An exciting time that began in June at Project PATCH Ranch in Garden Valley, Idaho, culminated on Sept. 10 with the dedication of the new Maranatha Memorial Chapel.

For many years Project PATCH staff members had felt a growing need for a separate building designated specifically as a chapel, a place of solace and worship. During the summer of 2004, Ken Casper from Maranatha Volunteers International was at the PATCH Ranch finalizing the projects they had just completed. Maranatha had been at PATCH for 12 summers and, sometimes, even twice in a summer. Casper mentioned that Maranatha’s schedule was getting tighter, and if PATCH wanted anything done during the summer of 2005, PATCH would have to get its request in early.

“We really need a chapel,” Tom Sanford, PATCH’s executive director, responded.

“Great,” Casper replied. “We’ll put it on the schedule. But, do you have the money for it?”

“No,” Tom responded. “But that has always been the last of our worries. If God wants us to have it, then He’ll provide the money.”

Little did Sanford know that Casper already had a plan in mind. The Caspers, along with other volunteers, had made the chapel a matter of prayer. They made a decision to contact volunteers from past projects, along with other friends of PATCH, to see if funds could be raised. In November of 2004, the fund-raising effort began. By May 2005, $100,000 had been raised—sufficient to build a chapel.

From Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada and Canada, volunteers in campers, motor homes and RV’s began converging at the ranch the first week of June, and on June 5, they broke ground for the chapel. Four weeks later, the chapel was entirely framed and roofed with plumbing and electrical roughed in. Commercial sheet rockers then spent a month installing the sheet rock. On Aug. 24, volunteers came back to finish the work.

The Sept. 10 dedication was a testimony to the Lord for all He has done to make PATCH possible. The addition of the chapel completes the overall comprehensive plan for the ranch and will greatly enhance PATCH’s philosophy of encouraging personal change from the inside out that can only come about through a personal experience with Jesus Christ.