Inter-American leaders prepare for impact during largest territory-wide youth congress
Pastor Benjamin Carballo, youth ministries director for the church in Inter-America, meets with dozens of youth ministries leaders and organizers on July 27, 2014, during a logistic meeting for the upcoming youth congress, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Image by Daniel Gallardo/IAD
July 28, 2014 | Guatemala City, Guatemala | Libna Stevens/IAD
Mobilizing nearly 6,000 young people from throughout the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America is just what leaders have been preparing for weeks, months, and over a year now. It’s a countdown to less than two days before Inter-America will celebrate its largest youth congress yet this Tuesday, July 29, 2014, from Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The event has taken hundreds of hours and dozens of meetings to coordinate among youth ministries leaders from across the 24 church regions comprising the Inter-American Division (IAD) territory. All with the single purpose: to inspire Adventist young people in the IAD to become a powerful generation that loves Jesus and shares the love and hope of salvation in their communities.
“What we have longed for and waited for is almost here,” said Pastor Benjamin Carballo, youth ministries director for the church in Inter-America as he addressed youth ministry leaders during a logistics meeting last night. “We praise God the church in Inter-America has invested in community projects which have brought us closer to ‘Embracing Guatemala’ with hope.”
Pastor Gustavo Menendez (center), communication director for the church in Guatemala, speaks to radio, television and the print media during a press conference held at the Hotel Panamericano on July 27, in Guatemala City, as Pastor Benjamin Carballo(left) and Enrique Umanzor community project coordinator look on. Image by Asdrubal Batz/IAD
Donations from each of IAD’s 24 unions, or church regions, allowed for hundreds of young people from Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and the Caribbean to build eight homes in extreme poverty communities, repair five sporting courts, remodel four classrooms, clean up streets and provide food to poor communities and nursing homes throughout Guatemala.
“You have really touched the heart of Guatemala with these projects,” said Pastor Guenther Garcia, president of the church in Guatemala. “Your donation of $2,500 towards these projects has really made a difference,” he added. Municipal and district leaders praised the work of the church for making a difference if the lives of their community members in need.
That difference was covered through radio, television and the print media after the church held a press conference yesterday on the community projects completed, the upcoming youth congress and the large city-wide health impact scheduled later this week. Government leaders will team up with the church to promote a healthy lifestyle at a time when the rise of obesity among adults and children is growing rapidly.
Thousands of youth delegates are expected to arrive within the next 24 hours to Guatemala City for the five-day event.
The hours and times the event will be streamed live over the internet in Spanish, English and French will be as follow at webcast.interamerica.org:
TUESDAY July 29
6:00pm-9:00pm (Opening Program) Guatemala Time (or 8:00 – 11:00pm Miami Time)
WEDNESDAY July 30
8:00am – 12:00pm
4:00pm – 5:30pm
6:45pm – 9:00pm (Evening Program)
THURSDAY July 31
4:30pm – 5:30pm
6:30pm – 9:00pm (Evening Program)
FRIDAY August 1
8:00am – 12:00pm
3:00pm – 4:15pm
6:00pm – 9:00pm (Vespers)
SABBATH August 2
8:30am – 12:30pm (Sabbath School and Worship)
2:00pm – 5:30pm (Bible Boom Finale Program)
6:30pm – 9:00pm (Closing Program)
For updates on Inter-America’s Youth Congress to be held July 28 to August 2, 2014, visit us at
interamerica.org
Photo gallery: flickr.com/photos/interamerica
Facebook: facebook.com/congresogp2014
Twitter: @congresogp2014
@AdventistIAD (english)
@AdventistasDIA (Spanish)
Hashtags:
#AYcongress2014
#EmbracingGuatemala
#CongresoGP2014
#AbrazaGuatemala