Maranatha Volunteers International’s in-country crew in India continues to make progress across the country, constructing churches and schools, and drilling water wells. Out of the 30 planned churches to be constructed here this year, 25 are complete and four are in progress. For three larger congregations in the state of Manipur, we’re using a new, wider design to accommodate more members.
Teams of workers are active on three school campuses, finishing up large multi-classroom buildings at the Lasalgaon and Raymond Memorial schools. At the Pola Adventist School, crews have already put in boys and girls dorms. Now they have turned their attention to a three classroom block and a perimeter wall. In October, our first volunteer group to serve in India since the start of the COVID pandemic will help to construct a cafeteria.
Ezras Lakra, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Southern Asia recently participated in a dedication ceremony for the girls dorm at the Pola school, and he remarked at how beautifully the campus was coming along. “Maranatha has set a benchmark for us in how to work for the Lord,” said Lakra. “We need to proceed in the same way in India.”
Maranatha is also drilling water wells in multiple states across India, including the mountainous state of Manipur, where a pipeline solution has been used recently in places where drilling is not possible. In 2022, we have provided clean, accessible water for 203 communities. We are also doing maintenance on existing wells in need of repairs.
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.