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: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ann-en/~3/ifSCt_G71ZI/

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: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ann-en/~3/3x10fH7Vqds/

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: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ann-en/~3/nIN2vbzlVzQ/

For many students, the month of May signals the end of the academic year, the highlight of which is promotion to the next grade or graduation. This year will be remembered as extraordinary because of the coronavirus that undermined normal stability and routine.
The president of the Inter-European Division (EUD), Mario Brito, shares a personal message with all young people called to face this important moment in their educational journey. In his communiqué, Brito confirms his complete trust in…Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ann-en/~3/hH64t6W0BCE/

After testing positive for COVID-19, Roxana Martinez, a clinical nurse at the Adventist Sanatorium of Plata (SAP) in Argentina strictly quarantined. Although she didn’t show symptoms, she continued hydrotherapy treatments at home and recovered within one week. Martinez is the second patient to recover from the coronavirus in Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos.
When Martinez returned to work on May 7, she didn’t expect the lavish welcome from her hospital colleagues! Doctors, nurses, and…Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ann-en/~3/mnPXz-JP7Js/