Story by Tiffany Doss
At the age of nine, Guadalupe “Lupita” Nieto Arroyo felt lost in a sea of deep loneliness and depression. She had long been the target of school bullying, and her home life felt unstable, as her parents considered divorce.
Psychologists and therapists who counseled Arroyo advised her to leave her circle of friends—many of whom used drugs and listened to music with dark messages. However, she didn’t know where else to find refuge.
By Cynthia Mendoza
In a time when wearing protective masks is part of the new normal, thanks to COVID-19, Seventh-day Adventists throughout the Columbia Union Conference are stepping up to help meet those needs in creative ways, while also sharing encouragement and hope as they do so.
Story by Alicia Tucker
“Thanks to its great team, an amazing thing happened at Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington (ACSGW) Thursday, May 28,” noted Ken Flemmer, ACSGW’s Executive Director. “We set an all-time, one-day assistance record. We more than doubled the previous record.”
Una declaración del Consejo Presidencial de la Unión de Columbia
Un Llamado a la Justicia, la Oración y la Paz
La semana pasada fuimos testigos de una tragedia con el asesinato de George Floyd en Minneapolis, Minnesota. Como resultado de esto, así como de los asesinatos recientes de Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor y otros, muchas personas en todo el país y en nuestra unión, están conmocionados. Miles, incluidos los funcionarios encargados de hacer cumplir la ley, están horrorizados por las acciones de las personas que no pudieron servir y proteger a sus comunidades. La angustia y el dolor son evidentes por los disturbios civiles y las protestas en más de 140 ciudades.
Last week we witnessed a tragedy in the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. As a result of this, as well as the recent killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others, many people across our nation, and in our union, are in a state of turmoil. Thousands, including law enforcement officials, are appalled by the actions of the individuals who failed to serve and protect their communities. The anguish and pain is evident by the protests in 140 cities.
As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we rise with all who condemn these actions, and we, too, call for justice.
Deseo ser veraz
La muerte sin sentido de George Floyd en Minneapolis el lunes por la noche da lugar a emociones que profundas e impactantes. Ira. Miedo. Decepción. Rabia. Tristeza. Impotencia. Experimentamos todas esas emociones a la vez ya que colectivamente tratamos de lidiar con otro ejemplo de injusticia y violación de los derechos humanos más básicos y fundamentales: la vida misma.
Uno puede reconocer el papel de las fuerzas del orden y también condenar el comportamiento que menoscaba y deshonra los valores fundamentales de nuestra sociedad. Estoy indignado por lo que vi en el video y también por lo que ha sucedido desde entonces. Debemos encontrar una manera de poner fin a la violencia y el abuso.
Story by Andre Hastick
Orlando Rosales, the conference’s Multilingual Ministries director, and Rubén Ramos, the vice president of Multilingual Ministries for the Columbia Union Conference, recently traveled throughout the Chesapeake territory for Caravan 2020, themed “El Dia es Hoy” (Today Is the Day).
They visited 10 Spanish-speaking churches, and, at each stop, encouraged every church member to pray for five people with the purpose to personally lead at least one person to Christ within the year.
Editorial by Terry Forde
The senseless death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Monday night gives rise to emotions that are primal and powerful. Anger. Fear. Disappointment. Rage. Sadness. Helplessness. And we experience all of these emotions at once, as collectively we try to grapple with yet another example of injustice and violation of the most basic and fundamental human right: life itself.
One can acknowledge the role of law enforcement and also condemn behavior that flaunts and dishonors the foundational values of our society. I am outraged by what I saw on the video, and also by what has happened since. We must find a way to stop the violence and the abuse.
Graduates from academies across the Columbia Union Conference are continuing to celebrate their accomplishments in socially-distanced ways.
Visit the following links to see celebrations already held and upcoming events:
Story by Heidi Shoemaker
Geography. It encompasses so much more than states and flags and waterways. “It’s about cultures and people, not just about where they live, but about how and why they live,” shared Richard Bianco, Ohio Conference’s Superintendent of Education, during his welcome at the third annual Geography Challenge.