A series of Christian evangelistic meetings in Rome, began tonight, Feb. 6, just four days after “high ranking authorities” managed to shut down the use of an auditorium for the meetings.
The Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventists had signed a contract with Leo the Great Auditorium for the use of their hall, but were faxed a cancellation notice from the center on Tuesday evening, Feb. 2.
“What we feared has actually come to pass,” said Pastor Shawn Boonstra, the presenter for the event and director of It Is Written. “We have a back-up plan, and nothing is going to stop the preaching of the everlasting gospel here in the city of Rome.”
Event organizers found a large church and worked to develop overflow seating. They had people stationed at the old meeting place and had busses transport attendees to the new meeting place.
After the opening meeting ended, It Is Written filmed a video update with Pastor Boonstra at the new meeting location, describing how things went that night....
This is really touching! A recent Fox News report highlights what an Adventist church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti is doing to survive after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the country January 12. The church members and people from the church's surrounding neighborhood are doing something very different from those fighting and looting for food across the city.
They've gathered together and are camping just outside of their destroyed church. Instead of adopting an "everyone for themselves" kind of attitude, these survivors are working together as a team. They've organized themselves and are combining their money to send a few people to buy food at a local market. Then, they bring the food back to group and share it with anyone willing to chip in!
It's so heartwarming to see people act unselfishly --even when all they have is gone.
Faradhia Moise was trapped in the rubble of a Haitian store for more than 2 days. After being rescued, she spoke with CNN about what helped her make it through the ordeal. Video below:
The North Pacific Union's Gleaner is reporting that the earthquake has damaged 2 of the largest Adventist Churches in Haiti. These churches housed 5 congregations. The Haitian Adventist University was also damaged but is being used to stage relief efforts. The Adventist hospital in Port-au-Prince is still up and is being used a clinical center. However, a newsletter from the Adventist Church in North America says there are "conflicting reports" and are "sketchy because of downed power lines and poor communication in Haiti."
As you may know, ADRA is providing aid in the relief effort. However, you should know that ADRA "cannot use donations to specifically target the special needs of the Adventist Church." If you want your donation to specifically help the Adventist Church in Haiti, you need to put your donation in a tithe envelope and mark it “Haiti Disaster Relief.”
Churches can include a special insert in their church bulletins for this upcoming Saturday available from the North Pacific Union Conference.
The Haitian National Palace --destroyed by the earthquake.
Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images. Source: CNN
In case you haven't already heard, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday, January 12. It is the strongest earthquake to hit Haiti in over 200 years.
Officials fear that tens of thousands of people may be dead, however no one knows for sure. According to the Associated Press, there are dead bodies all over the streets: from the very young next to their schools, to the older with stunned expressions frozen on their faces. Damaged roads and fallen buildings are making it difficult to send relief where most needed.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency is responding to the earthquake. Right now the most urgent needs are "water purification supplies, food, temporary shelter materials, hygiene kits, and medical assistance." ADRA says it plans on providing access to clean water to an estimated 90,000 people a day.
You can give the people the help they desperately need by donating to ADRA's Haiti Earthquake Response Fund. ADRA is needing to raise $500,000 in the next 7 days.
The Adventist Church has several institutions in Haiti. Most of the church's large institutions, such as its hospital and university, are based in Carrefour, a city on the southern outskirts of Port-au-Prince. Although Carrefour is not close to Delmas, church leaders are waiting to hear more about potential damage to those institutions as well.
Inter-American church leaders say they are hoping to have more information tomorrow. So far, the church's headquarters in Haiti have suffered no structural damages, according to local church officials.
The earthquake also delayed a volunteer project from a church in the United States that partners with a Haitian orphanage. A group of 31 church members from the New Hope Adventist Church in Fulton, Maryland last night canceled their week-long trip to the Eden Garden Orphanage, 60 miles northeast of Port-au-Prince.
Needless to say, please keep everyone in Haiti in your prayers. U.S. citizens seeking information about family members in Haiti can call the State Department Operations Center at 1-888-407-4747.
Video (below) shows the dust from destruction that hangs over Port-Au-Prince:
Generation of Youth for Christ (GYC) is an Adventist grassroots movement led by young adults and youth across the United States. Besides regional and local chapters, GYC also holds an annual nationwide conference where attendees get equipped to better share Jesus in their home towns or wherever they may be.
This year’s conference will be held in Louisville, KY and the theme is “Unashamed” based on Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…”
"We Three Kings of Orient Are" by Straight No Chaser
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