Between June 7 and June 19, a team of 54 Maranatha volunteers gathered in rural Oregon to conduct renovations at Milo Adventist Academy. This continues a long-standing partnership dating back to 1989, when Maranatha volunteers first assisted in upgrading staff housing. The 2026 project addressed critical infrastructure needs across the 1950s-era campus. The biggest task focused on the covered bridge—the only entrance to the campus—which required extensive re-siding. Volunteers removed worn wooden planks, and replaced them with bright new siding. This bridge project also necessitated logistical coordination to maintain scheduled access for parcel carriers and other guests to the property.
Further repairs were made to the gym, where volunteers repaired roof flashing and continued work on interior windows installed in previous years. Crews repaired fascia, soffits, and air ventilation holes on a track field shed that was falling apart, preparing it for upcoming roofing work. Doors connecting the campus store and food market were stained, and the property’s water filtration building underwent repairs, including the replacement of decaying interior sheetrock with plywood, exterior painting of the eaves and gables below the pump house, and the installation of new gutters.
Beyond construction, the project emphasized facility organization and groundskeeping. Volunteers cleaned and organized a girls’ dorm storage room, and cleared out surplus items from gymnasium storage areas, where uniforms were washed and folded. Landscaping efforts included removing trees and stumps, and trimming roses. Lastly, a new 15-foot sign was installed at the bridge to promote the Milo Market, a substantial upgrade over the previous sandwich board signage.
The project was led by Ed Jensen, a Maranatha board member who has directed all seven projects at Milo since 2020. Jensen noted that the work provided more than just physical improvements—it offered volunteers a significant boost in fulfillment and fellowship. The team experience was bolstered by shared activities, including sorbet prepared by departing principal Randy Thornton, shared meals in the kitchen, and a Sabbath excursion to the coast. For the participating families and individual volunteers, the project provided a meaningful opportunity for service, and reinforcing the enduring value of the relationship between Maranatha and Milo.
Each year, Maranatha works with organizations in the United States and Canada to provide volunteer labor for various construction or renovation projects at summer camps and retreat centers, schools, and churches. Work ranges from renovations of existing buildings to new construction, and saves thousands of dollars in labor costs.