Update on Washburn Fire
We praise God for His divine hand and want to thank you for all the prayers for Camp Wawona and the Wawona community. A special thanks to the first responders fighting the Washburn Fire and protecting lives and properties. The firefighters set a back-burn that seemed to stop the fire from progressing onto the Wawona property.
The staff have not been able to return to the property to assess visually. However, they have learned from the emergency personnel that the fire has not damaged any Camp Wawona buildings.
We will continue to monitor the situation and provide timely updates as more information comes in. Our union continues to pray for the nearly 650 firefighters assigned to the wildfire and all those affected by this Yosemite blaze.
Arizona Conference
Elder Van Bledsoe has accepted the appointment to become ministerial director for the Arizona Conference. This is a “new” position, having been created when the Arizona Conference Executive Committee divided the responsibilities of the executive secretary and the ministerial director. For many years the two roles were encompassed in one position.
Bledsoe has spent the past 16 years as the senior pastor of the Apache Junction church and prior to that several years as associate pastor at the Glendale church in Glendale, Arizona.
Central California Conference
After wrestling with the complexity of camp meeting and the challenges that the construction delays have added, the Central California Conference voted to cancel the in-person camp meeting at Soquel and take it on the road. Consequently, the administration prayerfully considered all the various options and is excited to announce "Soquel Lite" on July 16 and 23 at the Soquel Campground.
On Sabbath, July 16, Soquel Lite kicked off the first of two weekends. Carlton Byrd spoke in the English tent and Jose Esposito in the Spanish. We can’t wait to get a full summary of the blessings of both these weekends!
Hawaii Conference
The young adults of the Kapolei Sāmoan church spent Global Youth Day 2022 loving the forgotten in Hawaii. Their outreach began at the shores of Waikiki, spanned the harbors of Kaka’ako, and stretched to the plains of Kapolei.
Alofa i Pagotā (Loving the Imprisoned): The day of service kicked off with handwritten letters to friends and family in prison. Writing letters is uncommon nowadays, which made this activity very personal and intimate. The love from heaven goes beyond steel bars and reaches even the dark places of prison.
Northern California Conference
"No church building? No problem," said Joelle Chinnock, administrator of disaster relief and development at the Paradise church.
Church ministry didn't stop just because they lost their building to the Camp Fire. Church members continued to focus on helping neighbors rebuild before addressing their church facility needs.
Southeastern California Conference
Arden Hills church hosted the Full Circle program from last October through April, which led to 22 souls deciding to be baptized into the church. Directed by Eric Isaia, Southeastern California Conference (SECC) literature ministries director, Full Circle aims to equip church members and ministries with new ways to spread the gospel.
