New Jersey Conference

Story by Cristina Macena

It’s not just the adults at the Bridgeton Spanish church in Bridgeton giving weekly Bible studies to their neighbors.

Every week Jaffet Vazquez, a fourth-grader at Vine Haven Adventist School in Vineland, teaches the children that live on Walnut Street more about the Bible and his best friend, Jesus. His mother, Susana Vazquez, prayerfully went to every mother on the street and asked permission for their children to attend Bible studies at her home. Many said yes and about 13 children ages 5-10 meet at the Vazquez home weekly for Bible studies. Jaffet uses what he has learned in class from his teacher, Violeta Molina, and Pastor Raul Rivero, Bible class teacher, to share with his friends about God’s love and gift of salvation.

Story by Tompaul Wheeler

For half a century, nowhere has embodied the phrase “so near, and yet so far” for Americans more than Cuba.

Cuba is only 93 miles from Key West, Fla., but for the average American, for decades it may as well have been on Mars. Home to 11 million people, the Caribbean island nation is the size of Virginia. Due to the travel and trade embargo imposed by the United States since the early 1960s, Cuba’s colorful and dynamic culture, and its turbulent political scene have been shut out from much of the world.

Editorial by Jose H. Cortés, New Jersey Conference president

We are living in difficult times. It seems as if our civilization is falling apart because of terrorism, abuse and hatred. It is shocking to watch the news, as apparently harmless people—men, young women, sometimes children or elders—detonate themselves with explosives, killing and injuring dozens of people they do not even know! Can it get any crazier?

If we look at the other side, we see that our sophisticated society is plagued with abuses and violations: child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, racial hatred, prejudice and discrimination. Even politicians are lowered to dirty diatribes, verbal and physical attacks. Where are we going to stop?

As the Master Guide graduation candidates from the New Jersey Conference prepared for their final review, Reina Zapata, Master Guide state coordinator, realized that one was not a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Virgilio Osorio, his wife and their children accepted the Lord after volunteering in the Pathfinder program at the Lake Nelson church in Piscataway.

Story by Daniel Granderson / Images by iStock

Jesus came not just to preach, but also to teach. Is it any wonder then that He was referred to by His followers as rabbi (teacher)? He held class on the mount and in fishing boats. Wherever there were ears to hear, He saw opportunities to educate.

Today there are more than 1.8 million pairs of ears still receiving the teachings of Christ through the schools, colleges and universities the Seventh-day Adventist Church operates worldwide. These modern teachers develop not only the intellect, but also the spirit, allowing the ministry to live on beyond the pulpit. In these schools, there is no ministry without education. The two are twin branches growing together on the same gospel tree.