The Highland View Academy (HVA) campus continues to be an active place, even during the summer as staff and students work on campus-improvement and service projects. Approximately 20 students are employed this summer, working in the administrative building, Adventist Book Center, cafeteria, maintenance department and for the ASSIST (Academy Student Service Initiative Stipend for Tuition) program.

Story by Lori Zerne, Highland View Academy

The ASSIST program brings high school students and senior citizens together in an intergenerational service program. HVA students visit with the residents of seven assisted living homes and four residential homes in Hagerstown. During one-hour visits each week, the students help residents with light chores and yard work, and they socialize with the seniors while sharing stories and working on crafts.

Sharon Zeismer, ASSIST coordinator, says, “We know we are making a difference in the lives of people when we are greeted by smiles and [are] anxiously looked for each week.” She adds that Southern Adventist University (Tenn.) funds the program, which provides students with a work scholarship toward their HVA school tuition.

Some of the work occurring on campus is also related to HVA’s growing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program as the school works toward becoming a leading STEM school. This summer Lisa Norton, information technology director, and junior Caleb Atherly are implementing the first phase of technology advancements to make this possible. In the new school year, students will have access to new Lenovo laptops during STEM-related classes.

The students will also notice an upgrade in some of the classrooms, as SMART boards are replaced with large-screen televisions. As Norton explains, “The new setup will enable teachers to remotely access the televisions with their new laptops, allowing them to teach from anywhere in the classroom.” Norton says these technological advancements tie in nicely with two new STEM classes, the LEGO robotics program and a pilot run of the new AP Computer Science Principles class.

Feature photo: Caleb Atherly (’17) assists with information technology upgrades taking place this summer.

Troy and Anastasia Elliott packed a tent and gear and, with their children in tow, bicycled some 60 miles from their home in Takoma Park, Md., to camp meeting at Highland View Academy (HVA) in Hagerstown, Md.  

Story by Samantha Young, Chesapeake Conference

The Elliott family camped and biked all the way from Takoma Park to Hagerstown. Photograph by Troy Elliott

The Elliotts, who are actively involved in the new Connection Community church in Laurel, Md., say they have been intentional during the past year about spending more time as a family biking and camping. When they learned that The Gathering, Chesapeake Conference’s annual camp meeting, was shortened to Friday and Sabbath instead of the traditional Tuesday to Sabbath schedule, they hatched a plan to have a full camp meeting experience by departing home on Tuesday and arriving at HVA on Friday.

“We followed the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal up the Potomac River to Antietam then took back roads to HVA,” Troy says.

Seven-year-old Alexei pedaled his bike the whole way, while younger siblings Nikita (5) and Viktoria (3) rode behind their dad in a bicycle trailer and Ilya (1) enjoyed the trip from his infant seat. Along the way, they spotted deer, a red fox, turtles and an owl.

During the Friday primary division meeting, Troy says Alexei was disappointed he wasn’t called on to answer when the leader asked the children, “How long did it take you to get to camp meeting?”

Glen Milam is director of Mt. Aetna Camp and Retreat Center

It’s possible to take a good thing too far. Over the past decade of interacting with Outdoor School students, our staff has noticed that two well-intentioned mantras, “stranger danger” and “safety first,” have caused our young people to be fearful. I’ve seen students afraid to walk through a meadow under the canopy of a thousand stars, afraid to try a fresh raspberry that they just picked, afraid to sleep on a top bunk or dip their toes into a mountain stream. It is such a sad way to live while surrounded by the glories of God’s creation.

If you focus on the media, you would think we were in the middle of a major crime wave, but Department of Justice figures show crime rates are down 40 percent since the 1990s.

As Christians, we often add a third mantra, one that is somewhat contradictory to the others and an obvious misrepresentation of Scripture. We take a verse like, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Ps. 34:7), and tell the children, “As long as you trust in God, nothing bad will ever happen to you.”

At Outdoor School, we take safety seriously, but bumps and bruises are part of life and we shouldn’t stop living for fear of them. With the intelligence and desire God has given us and the guidance He provides, we are empowered to explore the world and all His wonders. Fear and darkness can often interfere, but we can still say with confidence, “Follow the Lord and, in the end, you will be on the winning side.”

--Glen Milam

Photo by Tom Hall via Flickr

Six Washington, D.C., Area Churches Unite to Lift up Praise, Address Poverty in D.C.

Story by Noelle Green

Sabbath, July 25, young adults from six local Seventh-day Adventist churches hosted the third annual Park n’ Praise D.C. event seeking to minister to the homeless and raise awareness about inner-city poverty. The participants furthered this purpose by providing food, clothing, toiletries, prayer and fellowship to 500 homeless individuals in Farragut Square Park in Northwest Washington, D.C.

The day’s activities included a lively concert—with everything from a deaf poet to a youth gospel choir—an inspirational message, prayer teams and a health checkup station. With more than 800 people in attendance, the young Adventist group believes they attained their goal of uniting prayer, service and praise.

The Park ‘n Praise event, which stemmed from the ideas of young people from two area churches, has grown to include six Maryland/Washington, D.C., area churches from three conferences: Potomac Conference’s Seabrook, Community Praise Center and Restoration Praise Center congregations: Allegheny East Conference’s Metropolitan and Emmanuel-Brinklow churches; and Chesapeake Conference’s New Hope church. Already, additional Adventist churches and other denominations, governmental bodies and nonprofits have contacted the event’s organizers stating a desire to participate in Park n' Praise 2016.

“Our goal is to include all those who are passionate about addressing poverty. All [of our volunteers] say they were excited to serve God in a public space,” says Roland Blackman, event organizer. “Next year's event will be a bit different because we intend to expand our focus to include not just the homeless, as in years past, but also the poor. We will do that by ministering to women and children who live in D.C. public housing. Our goal will be to provide diapers and wipes for 500 women with young children. We have done the math and this undertaking will be our most ambitious yet, but we are confident that God will do something amazing through young adults who are on fire for him.”

For information about the Park n’ Praise, please email parknpraise@gmail.com or look for look for them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Amber Mayer

The 2015-16 school year brought a number of changes for the Spencerville Adventist Academy (SAA) staff. Amber Mayer, pre-K teacher for the past six years, is the new fourth-grade teacher. Mayer has a bachelor’s in social sciences with an emphasis in elementary education from Ashford University (Calif.). “One of my goals this school year is to pass along this enthusiasm for STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] to the next generation of learners," she says.

Donna Calderon

Donna Calderon is filling the vacancy left in pre-K. Calderon has a bachelor’s in early childhood studies from the University of Bristol (England) and a postgraduate certificate of education from the University of the West of England. Calderon says, “Pre-K is where we build a foundation for learning, which should encompass every aspect of growth—a love for school, each other and God!”

Amu Mullikin

Amu Mullikin is moving to the fifth-grade classroom from middle school, where she taught for the past seven years. “I am looking forward to … helping the students prepare for their middle school experiences,” says Mullikin.

Myrna Edwards

During the past year, Myrna Edwards has been building the SAA library. She has a bachelor’s in elementary and special education from Hood College in Maryland. “Her attention to detail and kind and caring manner will enhance the educational experience of students as they use our media center,” says Brian Kittleson, principal.

Greg Macaliano

Greg Macalinao joins SAA fulltime as the physical education (PE) teacher. Macalinao graduated from SAA in 2005 and served as the PE teacher at Olney Adventist Preparatory School in Olney, Md., for the past four years. He also served as SAA’s assistant gymnastics coach for the past eight years. He received a bachelor’s in physical education from Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md., in 2010. “I’m honored and privileged to have the opportunity to return to SAA to teach. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” says Macalinao.

ler

Tyler Mathis

Tyler Mathis is filling the high school math teaching position. Mathis graduated from Southern Adventist University (SAU) (Tenn.) in May with a bachelor’s in mathematics. “I am really excited about coming to Spencerville Adventist Academy. Not only do I get to share my love of math with my students, but, more importantly, I get to teach my students about Christ,” he says.

Brittany Thorp

Brittany (Jacobson) Thorp joins the SAA business office as associate business manager. A graduate of SAA in 2007, Thorp attended SAU where she earned a bachelor’s in business administration. After graduating, she worked at the Saipan Seventh-day Adventist School in the Northern Mariana Islands where she focused on fundraising projects, billing and student accounts. Most recently she worked at the North American Division Treasury Department as an implementation and training specialist.

The Creation Debate: Why Does it Matter if it Happened in Six Literal Days?

Story by Edwin Manuel Garcia

A decades-old dispute within Seventh-day Adventism about when and how the Earth was developed may have been settled to the liking of the church’s top officials and a majority of its worldwide delegates this summer at the 60th General Conference (GC) Session in San Antonio. However, the intra-denominational conflict doesn’t look like it’s about to cease.

Supporters of the official Adventist tenet—that creation was a literal, six-day event that occurred roughly 6,000 years ago—claim that evolutionary teachings have been seeping into some of our universities, and they fear that these theories being taught as fact could further expand into academies and elementary schools.

Critics of the church’s view—those who side with the scientific community that believes Earth could be millions or billions of years old, and formed in time spans much longer than literal days—contend that the denomination’s stance isn’t backed by Scripture, isolates Adventism as an extremist religion and threatens to erode the confidence of young, intellectual church members.

Do you believe in a literal seven-day creation week or not? Join the conversation!

The divide has reached the highest levels of the General Conference, most notably when Ted Wilson, world president, last year urged hundreds of Adventist-school educators at the International Conference on Bible and Science to “be loyal to God’s biblical truth” by accepting the creation belief. If not, he said, they should reconsider having denominational jobs.

Most recently in July, GC Session delegates took two days to discuss and finally vote to modify the church’s creation statement known as Fundamental Belief #6. The edited section adopted words such as “recent,” meaning creation occurred not too long ago, and “literal,” to signify creation took place in six literal days.

Wilson prefaced the second day of discussion by saying a word could be interpreted in many ways, but “recent” was chosen because “we need to clarify that this process was not old.” He added that “recent” also acknowledges that Adventists are not uniform in their understanding of the exact age of the Earth.1

The revision drew praise from supporters, such as Brandon Senior, a Bible worker in Chambersburg and Waynesboro, Pa., who preaches sermons on creation and is disappointed that all Adventists are not on the same page. “God the Creator is being attacked,” he says. “What I see inside the church is absolutely heartbreaking to me. I’ve talked to Seventh-day Adventist ministers that don’t believe in the seven-day creation week.”

But others, namely vocal, evolution-minded Adventists, say modifying the Fundamental Belief was a mistake that will damage the church’s image because the Bible, they say, doesn’t provide evidence of a 6,000-year-old planet.

“We have aligned ourselves as a church with what I would call extreme fundamentalism,” says Ervin Taylor, professor emeritus in anthropology at the University of California, Riverside. He frets that that will hurt the credibility of the church and prompt “even more people, young scientifically literate people, to leave the church.”
Read and share these stories from the September 2015 Visitor:

• September Feature: Bringing Up Boys
• Artículo especial de Visitor: Criando varones
• The Creation Debate: Why Does it Matter if it Happened in Six Literal Days?
• AWC, anfitrión del Retiro de Mujeres
• La Unión auspicia capacitación del Ministerio de Salud
• Pennsylvania emplea a un nuevo director
• Teaching Boys to Trust Again

The Origin of the Controversy

The creation-evolution debate intensified at different points between about 2005 and 2009 when a few La Sierra University (Calif.) students and a larger group of influential outsiders took to the blogosphere to declare that some La Sierra biology professors were emphasizing Darwinism.

Not everyone was surprised. Supporters of the church’s official position say PhD candidates who attain their advanced degrees in biology from secular institutions are apt to receive a heavy dose of evolutionary theory. And, when the newly minted biology professors accept teaching jobs at the denomination’s campuses, some may struggle to reconcile their new views with biblical belief and introduce the evolution concepts into the Adventist classrooms.

“I think the constant bombardment from the scientific community is having an effect on our educators, unfortunately,” says David Byrkit, who ministers in the Chesapeake Conference churches of Chestertown and Rock Hall, Md., and who presents evangelistic series on creation versus evolution from a scientific perspective.

Despite the newly revised Fundamental Belief, pro-literal creation adherents continue to express concern that church leadership lacks authority to censure professors who push an evolution agenda.

The North American Division Education Department, led by Larry Blackmer, seems to favor professors being allowed to teach evolution only so students understand both sides of the issue, but expects educators to strongly emphasize the church’s own fundamental belief as fact.

And, it would also help if universities carefully screen job applicants, Blackmer says. “I truly believe with all my heart that we have every right to ask candidates what they believe about Adventist beliefs.” That way, he adds, universities can root out candidates who favor evolution over creation.

The Significance for the Church

While Adventists can agree that the Bible doesn’t provide a date of creation, church co-founder Ellen G. White stated in numerous writings her belief that Earth is about 6,000 years old, and that time frame has been widely accepted.

Among the reasons church leaders were compelled to revise Fundamental Belief #6 to more clearly state that creation was a literal, six-day event is because of its connection to the denomination’s stance on the 24-hour Sabbath. If the creation belief erodes, they say, then the church’s prominent view of the Sabbath doctrine—and a core component of the denomination’s own identity—could be jeopardized.

Or, as Franke Zollman, pastor for Chesapeake’s Williamsport (Md.) church, puts it: “If the days of creation are not literal days, then our emphasis on the seventh-day Sabbath is misguided.” Zollman, who will give an evangelistic series on creation at his church this fall, adds, “The doctrine of the Sabbath and creation are bound up together.”

Zollman says he understands some of the arguments propagated by evolutionists, but implores Adventists to accept the church’s view of creation because the Spirit of Prophecy and authority of Scripture must outweigh science. “I am not anti-science, but we have to remember that all scientific data is based upon interpretation,” he says.

If church members can’t accept the literal creation week as fact, says Sean Pitman, a physician in California who runs the conservative Educate Truth website, which posts developments in the intra-denominational squabble, then the rest of the Bible is open to interpretation in a way that could oppose Adventist beliefs. The creation story, Pitman continues, gives validity to the rest of the scriptures, which is why the church supports it. “The Bible is very clear,” he insists.
Read and share these stories from the September 2015 Visitor:

• September Feature: Bringing Up Boys
• Artículo especial de Visitor: Criando varones
• The Creation Debate: Why Does it Matter if it Happened in Six Literal Days?
• AWC, anfitrión del Retiro de Mujeres
• La Unión auspicia capacitación del Ministerio de Salud
• Pennsylvania emplea a un nuevo director
• Teaching Boys to Trust Again

1Source: July 07, 2015, Andrew McChesney, Adventist Review/ANN

This summer Charleston, S.C., has been in the news because of the racially motivated massacre of nine African-Americans attending a Bible study and prayer service at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. A young, white man entered the house of worship and, after an hour, pulled out a gun and began his murderous rampage.  

Editorial by Rick Remmers, Chesapeake Conference president   

Words seem to fail in describing and condemning the horror of such racist and violent actions. While news outlets have covered many aspects of this disturbing story, there is a perspective from the Bible that needs to be considered.

The first angel’s message reads, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Rev. 14:6).

We cannot miss the global appeal being given. Every race, culture and language is included. There is no people group excluded from the grace and call of God. If we are going to be followers of Jesus, we need to take this appeal seriously. But, it can only happen when we have experienced, accepted and internalized the everlasting gospel for ourselves. This was a message given at a time when society was deeply divided over politics, economic opportunity, ethnic groups and religions. Actually, it was a lot like today.

The power of the gospel, however, is able to transform our hearts and bring together people of different races and backgrounds. When that is our experience, our congregations will be a joyful place of acceptance and fellowship for all people. Let’s begin to experience this bit of heaven here on Earth.

Highland View Academy’s STEM certificate program launched this year with approximately 30 students enrolled. These students benefit from an intensive but well-rounded education that especially prepares them to pursue STEM-related college majors. New STEM classes include integrated STEM, anatomy and physiology, project-based learning, robotics, iOS app development and a pilot of Maryland’s new advanced placement Computer Science Principles course.

Story by Lori Zerne

Another way HVA is expanding academic opportunities for students is through dual-credit courses. Students can earn college credit for courses taken as part of the regular curriculum from HVA teachers who are qualified with a master’s degree or higher in their subject area. Currently HVA offers dual-credit classes through partnerships with Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md., and the nearby Hagerstown Community College (HCC). Staff offers more than six courses in English, history, Bible, math and science, including a biotechnology STEM internship through HCC. HVA, HCC and Inova Health System (Va.) collaborated to develop the internship. Participating students will earn STEM internship credits as well as three college credits in biotechnology. They will also learn specialized biotechnology laboratory techniques in biotechnology and engage in research.

Dual-credit courses are especially beneficial to students because they allow them to earn high school and college credit simultaneously, they cost less than the usual college tuition and fees, and they give students a jump-start on earning their college degrees. “HVA continues to look for ways to expand its academic excellence,” says Mick Hutchinson, principal.

Featured photo: Senior Kayla Miller discusses her dual-credit options with Jairo Flores, a recruiter from Hagerstown Community College. Photo by Benjamin Lee

Story by Kayla Miller

This year three other seniors and I completed STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) internships, one of the requirements for earning STEM certificates with our diplomas at Highland View Academy (HVA).

HVA provides students the opportunity to participate in STEM-related internships through which we gain hands-on experience with 80-100 hours of intensive learning programs where we work with professionals and academic scholars in their respective fields. Students have the opportunity to work in a variety of fields and environments, including biomedicine, physical and occupational therapy, dentistry, and even at the USDA Department of Entomology at the University of Delaware, Newark, Del. Besides expanding our understanding of various STEM fields, our internships also give us the chance to witness to individuals in the public sector.

Alissa Tanguay (’16) shares, “My internship gave me the opportunity to introduce and clarify the beliefs of Seventh-day Adventism in a kind way to people who were confused as to what we actually believed.”

Ophelia Barizo, vice principal for STEM, adds, “STEM internships allow students to rub shoulders and network with STEM professionals, and allow these professionals to mentor our students, which is vitally important as students decide on the career paths that they may take. It also allows our students to do new and novel research in the STEM fields, and gives them an edge in the job market, where a majority of the future jobs will be in STEM or STEM-related.”

Being able to work with educated, experienced scientists and scholars was eye-opening and allowed us to gain knowledge in fields we otherwise might have known little about. We’re grateful to have such an amazing opportunity at HVA.

Feature photo: Highland View Academy seniors Matthew Rada, Alissa Tanguay, Kayla Miller and Matias Olivares will complete STEM internships this year.

Story by Heidi Wetmore

When Cliff Wright, Jr. joined Spencerville Adventist Academy (SAA) last August as part of a principal fellowship, no one knew that he also hosted his own talk show called CliffNotes on Brite Radio, a Christian Internet radio station. Seeing the talent of SAA students and their drive to have an impact in the world, Wright pitched an idea to the Brite Radio general manager for a show produced and hosted by high school students. Four months later, The Buzz Weekly Radio Show was born.

Through producing the show, students apply and enhance their mathematics and language arts skills. Wright also introduces radio show participants to basic elements and skills needed for radio broadcast production, including broadcast news writing, sound engineering and the laws and ethics of broadcast and Internet radio.

Sophomore Joyce Adebonojo says, “I feel strongly about economic and political issues, and Internet radio seems like a great venue to share my point of view and relate with other students. For me, it is important to be a part of something that helps people connect.”

Jordan Carter, a sophomore, shares, “It intrigued me that actual teenagers could host a real radio show. We get an opportunity to tell the world how we really see things. We don’t just take selfies and laugh at dumb jokes. We actually do use the beautiful brains God gave us. We’re here. We see. We think. That’s what I want to share, and that’s what I know I will do.”

Another sophomore, Sonali Prillman, says, “I decided to join the show because I love entertaining people—whether it be singing, playing an instrument or being on stage in a play. Being on Brite Radio will allow me to voice my opinion and entertain others.”

Wright, says, “True mentorship is discipleship. . . . It is possible to educate someone without mentoring them, but it is impossible to mentor someone without educating them. Mentorship was Christ’s example—being intentional about sharing real world knowledge and skills is essential to growing our students academically, socially, physically and, most important, spiritually.  The students have a vast audience and an opportunity to witness and serve worldwide right from the school.”

Brite Radio is considered a 3CM (Cross Cultural Christian Music) station, and plays 24/7 with no commercials, so there is no concern about advertisements that could potentially share conflicting views. The only break in the music is for original shows hosted by other Christians in Maryland. Listen to The Buzz Weekly Radio Show on Sundays, from 2-3:30 p.m., on Brite Radio at briteradio.org.

Story by V. Michelle Bernard with reporting by Kimberly Maran / Photos by Lauren Lombard and Bernard

While distributing flowers, hugs and balloons last Sabbath at the Columbia Town Center in Columbia, Md., volunteers gave a child a balloon and two women tulips. The older woman said, “Wow, you must have come from God because we were just talking about tulips.”

Leaders from Re:generation (pictured above), the Chesapeake Conference’s young adult ministry, say the woman shared a Bible verse they had just read and then told them about their desire to go back to church. “She said God had answered her prayer by sending us to her,” they add.

Re:generation leader Lauren Lombard says, “[At first], I was thinking I don’t see this as having so much value as feeding the homeless or something more tangible. But, something so simple as giving out a balloon to a kid or hugs … They go away with a smile on their face and run into someone else [and cause a chain reaction.]”

Lombard was among nearly 30 young adults from re:generation that participated in the North American Division’s (NAD) Day of Hope and Compassion. Organizers planned four additional outreach events focused on the Columbia, Md., area where the Columbia Union Conference is located and the NAD will soon move. Many churches across the NAD territory also held similar outreach events in their communities.

Jose Cortés, Jr., associate director of evangelism for the NAD (pictured interviewing Pastors Shawn Paris and Jason Decena), says, “We planned the Day of Hope and Compassion with the objective of celebrating what we as a church are meant to be doing every day, sharing a hope for a better future and facilitating hope in the here and now by blessing those around us in practical ways.”

One of the ways that volunteers (Columbia Community church members Particia Pinkney and Phyllis Ballard pictured below) helped on Sabbath was serving food to the residents at Sarah’s House, en emergency and transitional housing and homeless shelter in Fort Meade, Md.

Organizer Dionne Finney says that this type of event helps create relationships with residents. She says "God is not in the number business: He's in the heart business, and I pray we touched some hearts!" Finney’s church, Allegheny East Conference’s Columbia Community Center in Columbia, Md., and the Chesapeake Conference’s New Hope church in Fulton regularly serve food to Sarah’s House residents. “It may take a while, she adds. "[This weekend] we were able to give personal care and forge new friendships."

Other volunteers on Sabbath afternoon prepared and served a cookout to residents of Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center in Columbia. “It’s a good support for Grassroots,” says Nathan Taylor, who leads New Hope’s monthly outreach to the shelter. “They rely on donations and people to come and serve in order to function smoothly. … You don’t really need to have any sort of cooking experience necessarily. It is one of the easiest, fun experiences you can have volunteering.”

"Be As Ninja As Possible"

More volunteers returned on Sunday to disassemble and then construct a new playground set on the campus.

"Grassroots relies on the faith community and our many partners to carry out our mission to provide shelter and support services to homeless individuals and families with the goal of helping them resolve their housing crisis," says Andrea Ingram, executive director of Grassroots. "For example, we feed 51 people three meals a day here in our shelter and most of the meals are brought in by volunteers from the community including churches, synagogues, community groups, businesses, families, youth groups and more."

That same day, volunteers (pictured) also gathered in the parking lot of the Target in Columbia with the intent of surprising eight local families with $200 worth of groceries, clothes and toys. Volunteers split into groups, purchased the items with funds donated by NAD, the Columbia Union, and Chesapeake conference, then drove to the homes of the eight families recommended by Howard County Social Services.

Jason Decena, New Hope associate pastor and event organizer, encouraged the group, made up of mostly families, to “Go to be His hands and feet and deliver what you purchased. … And to be as ninja as possible. Can you imagine what their reaction will be when they find this stuff? Maybe they’ll see this and think that God is looking out for them,” he said.  (Watch a video here.)

Amber Krein, a 12-year-old from New Hope, volunteered with her parents, two sisters and brother. “It is really fun and inspiring. It really makes me think about how many people need help and how excited they would be to find this stuff at their door.” She adds that she would like to do it again.

Decena wants a repeat event also. “I think we’ll make every effort to make this happen again. Being reminded of how much fun it is to be part of what God is doing in the lives of others. If we make ourselves available, those opportunities present themselves,” he says.

Cortés hopes this event, part of the Compassion 10 Mission initiative to inspire members to collectively volunteers for 10 million hours in 2016, will inspire a “lifestyle rather than an event,” he says. “If each one of us personally dedicates between 10-20 hours during 2016 to loving and serving people in our communities, we can do much more. Can you imagine an Adventist Church filled with members and friends who love others regularly and spontaneously, just like Jesus did as He walked this Earth?

Want to Get Involved?

Frank Bondurant, one of the event organizers and vice president for ministries development at the Columbia Union, reports, “The NAD, [Columbia Union and conferences] have provided funds for each conference to choose a church that will [host] 2016 Compassion projects. These churches will plan and host community service events every month this year. Stay tuned for updates on the impact they are making.

Click here for resources to help you participate in the monthly Compassion Weekend.

Story by Samantha Young

Three members from the Chesapeake Conference recently traveled to southeastern India to conduct a series of evangelistic meetings in the Vyasarpadi district of Chennai. With a population of 8.6 million people, Chennai is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Prior to the series beginning, lay Bible workers went into the district and surrounding neighborhoods of the Vyasarpadi Seventh-day Adventist Church to conduct Bible studies and invite people to the meetings.

The 10-day reaping effort, led by J. J. S. Moses, pastor of Chesapeake Conference’s Calvary Southern Asian church in Burtonsville, Md., and Jerry Lutz (pictured with Guillermo Bonilla), executive secretary of the Chesapeake Conference, was a three-way partnership of the Chesapeake Conference, the Calvary Southern Asian church, and Hope Channel India. Guillermo Bonilla, a member of the Berkeley Springs (W.Va.) church, daily presented key elements of the health message. Each evening Lutz delivered the message translated into Tamil.

More than 165 people attended the opening night service. The crowd grew to more than 250 by the end of the series. The church often overflowed with people seated outside, listening through open doors and windows.

“Considering that this is an often overlooked part of Chennai in which few such meetings have ever been conducted, this was a great blessing to the people, many of whom had never heard the gospel before,” says Moses, who was born and raised in southeastern India.

On the first Sabbath afternoon, after just three meetings—and the advance preparation of the lay Bible workers—church leaders baptized 10 individuals, with many more preparing for baptism. By the end of the 10-day series, 24 more people, most with a Hindu background, were awaiting baptism by local pastors.

The gleaning work continues in the Vyasarpadi district as new members bring visitors to worship with them in their new church home, reports Lutz.

“The Lord truly blessed the efforts of our team, but if it were not for the Holy Spirit’s work on the hearts of the people, and their receptiveness to the gospel, little or nothing would have been accomplished,” says Lutz. “The joy expressed on the faces of the newly baptized made the long journey to India worth every mile traveled.”

Story by Elena Cornwell / Photos by Daniel Shanken, Andrew Rush and Joshua Roberts/AP Photos

Three members share how they represent the Lord to the world around them—all while they shine in divinely appointed career paths.

Terry Hess: Spicing Up Life

Hess’ goal was to be the vice president of his bank, One Valley Bank (now BB&T), before he was 30. He succeeded. In 1997 his uncle called to inform Hess it was time to buy his Virginia Honey Company, which he did later that year. Hess committed to give five cents of whatever sold to charity. Under his leadership, the company donated $1.5 million and grew four times. That was just the beginning of God’s path for Hess.

A few years passed and Hess decided to sell without realizing his son wanted to be part of the company. In 2012 he repurchased the honey company, acquired Linden Beverage in Linden, Va., and folded it all together. It is now SVB Foods, a packaging and production center for salad dressings, cooking oils, vinegars, sauces, as well as syrups, salsas and dips.

“By age 47, I had the ability to retire and be done with working. But, that’s not what we are here for,” says Hess. “We are here to make a difference as God takes us, with our talents, and sends us through journeys. The Lord has led me a lot of different ways.”

With four kids of his own, another journey for Hess includes a venture to help bring families together in West Virginia. In August 2007, he and his wife, Julie, worked together to build JayDee’s Family Fun Center (jaydeesfun.com), which is now a beloved family hangout in Inwood, just south of Martinsburg.

The fun center is closed for Sabbath, a fact Hess doesn’t shy away from sharing with his customers. “It has allowed me to share my religion more than anything else I’ve ever done because it’s a family fun center,” he notes. The “About Us” tab on their website explains that it is the owner’s Christian faith and God’s day of rest that compels them to close on a normally popular water park day.

“People are looking for people who have conviction and integrity. Those characteristics will open doors as you go throughout life,” adds Hess. To him, working in the commercial realm doesn’t mean you aren’t doing important work. He adds, “Technically, we all work for the church, no matter our profession. If you stand firm in what you believe, it will all work out. I’ve seen it too many times to not believe it.”

With his family’s support, Hess, a member of Chesapeake Conference’s Martinsburg (W.Va.) church, continues to run SVB Foods and the fun center. He also finds time to manage several rental properties.

Noreen Chan Tompkins: Medicine Woman

Tompkins, whose story began in Loma Linda, Calif., didn’t always know what she wanted to study. “When I was in academy, one of my parents’ friends was a pharmacist. His daughter came to California looking for residencies and I got to talk to her about the field,” she shares. “Volunteering at the [veteran’s] hospital in Loma Linda made me really decide I wanted to pursue pharmacy as my career.”

Fast forward through her time at Loma Linda University; the University of Southern California’s School of Pharmacy, where she earned her PharmD; and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), where she completed her residency and a year of specialization in infectious disease. Her third year there, Tompkins joined the pharmacy department to implement the AIDS clinical trials and conduct clinical research on infectious disease.

“At HUP, I was the investigational pharmacist responsible for ensuring that the blinded study medication was appropriately dispensed for the patients to take,” she explains. “One of the trials we participated in was the ACTG 175 trial, where it was being assessed whether monotherapy, one medication, would be better than combination therapy to treat the HIV virus.” She adds, “It was an exciting time period to participate in the era of discovering medication strategies to combat HIV. Patients are now living longer with HIV because of several effective medications that have been developed.”

In 1993 Tompkins joined the faculty at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, where she maintains a demanding schedule. Up to 80 percent of her day is spent conducting three rounding services on 50-80 patients. She also teaches at the hospital’s pharmacy residency program, as well as pharmacy students from other schools.

As an Adventist in the secular workforce, Tompkins, who is married and has two children, says it is sometimes difficult to uphold and reflect a relationship with God. However, she notes that “maintaining a balance between work and family is important.”

She advises others working outside the church to stick to their values. “A lot of the people I work with are really supportive. Just being positive and having a good attitude is a huge part of it,” she says.

Outside of work, Tompkins helps with the Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs at Pennsylvania Conference’s Pittsburgh church. One of their monthly projects is making blankets for the hospital’s pediatric unit, which they pair with a children’s book. She’s also a church pianist and counts music as a large part of her worship experience. “When performing the piece, I do so for the glory of God,” she says.

Milton Brown: Life in 3-D

Brown was recently named the leading authority in chemistry in the United States. But, he isn’t a typical doctor or chemist. “You know when you go to the theater and they give you glasses to wear in order to see the 3-D movie? I can see things without the glasses. It’s a gift that I want to use for God’s glory,” he explains, referring to the ability to see extra fine details in his research.

Brown developed this talent to rise to the top of his field. Born in Baltimore, he grew up in Birmingham then Huntsville, Ala., where he attended Oakwood University (Ala.). After a local university professor told Brown that he had a talent for chemistry, he pursued a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Alabama, graduating in 1995. During this time, he married his high school sweetheart, and they now have four children; two attending Oakwood University, and two at Spencerville Adventist Academy (SAA) in Spencerville, Md.

“That really helped start me out on my passion; my passion to help people,” shares Brown. But, he knew God had more in store. “I decided to go to medical school and dedicated my life to making medicine for people around the world.”

Since 2006 Brown has served as the director of the Drug Discovery Program at Georgetown University Medical Center in northwest Washington, D.C. Additionally, he holds secondary faculty appointments in the departments of neuroscience and  biochemistry.

So far, Brown has discovered more than 40 new patent-filed medicines, the majority of which are in the cancer field. He helps develop medicines for sensitizing cells to radiation, as well as first-in-class, innovative medicines. He also pioneered the idea of theranostics, a mix of therapy and diagnostics for treatment.

When he’s not busy breaking ground in science research, examining molecules or lecturing abroad, Brown is an active member of Allegheny East Conference’s Emmanuel-Brinklow church in Ashton, Md. He can also be found pursuing another passion: helping young people develop their gifts for God. He coaches basketball for nearby church leagues, a district for the Amateur Athletic Union club as well as the middle school teams at SAA.

Brown maintains a busy schedule, but is rooted in the purposeful work God has for him. His advice for others swamped with work and working outside the church? “Stay grounded by connecting with your local church and being involved,” he says. “Always ask God to use your talents to do a mighty work for Him. He will bless you.”

Brown says his prayer for nearly 30 years “is always that God will trust me enough that He will share with me the secrets to heal and bless the world.”

Elena Cornwell writes from Lincoln, Neb.

Borges has many years of experience as an educator and administrator. He transferred from California, where he has been serving as principal at Armona Union Academy since 2007. He has also interacted with students in the classroom and through athletics programs.  

“We look forward to working with Mr. Borges,” says Rick Remmers, conference president. "His many years of education administration experience and deep,  spiritual commitment will prove to be a great blessing to HVA. We look forward to welcoming him and his family to our community.”

Borges enjoys organizing mission trips and states he is an avid sports fan, especially of the Oakland Raiders and the A’s. He is married to Kirsten Borges, a nurse. The couple has two daughters, Luci and Lili, sixth- and fourth-graders, respectively.

Story by Samantha Young / Photo by Elisa Cardona

Story by Andrew McChesney / Adventist Review

A 12-year-old adopted boy from Russia has expressed joy that hundreds of people are giving their hearts to Jesus as he leads his first evangelistic series in a city park in Rwanda.

Dillon Smith, who lives in the U.S. state of Maryland, was supposed to preach a children’s sermon every evening before his mother addressed the adults at their site.

But time constraints prompted Kent Sharpe, coordinator of several meeting sites, to suggest that Dillon take over the main meeting from his mother last Sunday night at the park in Karongi, a city located 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali.

After some coaching and encouragement, Dillon agreed — and was thrilled to see hundreds of people answer his call to accept Christ that first night.

“I was really excited,” he said Tuesday. “It was surprising to me because I did not know that that many people would come up.”

Dillon (pictured above with his mother, Jackie O. Smith), who was baptized the Sabbath before he arrived in Rwanda, has now joined the ranks of speakers leading Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic meetings at more than 2,200 sites across Rwanda. Local church members have prepared their neighbors and communities for the meetings with several months of Bible studies. Local church leaders are praying that the meetings, which began last Friday night, will culminate in 100,000 baptisms on May 28

Even though she is no longer preaching, Dillon’s mother, Jackie O. Smith, couldn’t be happier.

“I think this will be a life-changing experience for Dillon,” said Smith, assistant director of the Sabbath School Personal Ministries department of the Adventist world church.

“He has been elated at the response, to know that what he has said is really getting through to people and they are responding to the invitation,” she said, speaking in a Skype call as Dillon sat nearby. “But we cannot take credit. Local people have been doing a lot of the hard work before we arrived. Their work with the Holy Spirit is the key to the success of these meetings.”

The Smith family adopted Dillon and his twin brother, Dawson, at the age of 2 from an orphanage in the Russian city of Novosibirsk. Before leaving Russia, the U.S. parents dedicated the boys to God at a local Adventist church. In dedicating the boys, the Russian pastor said, “Who knows, maybe they will come back one day to preach in Russia,” Smith recalled.

Dillon has shown an interest in preaching for some time, his mother said. At home, he has used a book to preach during family worship time. Last summer, he told his mother, “Mommy, I want to preach a sermon.”

Smith saw an opportunity for Dillon to fulfill that dream when she learned about the Rwanda evangelistic meetings several months ago. Dillon signed up to preach Truth for Youth, an evangelistic series for children. His brother, who didn’t mind staying at home with his father, may get an opportunity one day to pursue one of his interests as well, Smith said.

When asked to take over the adult meeting, Dillon wasn’t initially sure that he was ready. The presentations, prepared by evangelist Mark Finley, were longer than the children’s program. Speakers can simply read the words off the computer screen, but the language was at a higher level than Dillon spoke.

Smith edited the sermons to bring them to Dillon’s level, and Sharpe gave him some speaking tips. On Sunday evening, Dillon donned his Pathfinder uniform and spoke about the evening’s theme, “The Lamb of God,” to a crowd of some 1,000 people.

“We prayed that we would have a perfect meeting, and God blessed,” his mother said. “It was a perfect meeting.”

Several local church leaders, worried about a shutdown of the park ahead of a visit by Rwanda’s president to the city the next day, took steps to conclude the meeting early. But the visitors insisted on running the meeting to the end — and they said God blessed in a mighty way.

“Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people came forward,” said Sharpe, vice president of finance for Adventist World Radio.

The park was closed on Monday night for the president’s visit, so Sharpe invited Dillon to preach to 1,500 people at his site.

“He had the people in the palm of his hand as they listened to this 12-year-old boy share Jesus,” Sharpe said.

Seventy to 80 people came forward for baptism afterward.

Story by V. Michelle Bernard / Photos courtesy Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee

JJ Chen, a 10-year-old boy who attends Chesapeake Conference’s Spencerville church in Silver Spring, Md., recently advanced to the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals in Oxon Hill, Md. He tied for 22nd place at the event.

Chen was the only student from the Washington, D.C., area to make it to the finals, and received a lot of local media attention for his accomplishment. He says he had fun and was “exited about talking with media. They are nice.”

His mother, Yuesha “Shasha” Chen, reports that during the competition the family (pictured below) was able to share his love for church and Christian music with the media and his fellow spellers.  “We believe that the Christian faith and values have a tremendous impact” on how JJ grew up and learned, she adds.

This was Chen’s first time competing in spelling bees, and he only started studying six months ago during his classroom’s competition. He plans to compete again next year and has already developed and started a study plan for the next 12 months.

Yuesha “Shasha,” who is a vice president and CFO at Adventist HealthCare’s Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Md., says he was born with a natural interest in spelling.  “When he was 3-years-old attending day care, he was already reading character books [versus picture books] and helping his classmates to read,” she says. “He was always a “human dictionary” to his teachers.”

Story by Samantha Young

A group of 18 pastors and lay members recently conducted evangelistic meetings in Cuba. They held meetings in 11 churches in Pinar del Río, an area with extreme poverty, food scarcity and a typical monthly salary equivalent to about $25.

“Our pastors are enthusiastic about their meetings and the congregations were very receptive,” says Rick Remmers, conference president.

According to Gary Gibbs, conference evangelism director, church members and about 1,100 adults and 440 children from the local neighborhoods attended the nightly meetings.

The conference sponsored a Bible worker for each church four months prior to the meetings to help them prepare for the initiative. Local church members funded the meetings with donations and gave regular attendees a quality Bible. “A Bible cost about 20 percent of an average income,” says Gibbs, “so you can imagine their joy in getting one.”

More than 706 people decided to join the church during the 10-day campaign. Seventy-five were baptized during the meetings and the others began Bible studies with pastors, church members and Bible workers.

César González (pictured above with Denaida Fort Defaus), pastor at the Cambridge and Beacon of Light churches on Maryland’s eastern shore, says his Cuban friends in West Palm Beach, Fla., asked him to look up Cenaida Fort Defaus, a relative living in Cuba. Upon arrival in his assigned church in a Cuban city with more than 100,000 residents, he inquired if the pastor knew Defaus. To González’s surprise, the pastor said that in the 1980s Defaus and her relatives started the church where he was preaching, and that she still lived there. Building churches has not been not permitted in Cuba, but meeting in an existing building or a house is allowed. The congregation meets in Defaus’ home and she has continued to add on to the structure to accommodate the growing congregation. Her relatives all moved to Florida years ago, but Defaus, now elderly and widowed, chooses to remain alone in Cuba, fearing if she leaves her home the government will take it and her church family will no longer have a meeting place.

“Our mission trip left a huge impact on the island,” says trip coordinator Ricardo Cala, Jr., pastor for the Federalsburg/Harrington/Sussex Central district in Delaware. “So great was our impact that a report on the government’s television channel thanks the whole team for coming to Cuba, helping out the churches and the communities, and giving out Bibles and materials. This kind of report from the communist-run media is unheard of…. The Lord is working and opening doors for our church [there].”

Story by Heidi Wetmore

When Jacob Harris was 8 years old, his family moved from Liberia to Maryland so his father could serve as a Lutheran minister. Harris was bullied in school because he was not from the United States. He decided that he didn’t want to be different and started hanging out with gang members. That decision led him to an unhealthy lifestyle including drugs, fighting and crime.

Harris began burglarizing homes and stealing cars. One day while he was out, a SWAT team came into his house. His cousins, at home at the time, were terrified. This shocked Harris and he realized that they were being caught up in the consequences of his actions. He wanted to change. Arrested and charged with grand-theft auto and burglary, among other things, Harris prayed and promised God that he would change his life.

After his trial, all charges were dismissed except for disruption of the peace. He went to a special private school to help him overcome his drug addiction. But after that year away, Harris relapsed and began hanging out with old friends. A military school stint didn’t help either. Back in Maryland, he drove by Spencerville Adventist Academy (SAA). He applied and told the admissions team his story.

Registrar Dawn Thompson felt especially convicted to vote for Jacob’s acceptance. “He was so transparent and honest in his answers. He seemed to feel certain that our school could make the difference in his life that he so desired,” says Thompson. “He had maintained good grades throughout and I felt that he just needed to have a chance to change his life.”

Harris began a new life as a senior at SAA this year. During November, Chad Stuart, Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist church senior pastor, held an evangelistic series at the church and the academy simultaneously. Harris attended the school meetings and wanted learn more about the Sabbath, the state of the dead and the doctrine of hell. “It all made sense to me, but I wanted to know more,” he says.

Harris began taking Bible studies with Justin Montero, a Bible worker with a similar past. They connected, studied together and Harris was baptized in March at the Spencerville church.

Before graduating Harris was active in the spiritual life on campus and preached and rapped his testimony at various churches and chapel services. The SAA Broadcast Journalism class has made of video of his story. When asked what the future holds for him, Harris says, “I would like to study theology. I just like learning about God for myself.”

Feature photo caption: Justin Montero and Spencerville youth pastor Stephen Finney pray with Jacob Harris at Harris’ baptism. Photo by Juliana Baioni

Story by Tompaul Wheeler / Photos by

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.

“Cuba is beautiful, yet bizarre,” says Cesar Gonzalez, pastor of Chesapeake Conference’s Cambridge (Md.) church, who traveled to Cuba this past February with a group of Chesapeake pastors, administrators and lay leaders. “Havana is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever [seen]. But, it’s just falling apart,” he says. 

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Frank Perez, retired CEO for Kettering Adventist HealthCare (KAHC) based in Kettering, Ohio, inserts, “It’s like a time warp. Buildings have collapsed. There has been some reinvestment and refurbishing of those grand, old buildings but, where I grew up in Havana center, [it] hasn’t changed in 50 years.” He adds, “The most significant thing is the spiritual human nature, where people born under the communist system are yearning for that God experience in their lives. That is just so affirming to my faith, to what I knew, to what I have lived. It’s so powerful.”

New Openings, Opportunities

In 2009 the Obama administration opened the door for Cuban-Americans to freely travel to Cuba. In 2011 they expanded the list of sanctioned reasons for visiting Cuba to include academic studies and missionary work. Though the Cuban government had long persecuted religious people, without Soviet assistance, in the 1990s, Cuba became open to churches providing some of the social support it no longer could.

Don Noble, Maranatha Volunteers International president, and Tim Suarez, Cuban-born board member, approached the government in 1994 seeking permission to build churches.

“Before you build any new churches, we want you to fix the churches that already exist,’” the government told Kyle Feiss, Maranatha’s vice president of marketing and projects. In the past 20 years, Maranatha built and rebuilt more than 200 structures, many of them house churches with an oversized living room and living space for the host family.

The Cuban government allowed the Seventh-day Adventist Church to keep some buildings it owned prior to communism, but didn’t support proselytizing and growth. House churches then filled the need for worship space.

Volunteers Receive Blessings

In late May, Dianne Trickett, a member of Chesapeake’s South Carroll church in Westminster, Md., traveled with Maranatha to help build a new church in Cardenas. The Cardenas congregation worked and prayed for more than 20 years for a new building, facing purchasing and permit hurdles.

Trickett expected such outreach as health education classes and Vacation Bible School (VBS). She said before leaving, “I like to give and help other people, and I know the Lord’s presence more through it. I want to do things that honor His name and feel like I’ve gotten to know Him better through this.”

Paulo Macena, New Jersey Conference Youth Ministries director, led another group to Cuba this July. Some 50 volunteers helped remodel a church, conducted VBS in multiple locations and connected with the people. The group lodged at the Adventist seminary in Havana. Cuban pastors in New Jersey helped organize the trip.

Macena first visited Cuba in 2004 to participate in an evangelistic campaign. Now he’s taking this New Jersey group and wants to ensure participants have an authentic experience. “You can easily miss what Cuba really is if you just go to the tourist … in places the Cuban people can’t [afford].”

Despite the great needs in Cuba, Macena believes his volunteers ultimately have more to gain. “Sometimes when you do a mission trip, you have this wrong mentality that you are going there to help this people,” he reflects. “In reality, we are going to help ourselves more than them because we take our lives for granted. We are going to see people really struggling but they have a strong faith in God. When I get to go and see how people live,  their struggles, you start to look at your own life in a different perspective.”

Baptisms Cap a “Spiritual Feast”

Over the past 20 years, Adventist membership in Cuba has more than tripled, from 11,000 to more than 35,000. When the Chesapeake group led evangelistic meetings in February, they preached to standing-room-only crowds. They served 11 churches in the Pinar del Rio Provence, about two hours southwest of Havana, and donated a projector and computer to each congregation to assist in future evangelism.

We had a spiritual feast,” says Walter Alonso, a business owner and Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee member from Hagerstown, Md. “Our pastors came back so blessed, so overwhelmed with what they saw. Their churches in Chesapeake are reaping the benefits. I offered to go as a translator, and they put me in a church. It was a tremendous experience.”

The house church where Alonso spoke recorded 480 visitors, many bused in. “One evening the pastor asked the members to [step outside] and observe the preaching through the windows because another bus was coming,” Alonso recalls. “I had people sitting around me on the pulpit. … It was wall-to-wall people.”

Chesapeake’s evangelistic series concluded with several dozen baptisms. The group is still learning of new baptisms resulting from hundreds of ongoing Bible studies in the wake of their meetings.

Volunteers Impressed  by Cuban Ingenuity

For Pastor Gonzalez, Cuba repeatedly defied his expectations. “I didn’t think we would be welcomed like we were,” he reflects. “Everywhere we went, people were tremendously gracious. One on one, they would open up and tell you all about their life and what it is like to live there.”

Gonzalez was also surprised by the relatively high standard of living. “The vast majority of homes were concrete, with power and water, and built to survive storms,” he says.

He continues, “The Cuban ingenuity is fantastic. If people don’t have a tool to repair something, they’ll make their own. Half or more of the cars on the road were from the ’40s and ’50s … but they looked like they had come from the factory.”

There are a growing number of union members responding to Cuba’s needs. For instance, members from Potomac’s Seabrook church in Lanham, Md., have ministered there for more than three years. This summer member Gavin Simpson, who now attends the New Market (Va.) church, and 14 others from Seabrook, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut traveled for a fourth mission trip to host three evangelistic meetings and several health fairs in rural communities.

Simpson’s group spent more than $2,000 to purchase Bibles, tracts and various Ellen White books. The Cuban Union president reported that they were the first group of missionaries, that he knew of, to visit Cuba and invest in literature for the church.

Going Home, Giving Back

Perez immigrated to the U.S. at age 18, in 1962, a year after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion and just two months before the Cuban Missile Crisis. He did not return until 2012.

In 2013 Perez, also vice president of the Emmanuel Bible Society (Sociedad Biblica Emanuel), delivered, with help from Columbia Union Conference funds, what many believe to be the first major shipment of Bibles into Cuba. “The word spread around the hotel where our delegation was staying that we were the Bible people,” Perez recalls. “Even government security officers would come and say, ‘We have never seen a Bible. Can we have a Bible?’”

Perez is especially focused on identifying needs for the Cuban seminary, including housing for teachers, a library and cafeteria. “Our latest project, which [has] been supported by [KAHC] and the Columbia Union, among others, is the acquisition of a 10-acre tract of land next to the seminary, the only land available,” he reports. “It’s critical because that’s where the only working well in that area is located.” Four other drilled wells came up dry, says Perez, adding they are in the midst of acquisition now.

“There is a window of opportunity open right now,” says Perez. “It started about three or four years ago, and we have aimed, by God’s grace, to take full advantage of that window.”

First photo: Photo credit Paulo Macena
Second Photo: Chesapeake Conference Pastor Ricardo Cala (wearing glasses), fellowships with a study group in Pinar del Rio.
Third photo: Six people were baptized during a 2015 mission trip to Gibrara, Cuba, organized by members from the  Potomac Conference’s Seabrook church in Lanham, Md.