By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Janell Hullquist, Southern Adventist University.)

From June 15-17, 2020, the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC) at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee, will host a three-day virtual photo/journalism summer boot camp for high school students.
The workshop, to be held via Zoom, is designed for students interested in photography, writing, videography, social media, or overall storytelling. Participants will be encouraged to find stories within their churches, conferences, and communities for publication, either as…

Source:: sda website

Since the quarantine was announced in Peru in early March, Mateus Pereira has seen his routine change dramatically. Accustomed to the intense academic experience, he suddenly had to remain isolated due to an invisible threat: the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.
The medical student is Brazilian, but lives in Lima, capital city of the neighboring country of Peru, which has gradually seen the number of infected people steadily increase, despite preemptive measures adopted by the local…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Adventist Community Services)

The international Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has committed $150,000 to support Adventist Community Services (ACS) food pantries in the U.S. to respond to the COVID-19 food relief efforts. In addition, ADRA is providing $2.3 million worth of medical consumables as gifts-in-kind and 426 boxes of PPE (personal protective equipment).”We are grateful for ADRA’s commitment to serve and to partner with ACS for this endeavor,” said Sung Kwon, NAD ACS director.
North American…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Mark A. Kellner, for Adventist Review)

Richard Wayne Penniman, a Seventh-day Adventist and musician best known as Little Richard, passed to his rest May 9, 2020 at the age of 87. Controversial for his role in creating rock ‘n’ roll music in the 1950s, the Oakwood University alumnus retained his Adventist faith and publicly returned to it in his later years.
A son, Dan Penniman, said his father died of cancer. Little Richard was said to be in poor health in recent years following hip surgery in 2009. And in 2017 he told a 3ABN…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Janelle Ringer)

With society now being called to practice social distancing, it’s become even more difficult for those who live alone to socialize.
Fear and anxiety about COVID-19 can make people feel anxious and out of control. Feelings of loneliness and isolation that are exacerbated during social distancing can cause our mental health to suffer.
Carolina Osorio, MD, a geriatric psychiatrist at the Loma Linda Behavioral Health Institute, is no stranger to working with people who feel isolated. “Loneliness…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Ellen Hostetler)

Between April 18-25, 2020, Robert Costa, speaker/director for the It Is Written Spanish language ministry Escrito Está, shared hope with people in Mexico. Under quarantine orders himself, Pastor Costa conducted an online evangelistic series for the North Mexican Union entitled “El poder de la Esperanza” (“The Power of Hope”) from his home.
The event was live streamed through Facebook and YouTube. Due to the online platform, other conferences and churches throughout the North America, Central…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Mauren Fernandes)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive behavior patterns and difficulty in social interaction. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that one in 88 children has signs of autism. In Brazil alone, there are two million people with the diagnosis.
For Keiny Goulart and her husband, Marlon, receiving their son’s diagnosis was not easy. After seeking professional help, Keiny decided to act. Together she and her husband…

Source:: sda website

Immigrant families are among the most vulnerable affected by the coronavirus crisis. In Brazil, many immigrants have lost their jobs or had their income reduced due to the pandemic, and they lack the basic resources to live with dignity. It is at a time like this that Adventist Solidarity Action (ASA) becomes one of the only hopes for these people.
On April 26, dozens of Venezuelan immigrants residing in Guatambu, a town of about 5,000 in western Santa Catarina, received food, clothing, shoes…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Jarrod Stackelroth)

I miss church. This is probably the longest I’ve experienced not being able to go to church.
Recently my wife and I were playing worship music from YouTube and I found myself longing to be singing in a congregation, worshipping together again. I can’t wait. I can’t wait to hug my friends and shake hands and worship together while catching up.
So, with a number of our Pacific countries planning or starting to relax lockdown laws, here are some important things I hope we can remember as we start…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission)

Esko was 63 and ill when he showed up at Piikkiö Seventh-day Adventist Church in southwestern Finland.
“I don’t need the food,” he told food pantry director Riitta-Liisa Peltonen as he picked out vegetables, meat, and bread. “It’s for my friends.”
Riitta-Liisa looked tenderly at the obese man. The odor of sweat and unwashed clothes clung to him. He suffered severe liver problems after years of hard drinking. His eyes were kind.
“Are you a Christian?” Riitta-Liisa asked.
Esko shifted his eyes…

Source:: sda website