So far in 2025, Maranatha has completed six church buildings in Paraguay’s southern region. Each of these structures now shelters Seventh-day Adventist faith communities who were previously struggling without permanent meeting places. On three of these projects, volunteer groups offered up their services, laying block walls in the hot sun. Their efforts, combined with those of in-country crews, have kept Maranatha on track to meet its 24-church goal for this current effort in Paraguay.
“After meeting congregations who worship under trees or in crumbling buildings, the importance of our work in Paraguay is made abundantly clear,” said Maranatha’s vice president for projects, Kyle Fiess. “These projects aren’t just numbers to us. They’re places and people of great significance.”
For two weeks in January, students from Greeneville Adventist Academy in Tennessee laid block walls for the Tacuaraty Adventist congregation’s new church building. Thanks to the 29-member team, Tacuaraty worshippers no longer face the extreme heat of their old building. Sometimes it was so unbearable that worshipping outside was worth catching a slight breeze. But now the church has a spacious Maranatha structure that’s well-ventilated.
In early March, a group of 23 volunteers–most of whom attend the College View Adventist Church (CVC) in Nebraska–undertook construction of the Arco Iris Church’s new building. This faith community used to meet in a member’s home and often under a tree when it grew too hot. So they’re very thankful for the upgrade CVC volunteers helped provide.
Each year, individuals from a team called “Mission IS Possible” gather from several U.S. states to serve on a Maranatha project. This year’s installment was in Paraguay, constructing a church for the Pai Ñu congregation so members wouldn’t have to meet in a cramped house anymore.
Six more volunteer groups are scheduled to serve in Paraguay during the rest of 2025, bringing this year’s projected volunteer count in Paraguay to 450. “Volunteers are always looking for new experiences,” said Maranatha’s vice president for volunteer services, Lisandro Staut. “So when we returned to Paraguay 20 years after our last project, many people were excited to explore the country and help meet the great need there.”
Maranatha renovated a church building in Paraguay from 1988 to 1989 and built more church structures and classrooms from 2001 to 2002. This work was a great support for Paraguay’s Adventist Church. Its current membership is roughly 15,000, but this number is unlikely to grow without more reliable places of worship. Maranatha returned to the South American country in 2024 to meet this need.