Story by Tiffany Doss
“We are here, because talking saves lives,” said Jose Rojas at the opening of We Stand For All, a forum at Potomac Conference’s Sligo church in Takoma Park, Md., designed to discuss if the church should have a role in social justice—a question that has become more prevalent following a rally on the National Mall where nearly 1,000 Adventists stood together for prayer and peace.
Young adults from across the Columbia Union Conference will gather next spring with the purpose of empowering young adult leaders to engage in life-changing ministry. Plan now to attend.
Date: March 31 – April 2, 2017
Location: Hilton in Arlington, Va.
Website: youngadultsummit.org
Story by Ricardo Bacchus
Two teachers recently received the Columbia Union Conference Office of Education Outstanding Educator Award: Carla Thrower, the principal of Potomac Conference’s Takoma Academy in Takoma Park, Md.; and Vail Bigelow Mason, 1st and 2nd grade teacher at Chesapeake Conference’s Mt. Aetna Adventist School in Hagerstown, Md.
By presenting this award, the union’s education officials “seek to promote the recognition and appreciation of outstanding educators who have demonstrated consistent excellence,” they say.
Story by Mountain View Conference and Columbia Union Staff
Diana, a Beckley, W.Va., resident, joined the line at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center in Beckley at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, waiting for dental service. “I’m not afraid of the drill; I’m afraid of the bill,” she says, adding that she hadn’t been to a dentist in six years. "I can't afford dental care."
More than 1,100 patients, many with similar stories to Diana, have been treated at the Your Best Pathway to Health pop-up clinic since it opened Wednesday. As of publishing time, dental volunteers treated 165 people, other volunteer volunteers performed 18 surgeries, 131 HIV tests, performed 420 eye exams, fitted 299 pair of glasses, and provided 117 haircuts and provided 2,205 lunches to volunteers and patients.
Story by Tompaul Wheeler
For half a century, nowhere has embodied the phrase “so near, and yet so far” for Americans more than Cuba.
Cuba is only 93 miles from Key West, Fla., but for the average American, for decades it may as well have been on Mars. Home to 11 million people, the Caribbean island nation is the size of Virginia. Due to the travel and trade embargo imposed by the United States since the early 1960s, Cuba’s colorful and dynamic culture, and its turbulent political scene have been shut out from much of the world.