Ultimate Workout, Maranatha Volunteers International’s annual mission trip for highschoolers, took place this July in Sicuani, Peru. The trip was this project’s thirty-fourth installment, and it continued its legacy of service and spiritual discovery. Teens completed a variety of tasks by separating into groups. They built churches for the Los Lirios and Rosaspata Seventh-day Adventist congregations and transformed the Emmanuel and Marangani Adventist church buildings with a fresh coat of paint. They passed out 150 copies of The Great Controversy in Sicuani’s main square and led Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs in four locations for more than 500 kids. They also operated medical clinics in five locations, treating roughly 600 patients.
“I love being able to just get away from home and from how busy things can be,” said Teagan Bobst, a volunteer on the painting and VBS crews. “Because not only do we get to impact other people, but it impacts our own lives as we’re able to calm down and unplug.”
Ultimate Workout created a space for volunteers to share Jesus’ love by following His example of service. And project leaders cultivated spiritual programming that gave participants the opportunity to explore God’s role in their lives. Each morning and evening of the project was filled with songs, prayers, and worship talks. Many teens were uplifted by a community of new friends who are at similar places on their spiritual journeys, like first-time volunteer Conner Reed. “I’m really grateful that I had these friends that know a lot about God and are connected to God because then they could help me further my relationship with God,” he remarked.
The support Reed received from his peers empowered him to become one of the nine teens who publicly declared their commitment to God through baptism at the project’s close. “I got baptized with my friends that I’ve met on this trip, so that was really special and that meant a lot to me,” said Reed. “I’m really grateful to go on this trip. And I think that it’ll really be a turning point in my life.”
For more than three decades, the Ultimate Workout has provided high school-aged teenagers the opportunity to flex their physical and spiritual muscles. Stripped of electronics, parents, and other familiar comforts, volunteers step into the mission field in search of a fresh perspective on the world, relationships, and God. During the project, volunteers live in spartan conditions while building a church or school, coordinating outreach for the local community, and strengthening their personal connection to Jesus Christ.