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News Headlines: Vandal Leaves Stabbed Bible at Lincoln College View Church (And More!)

stabbed

Vandal Leaves a Bible Stabbed at the Lincoln College View Adventist Church. Custodial staff at the College View Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, found a Bible stabbed with a church kitchen knife and left in the prayer chapel. Church members had seen prior vandalism at the church: a microphone cable cut, part of a drum set stolen, and a pentagram carved into the wall outside the youth room. Mic Henton, youth pastor, said he is praying for the person who vandalized his church.  The church has made some security changes. Police have no suspects. From KETV News Channel 7, “Property vandalized, Bible stabbed in Lincoln church.”

King Nebuchadnezzar Statue Unveiled in the Dominican Republic. The San Juan de la Maguana Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic unveiled a statue of King Nebuchadnezzar as referenced in Daniel 2 in order to "call the attention of people to the Word of God,” said Cesario Acevedo, SDA Dominican Republic president. “We have to create new methods, new ways, that allow us to reach the people with the message,” Acevedo said. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic has nearly 312,000 members worshiping in 1,277 congregations. From News 784, “Adventist Church Unveils Nebuchadnezzar Statue.”

Loma Linda University Medical Center Breaks Ground for New Hospitals. Loma Linda University officials broke ground on its new hospital and children’s hospital towers. The buildings’ construction addresses the needs of a changing healthcare environment and new California seismic requirements. The new buildings are set to replace LLUH’s current hospital which is nearly 50 years old. The upgrades are part of a $1.2 billion project, Vision 2020, and around 13,000 have contributed more than $225 million to the campaign since its launch, said Rachelle Bussell, LLUH’s senior vice president of advancement. The adult hospital will be known as the Dennis and Carol Troesh Medical Campus and will be 16 stories with a basement floor and will include a 60-seat chapel, a conference center, and a new helipad. Both the children’s hospital expansion and the new adult hospital will include private patient rooms to “enhance the efficiency of hospital-based care” and private emergency departments for children and adults. The project should be completed by 2020. From Redlands Daily Facts, “Loma Linda University Health Holds Groundbreaking for New Hospital.”

Newly Baptized Honolulu Member Shot by Fellow Member. The Honolulu Samoa-Tokelau Seventh-day Adventist Church was the scene of a shooting, injuring new member Tali Talitonu who had just been baptized. Anywhere from 60 to 100 people, including many children, were spilling out into the courtyard when the shot was fired, according to the victim's nephew Taleni Asuega. Paramedics treated the 60-year-old victim for a gunshot wound to the back and took him to the hospital in stable condition. Tony Williams, a church elder, is being called a hero for his quick action in grabbing the shooter’s gun hand, pointing the weapon away from the victim and the crowd and disarming her. The woman who fired the shot was also a member of the congregation. Police removed her from the scene. From Star Adviser, Man shot after church service in Kalihi.”

Portland Adventist Medical Center Accused of Mistreating Disabled Vet. A federal lawsuit contends that Portland Adventist Medical Center discriminated against Robert Campen, a disabled veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, when its security forcefully remove the 86-year-old man from the hospital because he had his service dog Libby with him. The suit alleges that one of the guards grabbed Campen by the wrist, twisted it away from his body, and forced him to leave. Kristi Spurgeon Johnson, a spokeswoman for Adventist Health, said the center has not yet been served with the lawsuit. "We were not aware of pending litigation,'' she said. From Oregon Live, “Portland Adventist Medical Center forcibly removed disabled vet because of service dog, lawsuit alleges.”

Adventist Pastors and Schools Join Other Churches Honoring Public School Teachers and Staff. In a recent column, Louisa Parsons, the rector at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church,  Ooltewah, Tennessee, praises recent events that reached across denominational lines and focused on the call to friendship Jesus asks believers to have one for another. Students from the Standifer Gap Seventh-day Adventist School prepared gifts that teams of pastors from East Hamilton Ministerial Association distributed several to public schools to personally thank the teachers and staff for their service to the children. At Ooltewah Elementary School, the cart was "manned" by two female and one male pastor representing evangelical, Episcopal, and Adventist communities. Methodist and Christian church pastors covered Snow Hill Elementary School; Collegedale Adventists and Ooltewah Methodists were at Ooltewah High School. From Chattanooga Times Free Press, “Voices of Faith: The Truth About Friendship.”

Adventist Health in Hanford to Serve Area Undocumented Children. Adventist Health in Kings County, California, one of several local health groups accepting Medi-Cal, is preparing to serve new Medi-Cal patients. Under Senate Bill 75 (SB 75), all California children in homes with an income at or below 266 percent of the Federal Poverty Level will be eligible for full Medi-Cal medical and dental benefits until age 19. As many as 550 undocumented children [in Kings County] could be treated. In a statement to the Sentinel, Adventist Health said it will care for all patients, regardless of their status or ability to pay, and SB 75 will allow the system to serve new patients. From Handford Sentinel, “Human Services Health Clinics Enrolling Undocumented Children.”

 

Pam Dietrich taught English at Loma Linda Academy for 26 years and served there eight more years as the 7-12 librarian. She lives in Redlands, California.

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