Pacific Union Recorder

More than 130 SCC young people accepted the call to become small-group missionaries in their homes, following a Jesus Loves Jeans 2.0 rally earlier this year. A total of 45 small groups formed in 14 churches, beginning in April.

The Spanish Youth Ministries JLJ program concluded with a JLJ 2.0 Caravan reaping program. Excitement ran high. Nine churches held campaigns before the caravan, baptizing 43 young people during meetings held between late May and July.

Pastors and lay youth leaders worked hard to hold three simultaneous evangelistic caravans beginning July 17 in Lancaster, Oxnard and the Los Angeles area.

Pastor Piro Guzman, from Houston, preached in the Alpha and Omega Spanish church in Lancaster. “The whole series was conducted entirely by the youth, which is not customary for our church,” said Gerson Anaya, youth leader. “For five years, we had prepared the youth to lead. During the caravan, a different young person led out each night.

“By mid-week the adults attended, arriving early to get a seat!” The last evening, Guzman invited youth to the altar to pray for each adult in the church. “The church was very impressed, and praised God for the eight baptisms resulting from the meetings.”

In Los Angeles, Pastor Jonathan Henderson, from Oakland, traveled to five different churches during the week. On Sabbath, July 24, all three youth caravans came together for a convocation at the Spanish-American church. Young people celebrated the decisions of 13 youth to be baptized. Among the candidates was Daniel Cordova, whose older sister Berenice had been praying for him. “We were coming back from Tuesday’s meeting in Los Angeles when my friend and I prayed for my lost and rebellious brother,” she said. “The next day, he sealed his commitment to God.”

Pastor Lemuel Garcia, from San Jose, was the speaker for the meetings in Oxnard at the El Rio Spanish church. Young people organized the entire campaign with the Newbury Park, Santa Barbara, Santa Paula and El Rio Spanish churches. Each day, a young person from one of the churches led out. Four young people were baptized.

A young man among the newly baptized members was a former Adventist who had become involved in gang-related activities. “Before the meetings, he had started to get involved with church,” reported Pastor Carlos Granados reported, “but his older sister felt sure that he would refuse her invitation to attend the meetings. He surprised her and not only attended, but made his decision to be baptized the final night.”