Story by Samuel Girven ('25)
A growing crowd milled around me, exchanging greetings and hugs—signs of friend groups reuniting. I sat alone in the lobby of Twomley Hall at Shenandoah Valley Academy (SVA). It was handshake day, and I was a new student.
Several days earlier, I moved from my native Michigan, met by the heat and humidity of Virginia, to attend SVA. It was an abrupt change from how I had envisioned my last two years of high school.
Editorial by Charles A. Tapp
When someone reaches the age of 100, we refer to them as a centenarian, and we celebrate this tremendous milestone with much fanfare. This year, the Potomac Conference will turn 100. And as a conference, we, too, will take the opportunity to celebrate. But our celebration will take on a little different tone than merely observing that we reached this important landmark in our journey as a conference.
Story by ADRA Staff
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) continues to respond to the devastating earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in Japan on New Year’s Day. ADRA is actively engaged in providing crucial assistance to the affected communities.
The earthquake, measuring 7.6 magnitude, claimed more than 230 lives leaving a trail of destruction, impacting hundreds of communities, and causing significant damage to homes and infrastructure. With more than 44,000 homes affected and thousands of people still living in evacuation centers and dire conditions, the situation remains dire, requiring urgent humanitarian intervention.
Story by Stephen Lee
More than 380 women recently gathered for the New Jersey Conference (NJC) Women’s Ministries retreat, themed “Restoring Hope.”
Juliana Marson, conference Women’s Ministries director, says, “We wanted to remind women that God sees them, He values them and God is able to heal them. Through shared testimonies, the women were encouraged to rest in God and His provision to overcome challenges. It was an opportunity for women from across the state—both English and Spanish speakers—to be refreshed, restored and refocused.
Story by Christian Record Services Staff
In the heart of compassion and dedication, Christian Record Services (CRS) stands tall as it celebrates an incredible milestone—125 years of unwavering commitment to serving individuals worldwide who are blind and visually impaired. Since its inception in 1899, CRS has been a beacon of hope, breaking down barriers and providing life-changing services to individuals facing vision challenges.
Story by WGTS Staff
A year ago, AllWorship.com became a part of WGTS 91.9 – Atlantic Gateway Communications. AllWorship.com features five streams of music: contemporary praise, instrumental worship, Spanish language worship, traditional praise, and Christmas worship. “For almost two decades, it has provided worship music to the global community,” says President and CEO Kevin Krueger. “We are humbled and grateful for this opportunity to share the good news of Jesus by growing this avenue of worship music. It allows us to minister globally to a variety of music tastes.”
Story by Kettering Health Staff
The Kettering Health family congratulates Jonathan Duffy, former executive director of Mission and Ministry, on his retirement at the end of 2023. Since joining Kettering Health in 2020, Duffy helped advance the system’s mission outreach and spiritual care functions by developing strong community relationships, leading our chaplains across the system, and advancing outreach to underserved communities.
Story by WAU Staff
Last week the Washington Adventist University Honors College led a delegation of 18 high school students to The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) conference in The Hague, Netherlands. The students are all from Columbia Union Academies and will represent Lithuania and Samoa at the conference. THIMUN, one of the oldest and largest MUN conferences in the world, attracts more than 2,000 student delegates from international schools all around the world. This is the second year that students from the Columbia Union will attend the conference and they are the only delegation from Seventh-day Adventist Schools.
“Blessed”: That’s the word that exudes from Adalberto Agosto-Burgos as he describes the past three years of his life.
Adalberto was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he served as a police officer for 13 years. In 2014, he found himself with a new co-worker: Ken Pitney from Lebanon, Ohio, who had been assigned to work on the island.
The two served together for three years before Ken had to return to his hometown for a family emergency in 2017. Having built a strong friendship, they vowed to stay in touch.
Editorial by Stephen S. Lee
“Daddy, I have a riddle for you,” my younger son gleefully declared. “What goes up but never comes down?”
Before I could muster a response, he quipped with playful mischief, “Your age.”
If, like me, you resist the inevitability of aging, it might be a subtle sign that you’re already on that journey, as the young eagerly anticipate the swift passage of time.
The 96-year-old elder at my church, a figure I deeply admire, often cautions me with a friendly admonition, “Pastor Lee, don’t you dare grow old.” Despite my sincere attempts to heed his advice, I find the relentless march of time undefeated.