Episode 43 - Origins of Ultimate Workout - How Maranatha’s annual high school mission trip began

In this episode we uncover the origin story of one of Maranatha’s most iconic mission trips: our annual high school project, Ultimate Workout (UW). Long-time UW leader Steve Case and the visionary for the project, Chris Blake, join our VP of volunteer services, Lisandro Staut, to share how this idea came to Chris in the late 1980’s, and how the program evolved from a bold experiment into a life-changing tradition spanning four decades. The guys track the program from the initial project in Brazil in 1990 with 14 kids, to the program growing quickly after tragedy inspired a wave of new volunteers. The panel discusses how the core mission has remained relevant for teenagers even as the world has changed, and how it has continued to shape the next generation of mission-minded leaders. Thanks for listening! Please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show.Visit maranatha.org for more info on the work of Maranatha Volunteers International.Text us! Let us know what you thought of this episode and the show in general!On September 19, 2026, join us in Sacramento, California, for our annual convention, Mission: Maranatha. You’ll be inspired by volunteer testimonies, stories from the mission field, and updates from Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders around the globe. Plus, be blessed by Oakwood University's award-winning choir, The Aeolians.Learn more at https://maranatha.org/media-events/maranatha-convention/