News

Saundra Austin by Norman Mitchell

Story by Michele Joseph/ Photos by Norman Mitchell

Saundra Austin’s prayer life changed the day she got baptized in the late 1970s. On that day, she felt too sick to leave home. “I called my Bible worker,” says Austin, now prayer coordinator for the Allegheny East Conference (AEC). “She said to just go back and lay down, and we’ll pray for you.”

Hours passed, and each time a pastor or prayer warrior called, she still felt sick. However, no one gave up praying. By the time the baptism began later that day at AEC’s Dupont Park church in Washington, D.C., she was the first one in line to enter the pool.

Photo by congerdesign on Pixabay

Story by Michele Joseph

Sometimes it seems like you get answers to simple prayers [a parking space, things you need that are on sale]. Other times the things that mean the most to you seem to take the longest, only to find out later that He hasn’t been silent,” says Tamyra Horst, a departmental director for the Pennsylvania Conference whose many roles include Prayer Ministries. There were moments in Horst’s life when she was angry her prayers weren’t working for the people she loved, but she didn’t stop praying. “What else would I do?” she says.

Shenandoah Valley Academy students Cynthia Chavez-Moreno ‘19, Giselle Villatoro ‘20 and Bridget Moonga ‘19 gather. Photo by Laura Short

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

In the 2017-18 academic year, Columbia Union Conference pre-K through university-level schools reported a combined opening enrollment of 8,917 says Donovan Ross, the union’s vice president for education. Enrollment is up 90 students from last year, he adds.

Photo by DanielReche on pixabay

Blog by Rob Vandeman

Psalm 146-150 provides a fitting conclusion to the book of Psalms. Like Psalms 146-149, Psalm 150 opens and closes with the exhortation to Praise the Lord (Hallelu Yah), the simplest of all the expressions of exuberant praise.

Roland Hill’s wife, Susie, was tired of hearing Hill complaining that there wasn’t a deep Christian book about success, so she encouraged the stewardship guru to write his own book.

Six months later, Hill, a pastor at Allegheny East Conference’s Maranatha church in Fredericksburg, Va., and Penuel church in Brandy Station, Va., noticed the prayer of Eliezer in Genesis 24:12—a prayer for success. His latest book, Success is Bigger Than Me, delves into all areas of success in Christian living.

The book includes an 8-week study guide designed to help readers ignite their lives and change their world, says Hill.

Hannah’s Healing 

The doctors had given their prognosis. Linda and Craig Johnson responded by calling anyone who had been active in their daughter Hannah’s life: their local Pathfinder director at Pennsylvania Conference’s Blue Mountain Academy (BMA) church in Hamburg, pastors, church members, family and friends. They needed everyone to pray. Now!

Photo by Himsan on Pixabay

Editorial by Ricardo Bacchus

I don’t think your son’s going to make it,” said the chaplain at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to my parents. “It’s not looking good.” 

On April 4, 2009, during postoperative care for ulcerative colitis, something went terribly wrong. My left lung collapsed, I stopped breathing and fell into a coma. Code blue was set in motion, as nurses hooked me to every resuscitation device available. Conventional wisdom pointed to a young man’s death, and it was the chaplain’s duty to break the heart-wrenching news to my parents. 

Story by Elizabeth Long

Dr. Heather Pulaski, a Kettering Physician Network gynecologic oncologist, recently performed the 5000th da Vinci® Surgical System procedure at Kettering Medical Center.

The da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical system is a minimally invasive surgical option as it allows surgeon to operate through a few small incisions. Minimally invasive surgery involves less cutting, which means less pain and less recovery time. Other patient benefits include:

Occupational Therapist Diane Messer helps a patient with strengthening exercises during a visit to his home.

Story by Marisa Lavine

Adventist HealthCare’s Home Health division has once again been recognized as one of the top performing home health agencies in the nation for quality care.

The Home Health division has been named a Top Agency of 2017 HomeCare Elite®. This is the seventh year in a row that Adventist Home Health, part of Adventist HealthCare’s Home Care Services, has received this award, which is presented to the top 25 percent of agencies in the United States.