Prisoners in El Salvador challenged by church members to read about Jesus; and other world news

This week on ANN The island nation of Sri Lanka is on the verge of a health crisis, and with a population of more than 21 million, hope for the COVID-19 pandemic to recede in the country remains neutral. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is teaming up with local authorities, the Adventist Church, and interfaith partners to address the most challenging preventative issues arising on the island. ADRA developed the program titled BRAVE, an acronym for Building Resilience And Vaccine Awareness. An interfaith pandemic relief team will work with and increase the capacity of faith leaders to head the forums, then identify families with the most vulnerable members that would be prioritized for vaccination. In eastern El Salvador, Seventh-day Adventist church members and pastors distributed thousands of books in two major prisons in the region. Among the books distributed were several classics by Ellen G. White, including Spanish editions of "Steps to Christ," "Desire of Ages," and "The Great Controversy." The initiative saw more than a dozen local Adventist churches join forces to fund, collect, and distribute the books to two major correctional facilities: Ciudad Barrios in the San Miguel region and San Francisco Gotera in the Morazan region. There are a total of 5,500 inmates in both facilities. In the Czech Republic, a sudden tornado with winds estimated at 136 mph struck several villages. Local authorities in South Moravia report that six people have died so far, with more than 250 people injured, and hundreds more without homes. Eyewitnesses say the tornado tipped over cars and buses, uprooted trees, and showered hailstones the size of tennis balls. The forceful wind and hailstones knocked down power lines and destroyed a retirement home and local zoo. ADRA, which has been serving in the Czech Republic since 1992, has already met with local authorities and has set up fundraising efforts to help affected residents. More than 250 young adults gathered for a conference focused on faith, relationships, and finding their calling titled, "Make Space." Organized by the Adventist Church in South Queensland, Australia, this gathering was designed to encourage young people to make space in their lives and relationships for the Holy Spirit to work, based on Isaiah 54:1-3. The event was held at Life Church in South Brisbane and Victoria Park Golf Complex. In the country of Tanzania, more than 28,000 people sealed their acceptance of the Adventist message with a spectacular baptism ceremony following a three-week evangelistic campaign. The campaign's theme was "Shangwe katika njia yake," a Kiswahili phrase that means "Joy in His way." The message was broadcast live from the city of Dodoma at Kizota Adventist Church and relayed to more than 3,000 sites across the country. The program resulted from a partnership between Hope Channel Tanzania and Morning Star Studio and the purposeful use of evangelism through social media. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 20 young people joined together to spend a week in Tuzla as part of the "Invasion of Love." The purpose of the event was to share messages of love and perform different acts of kindness. ADRA volunteers decided on a different invasion, demonstrating how showing love and doing random acts of kindness can bring people together. Since 2015, ADRA, in partnership with USAID, has implemented a food project in South Madagascar, which has been heavily affected by severe drought and widespread crop failure. ADRA connected with nearly 30,000 households to adopt Sorghum as a food crop for production by the fourth year of the project's implementation. In Brazil, students from Escola Adventista de Anápolis joined together to help the Little Abandoned Light of Jesus Institute, which shelters children, teenagers, and people with physical and mental needs. According to the organizers, 72 food baskets were donated, as well as school supplies, baby bathtubs, and books with messages of hope. The project was organized by the school's mission agency, an Adventist Education initiative. Its objective is to encourage students to participate in the mission and learn to talk to others about Jesus. For more current events and inspiring stories, go to News | Adventist News Network Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RpNMSCxMnE