Story by Walter Cardenas
With a smile on their faces and the joy of a new day, the Castro sisters regularly go to their friends and acquaintances houses to give Bible studies. At an early age, Kimberly (13), Mitzy (12) and Destiny Castro (10) developed a love for Christ and His mission. They learned about the great love Jesus has for them, and their deep desire to share Jesus and their conviction of His soon return led them to offer Bible studies to their close friends.
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
“Disasters are happening all around us. We need to be prepared to do our best for Jesus,” says Mike Gill, Adventist Community Services (ACS) and Disaster Response director for the New Jersey Conference.
Members from New Jersey and beyond are invited to attend the conference’s ACS Disaster Response Training, October 19–20, at the Adventist Community Service Center in Lawrenceville.
Story by Tracey Jackson
Early last spring, Pine Forge Academy (PFA) students, faculty and families celebrated a historic event years in the making. The choir, accompanied by Diallo Banks on piano; Russel Paul, using one of the oldest and largest organs in the Philadelphia area; and a full orchestra, recorded their most recent audio CD. The album features a myriad of musical selections, ranging from the classical period to gospel music.
It has been 12 years since the PFA choir produced Rock in a Weary Land, under the direction of Jason Ferdinand, the current director of the Oakwood University (Ala.) Aeolians and chair of Oakwood’s Music Department. Ferdinand served as the PFA choir director from 2001–2008.
Story by Sarah Capeles Frodelly
Have you ever waited in excitement and anticipation for a special occasion to arrive? I waited 30 years to return to a Pathfinder camporee. In 1989, “The Friendship Camporee,” proudly sponsored by the Columbia Union Conference, embraced 14,000 attendees. To my surprise, 30 years later, I joined more than 57,000 Pathfinders, leaders and volunteers at the 2019 “Chosen” International Pathfinder Camporee.
The week, packed with many activities, honors and presentations, also included kids and kid-like adults who traded pins with such passion. On Sabbath, with every bit of emotion running through our veins, we watched when David, in the play, was crowned king.
Story by Benia Jennings
On an early morning in Cleveland, Alice Mae Jones (pictured) begins her drive to the nearby Salvation Army in search of bread. After collecting several loaves, she returns home to wrap the slices and sets some aside to help church members in need. She saves the rest for the hungry in her community. In her neighborhood, she offers prayer, encouragement and Bible studies.
Jones, a second generation Seventh-day Adventist, has been active in ministry in Northern Ohio since moving to Cleveland in 1946. Armed with loaves of bread and her Bible, this one-woman feeding ministry has impacted the lives of many in her community.
Story by Ana Palacios-Sampaio
The Luso-Brazilian church in Newark, N.J., recently organized and held a “Life for Lives” health fair as an outreach effort to meet the needs of the neighboring community, most of whom are of Portuguese descent. Additionally, the church’s health fair also coordinated a blood drive, massage therapy, donated food, and provided information about women’s health and more.
Historia de V. Michelle Bernard y Monica Zill
Story by Kimi-Roux James
Jonathan Duffy, president of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International, has stepped down from his role, effective immediately, due to personal reasons.
“The ADRA Board has accepted Jonathan’s resignation and expresses appreciation for his service,” says Ella Simmons, board vice-chair and general vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. “Jonathan served as president of ADRA since his election in 2013. He has led the network of more than 130 offices to adopt a new strategic framework that allowed ADRA to align with changing trends in the development and humanitarian sector.”
Story by V. Michelle Bernard and Monica Zill / Photos by Zill
This fall student leaders (Pine Forge Academy students pictured) from all of the Columbia Union conference’s junior and senior academies gathered with union and academy leadership in Edgewater, Md., for the annual Spiritual Academy Leadership Training (SALT) weekend.
Read articles from the October 2019 Visitor: