In Puerto Rico, Adventist Church Finds Ways to Assist Hundreds Affected by Hurricane Maria
February 15, 2018 | Loiza, Puerto Rico | Libna Stevens/IAD How do you help a small poor town devastated by…
In Puerto Rico, Adventist Church Continues to Strengthen Communities in Wake of Hurricane Devastation
February 8, 2018 | Mayaguez, Puerto Rico | Libna Stevens/IAD Puerto Rico will forever have two stories: one before Hurricane…
Adventist Church Celebrates 100 Years of Growth in the Dominican Republic
Seventh-day Adventists in the Dominican Republic recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the church. Church leaders and members alike celebrated the exponential growth since the Adventist message began on the island. “Today is a memorable day for the Seventh-day Adventist Church here as we see how the flame of our message has expanded throughout these 100 years in the country,” said Pastor Cesario Acevedo, president of the church in the Dominican Republic, while at the Mella Adventist Church in Santo Domingo, last December.
In Nicaragua, Adventist Church Inaugurates Brand New Hospital Facility
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nicaragua recently inaugurated a brand new facility for its Adventist Hospital in Estelí, Nicaragua. The facility becomes the only private hospital in the city, located 150 kilometers north of Managua—the capital city. The Jan. 9 inauguration ceremony drew city officials and community and church leaders.
Dominica Goes from Relief to Rebuild Thanks to International Support
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Dominica is currently transitioning from relief to rebuild, said the organization’s leaders in that Caribbean nation, after Hurricane María damaged houses, churches, and schools across the island last year. ADRA, the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, recently received a 20ft (6-meter) container from the Inter-American Division headquarters in Miami, Florida, United States, with buckets containing cleaning supplies. They are now being distributed in the communities affected.
In St. Thomas, Andrews University Students Remove Hurricane Debris at Largest Adventist Church
A group of students and leaders from Andrews University recently spent a day clearing out fallen walls, fallen branches and debris from the largest Seventh-day Adventist Church on St. Thomas, destroyed by Hurricane Irma last year. The group of more than 50 stepped out of a cruise-mission trip in the Caribbean to tidy up the Philadelphia Adventist Church, nestled in the capital city of Charlotte Amalie. The church has been closed since the storm tore up the roof and walls in September.
Adventist Pastor Admitted to the Jamaican Supreme Court Bar
Omar Oliphant, created history in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica by becoming the first ordained minister to become an attorney-at-law. He was admitted to the Jamaican Bar on Dec. 7, 2017, in a ceremony held at the Jamaican Supreme Court in Kingston. Oliphant, who pastors a district of five churches with a membership of over 1,000 is also the communication and youth director of the church’s northern region comprising St. Ann and Trelawny.
Adventist Advocate Encourages an “Inclusive Society” in Visit with Colombian Leader
As war-weary Colombia confronts the challenges of peace-building following decades of conflict with rebel groups, a Seventh-day Adventist leader has reminded government officials that minority religious groups have a valuable part to play. “An inclusive dialogue, one that draws in voices from all parts of Colombian society, will help foster a strong and lasting peace,” said Ganoune Diop, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Adventist world church, during a meeting last month with Colombia’s Minister of the Interior, Guillermo Rivera Flórez.
In St. Croix, Pathfinders Distribute Goods and Share Joy in the Community
Dozens of pathfinders from the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in St. Croix volunteered their time to prepare care packages for the community during Thanksgiving weekend, which is celebrated in North America near the end of November every year. Leaders and pathfinder volunteers gladly assembled gifts and personal notes that were shipped from the Adopt a Family, USVI, a volunteer organization which responded to wish lists posted by families impacted by the hurricanes which swept across the Unite States Virgin islands in September 2017. The gift packages were distributed in the community on Nov. 25, 2017.
Adventist Church Distributes 400 New Bicycles to Needy Families in North Colombia
Four hundred new bicycles were donated to children across the Wayuu ethnic community in North Colombia earlier this month, as part of a special initiative led by the Seventh-day Adventist Church called “Wheels to Educate.” So far, 1,000 bicycles have been donated to children in Uribia, La Guajira, the most drought-stricken area in the region. Over 600 bicycles were distributed last year.
ADRA Continues to Assist Victims of Earthquakes in Mexico
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Mexico continues to assist hundreds of families affected by the earthquakes which struck several states in September, toppling buildings, killing dozens, destroying homes and leaving many homeless. ADRA Mexico will have assisted some 13,000 people who distributed food baskets in dozens of communities in the States of Morelos, Puebla and Mexico City, at the end of this month, according to César Hernández, ADRA Mexico director.
In St. Croix, Adventist Church Begins to Coordinate Counseling Services After Hurricanes Irma and Maria
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the North Caribbean Conference territory is counseling church members and community members as they continue to recover from the devastation of hurricanes Irma and Maria. A team from the CW Educational and Behavioral Center based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, toured several churches and communities in St. Croix and provided crisis counseling, which helps individuals cope with life after traumatic events.