Mayaguez, Puerto Rico…[Freddy Sosa/IAD Staff]
Seventh-day Adventists in Puerto Rico continued to demonstrate their solidarity as they gathered more than 7,000 strong on Feb. 23 to promote the family and respect for life, as well as speak out against the plague of drug addiction on the island. They gathered at Manuel Petaca Iguina in Arecibo to assure government representatives of their commitment to finding solutions to the recent wave of crime and violence.
The Honorable Dr. Felix Matos, secretary of the Ministry of Family in Puerto Rico, spoke to the crowd of church members on behalf of the governor. He recognized the church for its distribution of a special magazine containing messages of hope for families, among other topics.
“We thank the contribution the [Adventist] church is doing through the massive distribution of the magazine A look at the Puerto Rican Family in finding solutions for the existing problems in Puerto Rico,” he said.
Noemi Cardona, advisor and coordinator for religious and community matters in Puerto Rico, praised the church for its health institutions, free counseling centers and radio stations throughout the island which offer messages of comfort, insight and hope.
During the special program which gathered laypeople, ministers and church members representing the four church regions on the island, Pastor Balvin Braham, associate director of the Ministerial Association for the church in Inter-America, said the problems and wars between nations are signs of the second coming of Christ. Beyond the eschatological application of war between nations, Pastor Braham said that “there are wars in homes where many people do not want to return to after a day of work because of confrontations…there is hope,” he said.
The program ended with the recognition of outstanding laypeople and ministers during the year 2007, and a renewed commitment to service to the community.
There are nearly 36,000 Seventh-day Adventist worshiping in 325 churches in Puerto Rico.
