NN July 2020

30 Jul

THE WHALE AND THE WORM

In

By Doug Inglish … It is inevitable when thinking of the story of Jonah, that our minds immediately envision a whale (I know, the Bible says it was a great fish, so all you marine biologists can fault me here for being technically inaccurate, but for the purposes of this article I am going to call it a whale). God had a message for the wicked city of Nineveh, and a weak-kneed prophet was not going to stop that message from getting all the way to the king. From the vantage point of He who loves every soul to the point of making the ultimate sacrifice, so many people in need of a call to repentance was a whale of a problem. So, He didn’t hesitate to come up with a whale of a solution.

But as you are also no doubt aware, one of the smallest creatures on earth enters the story in the last chapter (If you need a refresher at this point, it only takes about half an hour to read the whole book of Jonah). Jonah, too upset over his prophecy being overruled to rejoice in his successful evangelism, sat sulking in the shade of a leafy vine. But along came a worm to chew through the vine so that it withered away, leaving the prophet even more hot and bothered. As often happens, the Lord spoke to Jonah right at his most ridiculous moment. Since the book was apparently written by Jonah himself, we can conclude that the lesson hit home.

Curious, isn’t it? The whale was the vehicle to get him where he needed to be, so it can surely take partial credit for the conversion of Nineveh. But the whale had no part in the conversion of Jonah. For that, God sent a worm.

The mission to declare salvation to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people is a whale of a task. To carry it out, we need a whale of lot of money, and even then, it needs a whale of a blessing to make it go as far as the ends of the earth. But don’t discount the value of a worm-sized offering.

I did a little research, and it turns out that the worm in the book of Jonah was likely the larvae of an insect weighing around .007 ounces. At the other end of the scale, the blue whale, which is the largest creature that has ever lived (sorry dinosaurs) weighs in at about 330,000 pounds. That’s about the difference I sense between my offering and the task of bringing the gospel to the world.

So how many worms does it take to equal a whale? Not as many as you think. A locust weighs about the same as Jonah’s worm, .007 ounces. But the combined weight of a square kilometer of locusts in a typical swarm is more than twice the weight of a blue whale. Which means that when we all get together, our offerings are equal to the task.

God is equally able to use the whale and the worm to reach those who need to hear His message. And I am truly grateful that there are those among us who can and do give a whale of a lot to the mission. I am equally grateful that I can have a part in it too, even though my means are much closer to the worm than the whale. I am also grateful that a lot of us together can out give even the whales.

–Doug Inglish is RMC director for trust services and planned giving

30 Jul

Boost your immunity with sunshine

In

By Jenny Gann – Loveland, Colorado … What day did God create the sun? The fourth day: He created it specifically before animals and humans. Was this by chance, or was there a purpose? He created the light on the first day, and he created plants before the sun, so he could have created animals and humans before the sun. However, I believe that the sun was created before animals and humans because we were designed to need the sun.

Did you know Colorado has almost 300 days of sunshine a year? Colorado is actually the sixth sunniest state in the United States. So, does enjoying all of this sunshine have any health benefits? Yes, it does have quite a few in fact.

Many of you have heard of the “sunshine vitamin” known as Vitamin D. Humans obtain most of their Vitamin D from sun exposure. Although you can obtain some Vitamin D from foods, the amount found in certain sea-foods, beef products, and egg yolks is insignificant compared to the quantity of Vitamin D our bodies require. Thankfully, God had a plan for this when he created us, so we did not have to eat animal products. Vitamin D is one of only two vitamins our body can actually produce itself. All it needs is a bit of sunshine. Just 10-30 minutes of sunshine per day provides your body with sufficient levels of Vitamin D. The amount of time you need is dependent on how sensitive your skin is to the sun. If you burn your skin, you have gotten too much, but those with darker skin may need a longer time for their skin to absorb the sunshine it needs to produce Vitamin D. It takes sun exposure equivalent to half the time it takes for your skin to burn for your body to produce sufficient Vitamin D for the day. You also absorb the sun best through skin that does not get as much light exposure.

How does Vitamin D help us? Why do we need it? Many people associate Vitamin D with bone health and that is very true. Vitamin D is responsible for absorbing calcium from our intestinal tracts and transporting it to our bones to create hard bones. However, Vitamin D also plays a very important role in our immune health.

Vitamin D mobilizes our bodies’ T cells which are our bodies defense against germs; they destroy infected cells in our bodies keeping us healthy. You can think of them like a cat stalking prey. They sit and wait for their prey and then pounce on it, killing it. However, in order to do this, they have to mobilize. A cat who moves very slowly will not get the prey and T cells that move slowly will not get to the infected cells to destroy them. Here is where Vitamin D comes into play. Vitamin D keeps T cells moving faster so they can get to more infected cells quicker resulting in more death of infected cells and a healthier body.

Another great benefit of the sun is improved mood. Exposure to the sun increases your body’s production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that gives your brain the signal, ‘don’t worry, be happy.’ It provides a feel-good message to your brain and this boosts your mood.

There are also direct correlations between mood and health. People who are ‘happier’ by and large tend to be healthier with less illnesses. So do your body a favor and enjoy some time with the Son in the sun today!

–Jenny Gann, RN, OTR/L is Campion Academy Nurse; photo supplied

29 Jul

Got Your Key?

In

By DeeAnn Bragaw – Denver, Colorado … Rocky Mountain Conference prayer ministries will hold a special online prayer conference on Thursday, August 6, at 6:30 p.m. for our teachers, students, and parents as they return to their classrooms later in August.

Keys are important. They open vital elements of our lives while some keys help to provide power. Keys can be the cause of great frustration when we lose them.  I’ve had to make several copies of house keys, car keys, and office keys. A while ago, my son gave me a special keychain. All I had to do was clap my hands and the keychain would beep so I could locate it. The problem was that the keychain couldn’t tell the difference between clapping and a lot of other sounds, so it would start beeping even when I wasn’t looking for the keys. Then one day my son came home with another gift, a “tile” that I attached to my keychain. Now I have an app on my phone that can find my keys and if I push the button on my “tile” I can find my phone, and if I can’t find either, my computer can help me locate them. Keys are important. Without them, we can be locked out of important places – homes, cars, buildings – resulting in frustration and missed opportunities and appointments.

We’ve been told that we all hold the key to “heaven’s storehouse” and in this storehouse are the “the boundless resources of omnipotence.” The best things about this key? It’s always available. And it’s un-lose-able! Because this key is prayer.

In a few weeks, our RMC teachers, students, and families will gather again in classrooms. We need the treasures of Heaven’s storehouse – wisdom, peace, safety, and faith.  To request these gifts, we will join together to thank God for the treasures that will be presented to our schools during the upcoming school term. Church leaders from the North American Division, Mid-American Union Conference, and the Rocky Mountain Conference will be joined by teachers, students, parents and members from RMC.

Please go to www.rmcsda.org/prayer for the number to join the Zoom conference. We have the key. Let’s use it, RMC.

–DeeAnn Bragaw is RMC Prayer Ministry leader.

 

29 Jul

When God Says Move

In

By David Nicodemus – Denver, Colorado … The last song was sung, the last sermon preached, yet True Life Community (TLC) members left the building they had rented for the last four years not with sadness. There was anticipation and excitement on July 25 Sabbath, knowing the words of their last song, “Your Grace Still Amazes Me” were true.

Having spent the last four years at Praise Church, God impressed TLC it was time to move to a surprising location filled with opportunities to partner with another Adventist church at their new location.

Beginning August 1, TLC will meet on the campus of LifeSource Adventist Fellowship, located at 6200 West Hampden Avenue in Denver, taking over the chapel building on the south end of campus.

“We are excited to move to our new home because it gives us an opportunity to work with LifeSource in reaching the Southwest Denver Community. We are not two separate churches but one body of Christ,” David Nicodemus, TLC Outreach Coordinator said.

“God clearly had his hand in bringing us to the LifeSource Campus,” said Bob Reynolds, True Life Community pastor. “When I brought up the option of moving to LifeSource, the decision was unanimous. You could sense the excitement of the board and the members of TLC because of the opportunity to work together with LifeSource,” Reynolds finished.

Some 30 believers gathered in a caravan of pickup trucks, trailers, and cars to help with the move, bringing the belongings from the old church to the new. Many members are now busy unpacking, organizing, and cleaning up around their new location in preparation for their first Sabbath, August 1.

—David Nicodemus, is True Life Community church outreach coordinator; photos supplied.

29 Jul

PASTOR WAYNE NAZARENUS RETIRES AFTER 46 YEARS

In

By Mickey Mallory — Colorado Springs, Colorado … “I wish we had more people like Wayne in the world today. He has set the bar for what a true Christian looks like,” commented Lonnie Hetterle, RMC education superintendent. “Pastor Wayne has been a major steady, solid, consistent influence wherever he has been. His walk with Christ is inspirational. His support of Christian education is exemplary.”

Hetterle was addressing participants of a retirement farewell for Pastor Wayne Nazarenus and his wife, Karen, held July 25 at the Colorado Springs South Seventh-day Adventist Church. Nazarenus retired after 46 years in pastoral ministry, with 41 of those years in the Rocky Mountain Conference.

He started full-time ministry on December 15, 1972 with a prior six years as associate pastor intern in Kansas City, Missouri. His full-time pastorate included several churches: Pueblo, Colorado Springs South, and Pueblo West, as well as part-time ministry in the Trinidad Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The impact of Pastor Wayne’s ministry at Colorado Springs South was obvious, according to Jack Bohannon, church elder and retired pastor. “Wayne had a tremendous impact on me and the congregation,” he said. He was not only an excellent storyteller for the children, a good Sabbath School teacher and a spiritual preacher, but was also dedicated to the church’s visitation and Bible study program. Bohannon shared that “the South [Colorado Springs] congregation owes a lot to the  Nazarenus family. We felt that his devotion to us should be rewarded–in a public sense.”

Describing his own spiritual journey, on which Nazarenus had a major impact, Colorado Springs South member Lucas Lujan shared that “Pastor Wayne modeled a Christlike attitude in a way that made me want to read the Bible to learn more about Jesus. In fact, he encouraged me to read the Bible for myself to see if the things he taught were so. Pastor Wayne will probably never know exactly how many lives he has touched with his ministry until the Lord Jesus reveals it to him in Heaven. [It would be nice] if the kindness, love, gentleness, and meekness I witnessed in this man’s ministry could be multiplied in every encounter every person has with a Christian.”

With Hetterle representing the Rocky Mountain Conference at the retirement event, Mickey Mallory, ministerial director, spoke these words, “When considering the impact of the ministry of Pastor Wayne and Karen, Pastor Mallory believes that the affirmation given in the Parable of the Talents would be applicable to them also:  Well done, good and faithful servant for you have been faithful. (Matt. 25:21).”

Pastor Wayne and Karen were very touched by the outpouring of love and appreciation at the ceremony. He commented, “The farewell celebration Sabbath at Colorado Springs South warmed our hearts. We appreciated the many statements affirming our ministry. It has been a great blessing to us serving the Colorado Springs South and Trinidad churches in our retirement. We will miss our church families in Colorado.” Pastor Wayne and his wife recently celebrated 50 years of marriage and will be moving to Lagrange, Georgia to be closer to one of their children and their grandchildren.

—Mickey Mallory is RMC ministerial director; photos supplied

29 Jul

A broken back and seven miracles – COMMENTARY

In

By Eric Aakko – Brighton, Colorado…My friend Bob Goodman and I were more than 200 miles into our 350-mile bikepacking trip in southern Colorado when a freak accident snapped my spine in half. Bikepacking is like backpacking, except with a mountain bike. A typical day of bikepacking for us consists of 60 to 75 miles on remote gravel roads.

We woke up that morning to temperatures in the low 20s on July 1, 2020. We were camped at 9,000 feet and set forth in the pre-dawn twilight, heading for the summit of Cochetopa Pass, where the early-morning sun had risen. An hour and a half of rapid pedaling, brought us to the 10,000-foot summit where a brilliant sunshine and 50-degree temperatures greeted us. After eating a light breakfast at the summit, we said a prayer and began our descent on the southern side of the summit. Our goal for the day was to ride a total of 75 miles south to the town of Del Norte. The anticipated reward for a long day of riding was a restaurant dinner of pasta, salad, and garlic rolls.

Minutes into our descent, the accident happened. Despite a wide rubber strap around the front fork of my bike, which was holding my water bottle, the bottle became dislodged and wedged between the front tire and frame. The jammed bottle halted my motion instantly. I was catapulted over the handlebars and landed on my head and back. The helmet cracked and the exterior plastic shell melted from the sliding impact.

I did not know it at the time, but the accident completely snapped my T9 spinal vertebrae. I thought my kidneys and ribs were damaged because of the intense pain in my back. It was extremely difficult to breathe. On my hands and knees for more than an hour, I was finally able to stand with Bob’s help.

Other than the severe pain in my back, I had not broken my neck, arms, pelvis, or legs. I also had not injured my head—miracle number one! I asked Bob if my front wheel was damaged, and he replied that my bike was rideable with no damage to the wheels or spokes—miracle number two. As we had to self-rescue, Bob helped me onto my bike and we rode down the gravel road for about four miles to a paved road—all the while with an unknown serious spinal injury—miracle number three. As we descended, Bob prayed silently for help. Within seconds of reaching the road, two vans approached, and we flagged them down. The vans were driven by two brothers who agreed to help. Although the brothers were heading south, they were gracious enough to go north, taking me to Salida, more than an hour out of their way—miracle number four! As we headed to the hospital and made our introductions, one of the brother’s said his name was Miracle. I couldn’t believe it.

A CT scan was performed to look for internal damage. I was in too much pain to sit for long or lie down. The doctor came in the room and told me that my spine was broken, and I was in immediate danger of paralysis. The doctor said I would be airlifted to Centura St. Anthony’s trauma hospital in Denver.  Normally, it takes several hours for a helicopter to arrive. However, on this day, a helicopter was fueled and waiting on the helipad. Within minutes, I was flying towards Denver—miracle number five.

At the hospital, the trauma staff told me I was very fortunate because I was going to have the top neurosurgeon secure my spine. Surgery was scheduled shortly after my arrival. After the surgery, I asked the surgeon if I was lucky to not be paralyzed, or if divine intervention was involved? He replied that it was not luck, saying I should have been paralyzed early in the accident, especially with riding a mountain bike down a bumpy gravel road–miracle number six.

Three weeks after my accident and surgery, I am freely walking about outside with only moderate pain—miracle number seven! The surgeon said I should make a full recovery and be able to ride my bike in six months.

–Eric Aakko is an avid cyclist, certified plant-based chef educator, public health practitioner, and adult Sabbath School teacher at the Brighton church.

***For a short YouTube about the trip, including the daily smoothie Eric created for his recovery, click here.

28 Jul

ADVENTURE “AIR HUG” THEIR MEMBERS IN ISOLATION

In

By Lee Lee Dart — Greeley, Colorado … After community Bible study earlier in July, members of the Adventure church visited those members who have been in isolation since March.

Stan and Jane Bedan, longtime faith believers are residents at Brookdale Assisted Living facility, and have been cut off from the world since COVID-19 reached Colorado, causing the center to lock their doors to visitors.

Members created signs saying, “We love you” and “We miss you” and decorated them with hearts and bright letters. The signs, held outside the window of their room, brought big smiles to the Bedan’s faces. The members sang and offered air hugs, producing even more smiles.

“Covid stinks! It is so tragic being in a nursing home or assisted living home right now.

The isolation is heartbreaking,” commented Lee Lee Dart, pastor of the Adventure church.

“They (the Bedans) were faithful churchgoers each week sitting near the front. Stan would pass out candy and Jane would give us that big smile. Stan and I loved to tease each other. I miss them,” Dart added.

Jesus sought out the marginalized in his community. He found them and spread the cheer of His presence and healing power. The church has healing power just like Jesus did and can spread His healing power.

Pray for the lonely individuals in these facilities and pray that in-person visits can resume soon. Let us lift up humanity.

–Lee Lee Dart is pastor of the Adventure church in Greeley, Colorado; photo courtesy of the Adventure Facebook page.

27 Jul

Littleton Church Holds Safe VBS for 55 Children

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By Jon Roberts – Littleton, Colorado …The Vacation Bible School Rocky Railway program pulled into the Littleton station on Monday morning, July 20. For a week, 55 children from many metro area churches, and 25 volunteers forgot about the stress of living in an upside-down world and came together to enjoy music, skits, fellowship, and learning about Jesus.

The event, held mostly outside due to local restrictions, kicked off with friends from church and school talking, waving, and catching up on the most important items in their lives: computer games, sports, and the latest happenings with other classmates and family.

Even in a 2020 pandemic world, the message that Jesus’ power pulls us through was at the center of VBS at Littleton church.

For many, this was a week where they could feel like a normal kid and forget about Zoom classes and isolation and enjoy things coronavirus has stolen from their life since March.

“With so many kids experiencing a summer that looks and feels different from previous years, it has been nice to plan and host an event that brings back some normalcy for our youngest members,” Alise Weber, VBS director and associate pastor of children’s and family ministry at Littleton said. “With our church opening back up at half-capacity, I saw no reason that we couldn’t host a VBS if safety guidelines were in place.”

The safety measures taken didn’t go unnoticed. The second day of VBS began with a Littleton police officer walking around the church to ensure that restrictions by the Tri-County Health Department and Governor Polis were being followed. Based on inquires from curious neighbors, the city of Littleton sent an officer to check out this unusual gathering in 2020. The officer gave Littleton the all-clear and complimented them on producing a safe atmosphere for the attendees.

Weber explained the extensive safeguards taken. “To ensure the safety of our kids, we spent a lot more time outside. Normally our kids are only outside for the game station, but they are spending more than half their time outside. We did the opening and closing exercises, the game station, and snack time all outside. The family units are usually mixed within different groups, but this year, we kept family units together in groups. At the start of the program, each child was given a bag in which to carry their own materials to avoid the passing of material. Activities in each station were altered to promote social distancing and also to minimize the transfer of materials from person to person. Of course, masks were worn inside. Our youngest crew members wore masks as they traveled from station to station inside and, of course, our attendees, 11 years old and older, wore masks inside.”

The event was a group effort among all the pastoral staff. Chris Morris, associate pastor, helped with music, while Andy Nash, lead pastor, led the opening and closing program every day. The many volunteers from the audio / visual team, station leaders, crew leaders, and worship leader Russell Palmer were recognized on Sabbath as VBS concluded with a celebration at outdoor church.

“The theme of our VBS program this year was Jesus’ power will pull us through,” said Weber. “I think that is a message all of us, old and young, need to be reminded of during these uncertain times. I hope that each child leaving our VBS program will know and feel the love of Jesus Christ. As they develop their relationship with Jesus, knowing that Jesus will help them through anything they may face ahead is a true treasure.

“It’s been so special to have our church alive with the sounds of children this week—outdoors and indoors,” said Nash. “Pastor Alise Weber has done a wonderful job leading a safe and joyful VBS.”

—Jon Roberts is RMC communication/media assistant; photos supplied.

23 Jul

RMC CHURCH MEETS CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN THE NEW NORMAL

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Rocky Mountain Conference Officers comment on how the church fared in the past six months and they share their hopes for the church’s new normal.

 

Ed Barnett, RMC president

Incredible changes have taken place in our Conference in the last four months. They are such changes that will require us to take a new look at how we do church. From a leadership perspective, this offers an opportunity for our Conference and the church itself to carefully and prayerfully look at how we can do church better as we move forward.

In the era of “new normal,” all our congregations have engaged in embracing technology and virtual worship. Looking into the future, we expect to continue live streaming worship services in all churches. It is amazing to see the number of hits some of our churches are getting.

In the last few months, the church mission, including our traditional evangelistic outreach, experienced a pause in many of our plans, but also received a boost with a variety of new methods. Over the years, we have talked about innovation. Now, we are not to engage in the “tried and true,” but must continue to update and retool using new technology and social media to reach thousands of people versus the low numbers we were reaching in the past. And there is more. To effectively reach our publics, we need to rethink the content of our preaching and teaching. Jesus has to be the center of our churches, homes and message.

In recent months, we have been seen an increased interaction with our neighbors as we have responded to their many needs – both physical and spiritual. It is vital that we refocus our public presence and strategize ways to best meet the needs of our communities while sharing Jesus and His love.

Among the biggest challenges in our Conference is the effect of the pandemic on our schools. There will be the required readjustment in how educational programs meet the cognitive, social, and spiritual needs of our students, besides also meeting the financial obligations.

From a management perspective, we must continue to hold more meetings via the Internet versus spending thousands of dollars traveling our vast territory of Colorado, Wyoming and the Northern part of New Mexico. Our new circumstances are calling us to rethink how we conduct large gatherings, including Town Halls and Camp Meetings.

 

Eric Nelson, RMC VP for administration

Adventist churches within RMC have been challenged to accommodate the health orders of their counties and states, as has the whole country. The goal continues to be maintaining the safety of our members while carrying on ministry by the local church. How creative our churches have become during this time. There have been added burdens of setting up safeguards to keep distance, masks and safety protocols to ensure that we have a safe environment for our church members to gather even in a limited manner. Some have taken to worshiping outdoors weather permitting allows since there is more space and attendance can be increased. All of these scenarios create challenges for our churches and for their worship.

Many of our pastors, at the beginning of the outbreak, were conducting evangelistic or outreach services. They had to switch nimbly to an on-line format. In some cases, their attendance increased. In the same manner, some have seen more people attending their online worship than were attending when they met in the sanctuary. We praise the Lord for the resources of computer and internet that provide tools that can meet this challenge. Thankfully, restrictions did not stop a number of baptisms, and new methods are already being mission effective, such as giving Bible studies by phone or online.

All churches will continue to adjust to the restrictive health challenges they are working under. In some cases, that means continuing to offer multiple services or live-streaming or the use of a format that reaches those not comfortable attending in person due to health, age or preference. Ways are being explored to develop or maintain personal interaction and contact with these individuals beyond a short contact by computer. Ministry is challenged to connect under these circumstances.

While regulations and restrictions were implemented within the Conference, several churches welcomed new pastors in Colorado and Wyoming during the beginnings of the Covid-19 challenge. Some districts were divided and absorbed into other districts as an efficiency and cost-saving measure.

But the mission of RMC has not changed, even though methods are new and different. Innovation and creativity are welcome, as is the flexibility shown by our members and pastors. They have stepped up to this challenge in a large measure and are striving to do their utmost to carry on the mission to “Know Christ and make Him fully known” to church members and their communities.

 

George Crumley, RMC VP for finance

Who would have thought back in February that a virus spreading overseas could so quickly spread to our country and completely change the way we worship, work, recreate, and socialize? Because of its impact, it has left collateral damage that continues to affect the church, society, and the economy.

Because of current uncertainties, it is difficult for our schools to project what will happen in the fall and thus feel comfortable with their future budgets. The result is a natural financial conservatism which is appropriate, given the circumstances. This is just one of the many challenges our schools are facing.

Within the Conference, our base tithe has been down by a bit over three per cent so far this year. Because of this, we have frozen all hiring for new positions within the conference, voted not to provide the July 1 cost-of-living pay increase for employees and are emphasizing careful management of departmental expenditures. We are thankful at this stage that the tithe decrease is not lower, and we are grateful to our members for being faithful even in the face of uncertainty. So, we also appreciate our schools being conservatively watchful as we proceed through this year and budget in the fall for next year.

Through all of this, we can be thankful. Because of technology, we have continued to worship together, learn together, work together, socialize together and return our tithes and offerings to support the mission. None of this could have been done very easily just a few years ago.

We can all look forward to being back together for prayer, study, learning, working and socializing. I have been reminded through all of this, of the importance of our freedoms, God-given freedoms we should never take for granted.

–RMCNews

23 Jul

LA VIDA MISSION EXPANDS OUTREACH TO NEIGHBORING NAVAJO COMMUNITY

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By Dorie Panganiban – Crownpoint, New Mexico … La Vida Mission blesses the surrounding Navajo community of Crownpoint with basic needs at Crownpoint flea market.

Arriving at the flea market on July 22, the long line of cars and trucks waiting for relief and help was impressive. The line began to form four hours before the give-away was scheduled to begin.

During this sixth relief operation, individuals were offered bottled water, basic food supplies, and propane refills. The mission and church initially planned on serving 125 families, but the number quickly increased and by the end of the day, 250 families were blessed by their generosity.

This event couldn’t have taken place without the help of the Crownpoint chapter team headed by chapter president Rita Capitan who arrived early to set up, organize, and direct the flow of traffic.  Nations Gas provided propane to fill the 170 tanks for the families.  Adding to the fair-like atmosphere, the Crownpoint Fire Department brought two engines and firefighters to help with the distribution.

The relief options, which originally began with handing out rice and beans, have expanded due to the donations generated by Facebook fundraisers and the area churches, Montrose and Pagosa Springs, as well as the private entities, Southwest Paleontologist, Sharing Ministry, and other private donors.

After the last community relief event held at the La Vida church parking lot, which included food, water and propane, organizers thought it would be the last such help provided.

“We received several texts and messages from Crownpoint, a small town 30 minutes away from La Vida, where the Mission has conducted an outreach program. People expressed their needs and requested prayers for the Mission to consider extending help in Crownpoint as most of the individuals had no way to get to the Mission,” explained Dorie Panganiban, La Vida outreach director. “I prayed when I received the texts and requests and, in my heart, I felt that it would happen.”

Assistance came from the Rocky Mountain Conference ACS director Cathy Kissner, who promised that the conference would contribute funding for purchasing food. Then, another generous donation from a Facebook benefactor arrived.

“With those donations, we thought that we could do another COVID-19 relief operation in Crownpoint. God is not done yet opening the windows of heaven. He opened them really wide when Restore-a-Child Ministry sent us generous booster funds to help in our relief operation for the Navajo families, providing food, water, and propane,” Panganiban added.

—Dorie Panganiban, Outreach Director, La Vida Mission; photos supplied

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