Rachel, 19, a third generation Seventh-day Adventist who grew up in the Dominican Republic, became the grand prize winner of Adventist Mission’s first-ever 2017 student film contest called “Mission is.” Rachel studies communication at Montemorelos University in Mexico.

As part of the grand prize, Rachel was able to travel to Thailand and Cambodia in March to assist behind and in front of the camera for an episode of Mission Spotlight. She conducted interviews and even assisted in location scouting with the production team.

Her short film was chosen over dozens of submissions from student filmmakers from Mexico to the Middle East.

The goal of the contest was to inspire mission-minded young filmmakers to express their feelings about mission and its importance in today’s world.

“I had never been part of something so amazing,” said Rachel. “I learned so many things from a spiritual perspective, a production perspective and learned to connect more with people who are making a difference out in the mission field.”

“Mission is actually a way of living,” said Rachel. She believes that being a missionary is not only about sharing Jesus somewhere else around the world, but about sharing Jesus right where you live. When Rachel was 10, she led her next-door-neighbor friend to Jesus. Today, she has experienced firsthand the impact mission offerings can have to further the work of the gospel around the world.

She considers her experience with Mission Spotlight producers a life-changing experience and encourages other students and young people to get involved in this year’s Adventist Mission’s student film contest.

The post Mission Trip a Dream Come True appeared first on Mary's Hill SDA Church.

More than 1.7 million people have been affected by the eruption. Over 3,000 persons were evacuated and more than 2,600 persons are in shelters. Hundreds more are stranded inside their homes across the rural communities of Escuintla, Alotenango, Sacatepéquez, Yepocapa and Chimaltenango.

“From the very first day the volcano erupted, our local emergency response team met with local authorities to visit the affected villages near the volcano to encourage people to seek safe shelter,” said Gustavo Menéndez, ADRA Guatemala director, who has been coordinating the ADRA response from Guatemala City some 63 kilometers from Escuintla.

“Our main concern is to encourage people to seek shelter, although hundreds fear they will lose all their belongings if they leave their homes” said Menéndez.

So far, three trucks with water, food, blankets and hygiene supplies have been delivered to shelters, all collected from churches across several church regions in Guatemala, said Menéndez.

Church leaders reported that 124 Adventist families were affected. Some 101 of these families lost their crops, 6 lost their homes, while 17 families were evacuated. Funds have been disbursed from the Inter-American Division’s Emergency Response Funds to assist the families.

Clothes, food, water, blankets and hygiene kits will continue to be collected throughout churches in the eight conferences and missions across Guatemala and three more trucks are expected to deliver supplies by the end of the week to help those in shelters, added Menendez.

The post ADRA Assists Families appeared first on Mary's Hill SDA Church.

The post Baptism appeared first on Mary's Hill SDA Church.