New Jersey Conference

Jose Albino and Alex Pastor

Story by Jose Albino

I was born and raised in New Jersey as a Seventh-day Adventist, and attended church every Sabbath. My family was involved in every church activity and religion was embedded into our lives through the Bible, home worship, church worship and prayer.

At the age of 18, my family moved to Puerto Rico, but I remained in New Jersey to attend college. Quickly church and worship took a backseat in my life. This period lasted for more than 20 years.

A few months prior to the coronavirus pandemic, I felt the Holy Spirit talking to me in subtle ways. I felt ashamed by the life I had chosen and how I’d completely put God aside. I began to pray and ask Him for help.

Norma and Santiago Matias

Story by Mario Thorp

For this year’s spring evangelism series, Carlos Torres, the Personal Ministries director for the New Jersey Conference, and a team of 16 young adults, led the “Encuentros de Fe y Esperanza” (Encounters of Faith and Hope) program—a study of Jesus in the gospels and a doctrinal bridge to the Seventh-day Adventist message.

Each night more than 200 families across the United States and Latin America listened to the Word of God from their electronic devices. After the meetings, the viewers were encouraged to connect with Adventists willing to talk about any subject matter they wished.