. There would also be 100 evangelistic campaigns surrounding those churches. The entire project was called “Christ For Cuba.”

Unlike similar efforts in other countries, Cuba required many additional steps in the construction process. Approvals and materials were often difficult to procure for churches. There were many hurdles that had to be cleared. Nevertheless, slowly and surely Maranatha continued to push ahead, and over the remaining years of that decade, accomplished the goal for churches, and even constructed a campus for the Adventist Seminary on the island.

But after that initial period of great activity in the ’90s, permission to do new projects ceased. It became a waiting game as Maranatha patiently stayed ready to continue the work

when conditions changed. It wouldn’t be until the 2010s before Maranatha would be cleared to build another church–this time for the faithful members of the Cardenas Church, who needed a new sanctuary since Maranatha’s first visit more than 20 years ago. In 2015, these patient saints received a beautiful new sanctuary.

Fast forward to late 2022—Maranatha had been unable to work on any projects in Cuba for nearly five years. While many countries around the world were returning to a semblance of normalcy after the COVID pandemic, Cuba’s economy was still reeling from the lack of tourism. Of course, things have always been more difficult here, isolated from much of the world through economic embargo, but tourism always provided enough means to keep society running. In September 2022, current President of the Adventist Church in Cuba Aldo Perez spoke at Maranatha’s annual convention and shared how dire the situation had become.

UNCERTAIN BEGINNINGS:

1 It was Cuban American Maranatha board member Tem Suarez who raised the idea of helping his homeland.

2 Maranatha President Don Noble (left), General Conference President Robert Folkenberg (center), and independent businessman and missions supporter Garwin McNeilus (right).

3 During the 1990s, Maranatha constructed or renovated more than 200 Adventist churches across the island.

He explained how there was very little food, medicine, or fuel on the island, and the people were suffering. Each citizen receives a ration book where they can get food at distribution centers, where there’s only about six staple items: rice, beans, coffee, sugar, a fourth of a cup of cooking oil each month, and salt every three months. But because of the tough economic conditions, there usually isn’t enough. It is common to see long lines of people waiting at these distribution centers, sometimes all day, for a single item. Each week they have to decide whether they will go to work and potentially miss a crucial food item at the distribution center or go to their job to earn an income. But even with that income, the supplemental food sold in open markets is often too expensive to purchase anyway, due to high inflation.

Perez appealed to Maranatha to provide help outside of the conventional construction assistance they were accustomed to. Maranatha agreed. “We decided to do something different that we typically don’t do as an organization—

that’s actually helping them right at that core need,” said Noble. “Hey, they need cooking oil, they need rice, they need beans, they need aspirin. You know, just basic, basic stuff.”

Starting in November 2022, Maranatha began raising funds to send critical aid to Cuba as a part of a global day of giving called GivingTuesday. Donors responded, giving more than $300,000 for a handful of shipping containers to be filled with life-saving food, medicine, and other necessities. In January, the first two of five containers arrived in the port of Havana. Sometimes shipments like these are held up in port for months, waiting for inspection. Thankfully, God was watching over the first two, and they made it into Maranatha’s hands without incident.

The impact was immediate. Distributed through the Adventist Union and Seminary in the west, and in the eastern city of Holguin, people came to receive critical items with smiles and gratitude. Noble traveled to Cuba to check on the progress and was moved to see the end goal of this ambitious initiative: alleviating pain.

“It’s pretty meaningful to see the reality of the people who you were actually raising the money for, picking up the food, and you know it’s changing their life,” said Noble. “Some of them are laughing, some of them are crying. There was a mix of emotions because they didn’t know

“We decided to do something different that we typically don’t do as an organization— that’s actually helping them right at that core need.”

what to do with themselves. One man said, ‘You don’t understand, we can’t get any of this stuff. It doesn’t exist for us.’ They didn’t know how to respond.”

Throughout this campaign, something else is beginning to happen in Cuba: signs of loosening restrictions. Projects are starting to be approved once again. Permissions are flowing. And this good news couldn’t come quickly enough. Despite all of the hard times recently, which have forced some residents to flee the island, the Adventist Church in Cuba is actually growing. When people are confronted with crisis, they tend to turn to God, and there are congregations once more in urgent need of proper places of worship.

Currently, Maranatha is looking at half a dozen sites in need of new construction or remodeling, and permission is secured for all of them. Plans are in motion to ship materials for the first project at Nuevitas, a congregation whose old church building was condemned and torn down. The members now meet separately, scattered in different homes each Sabbath.

It’s an exciting time for Maranatha in a long history of “on again, off again” in Cuba. Nearly 30 years after that initial visit, one which was steeped in trepidation and unknowns, Maranatha is still in Cuba working to help grow the Church. Suarez, who passed away 20 years ago in May, the

man who dared to dream of the possibilities here, would be proud. For Noble, it’s been one big exercise in following God’s leading above all else.

“Every time that I have felt that it was time to move on, something has taken place that has motivated us to stay involved further,” said Noble. “I believe God is leading. Where is He leading right now? Well, I’ll tell you when we look back. I can’t tell you now. We always ask the question, ‘Is this the will of the Lord?’ That’s the big question. Because if it is, it can’t fail. And that’s where I feel we are right now. Whether this will be the same approach that we use in a month or two months or five months, I don’t know, but we’ll take a little step at a time. That’s the way it’s been for 30 years.”

A PRESENT-DAY MISSION:

1 Recent years of challenging conditions in Cuba meant Maranatha’s first shipping containers of aid were received with great joy.

2 Students from the Adventist Seminary near Havana load a bus with food, medicine, and other critical supplies to be taken back to campus.

3 Aid has been distributed through the Adventist Union office and Seminary in the west, and in the eastern city of Holguin.

4 Church members take home their portions of food and medicine from the Union office near Havana.

5 A mother and daughter leave delighted with their portion of aid.

6 Grateful cafeteria workers receive a load of food at the Adventist seminary.

PHOTOS: (1-4, 6) SUSAN BUSHNELL (5) KENNETH WEISS

HOW

YOU’VE

Helped

KALUMBA , ZAMBIA

LEAVING YOUR Legacy

Michelle Snow’s children always loved to go through their favorite stores’ catalogs when they arrived in the mail, circling items they wanted. Michelle noticed the kids’ wish lists were getting longer and longer and wanted to show them how different other children had it around the world. They started talking about one of the most basic human needs of all: clean water. She explained how many kids have to walk miles each day to collect water that may not be very clean. She wanted her kids to get involved in funding mission work, while also learning the values of entrepreneurship, money management, and charitable giving.

In 2020, together with her two kids, Bridger (6) and Madison (4), Michelle launched an Instagram account called Little Creation Designs, where they posted photos of their handmade Christmas tree ornaments and notecards. Sales started coming in, energizing the children, who felt proud to be bringing in such sums of money. In all, the Snows raised $255.50, donating half of it to Maranatha for clean water.

“Talk with your kids—find out what they’re passionate about,” says Michelle. “What do they like? Go from there and see if there’s anything they can do. Offer to pick up sticks after a storm or make greeting cards. Pray as a family for God to give you the idea and how to lead you.”

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

BEFORE With a deteriorating thatch roof, the Kalumba Seventh day Adventist Church building was not conducive for worship.

AFTER A new One‑Day Church will protect members from the rain and sun, without any fears of structural integrity.

PROJECTS THAT NEED YOUR HELP

This

year, we urgently need more funding for churches. Please look at the ways you can help with this specific need!

THE $10 CHURCH

Since it’s creation in 1988, members of The $10 Church program have funded more than 500 churches for congregations around the world. As the cost of construction goes up, we need more $10 donors to increase the impact of this simple program that asks people to give just $10 a month. The combined $10 donations go towards the completion of urgently needed churches around the world. If you aren’t already, please start giving to the $10 Church!

ONE-DAY CHURCHES

The One-Day Church has been a successful program for providing strong church frames and roofs for remote congregations, where traditional construction is difficult. Interest in this program has waned; yet the need for One-Day Churches is constant. Please consider donating toward a One-Day Church. You can give any amount for the program, sponsor a share for $1,500, or sponsor an entire structure. Sponsorship cost varies by project.

CHURCHES

This year, we urgently need more support for church projects, and one way you can help is to give to churches in general. Make a donation of any amount to help us complete these important construction projects or call to ask about sponsoring an entire church; full sponsorship cost varies by country.

Give online at maranatha.org/donate or call (916) 774-7700 to speak to a representative or to make a donation.

Here’s where Maranatha is working this year.

PROJECT Calendar

Anyone can join a Maranatha mission trip! Check out our upcoming opportunities here or go to maranatha.org for the most updated list.

Riles

Renovations

Jun. 14 Jul. 28, 2023

Jun. 21 Jul. 5, 2023

Jun. 22 Jul. 2, 2023

Jun. 29 Jul. 11, 2023

Columbia Academy Project

Collegiate young adult project

July 2023 Pine Tree Academy

Jul. 2 9, 2023 Union Springs Academy Project

Jul. 11 27, 2023

Walla Walla University Project

USA

Clark, Jon Yarlott

and Jessica Osborne

Godfrey, Kenneth Weiss, Peter Thomas

Caster, Bill Boyd

Lutton, Kelly Rogers

Renovations and Painting

Construction, Outreach

Renovations and Painting

Renovations and Painting

INDIA Insight Team | Brazil

Mission IS Possible Team | Texas Medford SDA Church Team | Oregon

KENYA

Bass Memorial Academy Team | Mississippi

PUC Preparatory School Team | California

SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Volunteers with the Spencerville Seventh‑day Adventist Church Youth Ministries Team enjoy a little relief from the heat during a midday downpour. These teens were part of a 52 member group that served in the Dominican Republic to build the Pescadores de Hombres congregation a new church. Established in 2010 with four members, this group was the only Adventist presence in the area. For the past 13 years, they have been meeting in various spaces and most recently they were renting a place for worship. Now, thanks to Maranatha,

donors, and these volunteers, Pescadores will have a new place of worship.

The Spencerville team was part of a larger group of volunteers that were serving in the Dominican Republic over Spring Break. There were approximately 400 volunteers in the Dominican Republic in March and April, and a total of 768 volunteers serving around the world in the month of March, including 99 in the United States.

Photo by Lisandro Staut

990 Reserve Drive, Suite 100 Roseville, CA 95678

Spark Change Through Service.

A mission trip for young adults

Ages: 18-28

Izcuchaca, Peru

June 22-July 2, 2023

Travel into the mission field and see how God is leading ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference in communities around the world with our television program, Maranatha Mission Stories.

HOW TO WATCH

BROADCAST CHANNELS (all times PT)

3ABN

Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, 2:00 p.m.

Hope Channel 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.

watch.maranatha.org

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

Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV

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 updates.