Nevada-Utah Conference

The Great Commission given by Jesus invites us to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus shared that command with the disciples, the good news of salvation has been preached in all languages and in the most remote places. In harmony with Jesus’ request, the Spanish-speaking churches in the Nevada-Utah Conference (NUC) planned an evangelistic exchange with pastors from Colombia, South America. From February 11 to 19, eight pastors from the Colombian East Association powerfully preached the good news of salvation in NUC’s Spanishspeaking churches.

It was not an easy undertaking at a time when we still had COVID-19 health protocols in the churches. At a time when even our members are slowly returning to our churches, getting friends and neighbors to attend services turned out to be a challenge. Nevertheless, by the grace of God, the attendance of members and visiting friends was surprisingly good. The participating churches were Maranatha, Salem, Torre Fuerte, Paraíso, and Camino a Cristo in Las Vegas; the Reno-Sparks Spanish church in northern Nevada; and the Ogden, New Jerusalem, and Nueva Esperanza churches in Utah. The guest speakers from the Colombian East Association were Roberto Carvajal, president; Jeremías Gamboa, executive secretary; Neil Ortiz, treasurer; Julio César Solano, evangelist; Evangelio Amado, evangelist and director of evangelism; Dorlay Tarazona, youth director; and two district pastors, Jesus Rueda and Luis Eduardo Lemus. The NUC Hispanic churches thank God for the abundant sowing of the precious seed of the gospel in dozens of hearts. They also glorify God for the 21 beautiful souls baptized at the end of these evangelistic meetings. NUC President Carlos Camacho had this to say about the success of this exchange: “It was really a treat to see the response of the churches throughout the conference. On one of the nights, the pastor made an appeal, and a young man gave his life to Jesus right then and there.” This evangelistic exchange had been put on hold since 2020 for obvious reasons. Praise God for the church's response, even with the health protocols that prevail. In appreciation, the Colombian colleagues were taken to visit the Grand Canyon Sky Walk, among other local places. Most of them experienced snowfall for the first time ever. The NUC Hispanic Ministries Department would like to extend their gratitude for the support of this evangelistic effort by our president, Carlos A. Camacho, and our treasurer, Karen Schneider. Also, thanks go to the team of NUC pastors for the attention of the churches toward our guest evangelists. In the month of May of this year, the pastoral team will culminate this evangelistic exchange by going to preach in Colombia. They are looking forward to serving in the Columbia East Association.

Let us continue advancing in the work of sharing Jesus, because He is coming soon. This is the humble attempt of NUC Hispanic Ministries to join the world church in word and deed as we respond, “I will go.”ABOVE AND TOP RIGHT: NUC Hispanic Coordinator Benjamin Carballo presents the baptismal candidates and baptizes new members for the Nueva Esperanza church at the culmination of the week.

____________________ By Benjamin Carballo

TOP LEFT: Fernando Lista, NUC education superintendent, read A Bargain for Frances. TOP MIDDLE: Kian Lista dressed as Pax, from the book by the same name. TOP RIGHT: Enjoying the Seuss-themed snack created by Denice Abston and Taryn Goulard are Samiu Finau, Welshdon Lolo, Cori Finau, and Ngie Finau. BOTTOM LEFT: Riverview Christian Academy school board chair, Ginger Waring, reads Tacky the Penguin to the attentive listeners. BOTTOM MIDDLE: Damon Washington, former Riverview church associate pastor, returned from his new post in the Northern California Conference to again share his love of reading with the students. BOTTOM RIGHT: Art displays inspired by the stories read and heard by the Riverview students.

Wednesday, March 2nd, was Read Across America Day for the nation. Riverview Christian Academy (RCA) participated by celebrating reading and its foundational importance in the development of literacy. This day of recognition was established in 1997 to commemorate the contributions to children’s literature made by Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss. Riverview’s celebration involved a morning filled with exciting guest readers and more! Former associate pastor of the Riverview church, Damon Washington, drove back from California to read to the excited students. Guest readers joining the event included a member of the Reno police department; Fernando Lista, NUC education superintendent; a representative from the Reno city council; former student and now local television newscaster Landon Miller; and many more. All the RCA students in grades PK-8 were invited to come to school dressed as a character from one of their favorite books. Prizes and trophies were awarded for various categories of costumes. Selah Phillips won the trophy for the cutest costume, dressing as Cindy Lou Who from the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas, while her sister, Autumn, won the prettiest costume trophy for her Fancy Nancy look from the book Fancy Nancy. Their mother, Becky Phillips, was delighted with the event. “Such a fun and special day at their school!” An invitation was also made to a number of homeschooled students in the Riverview church. Larissa Beddoe was grateful to be there with her daughter, Brinley. “Thank you for having us! It’s such a great event you put on!” Impressed with the event, and grateful for the encouragement to the students, Fernando Lista shared his appreciation to the event organizers. “Thank you for organizing such a wonderful event! It was amazing!” Lista read the book entitled A Bargain for Frances. His sons Kian and Dallan Lista enjoyed participating as Tom Brady and Pax. God truly blessed the day with lots of participation. Two local television stations honored Riverview Christian Academy by broadcasting stories about the event (see QR codes).

____________________ By Mariann Beddoe