This Month's Issue

Story by Elizabeth Anderson

One of the ways Liliana, a mother who was abused at church when she was young, bolsters her children so they don’t become prey “is to give them agency, confidence…that they are in charge of their bodies.”  She has explained to her three daughters that they don’t have to hug anyone at church if they don’t want. “When they are toddlers and little children, hugging brother so-and-so is not an issue, right? But once they become 12 and 14, those hugs can become very uncomfortable…maybe not because brother so-and-so is a predator but because I am 14 and I don’t want to smash my breasts against this old man,” Liliana says.

We've aggregated some great resources to help you on your health journey this August. Check them out!

Beat the Heat: Preventing Heat Stroke and Other Illnesses (Kettering Adventist Health)

How to Start Running

Set Your Family Up For Back to School Success (Adventist HealthCare)

What’s the Right Exercise for Your Personality? (Vibrant Life)

Story by Ricardo Bacchus

Lately, Victor, the Visitor mouse, has been searching for you. He needs 15 kids to find him so that he’s not alone. Then: 1) Have someone take your picture with him. 2) Tag us on Facebook. 3) Wait for a Bible memory game from LivingWell in Silver Spring, Md.

Click here to read in Spanish. Click here to read in French.

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

Pastors of Pennsylvania Conference’s 26 Hispanic churches had an evangelism series planned for spring. But with coronavirus pandemic social distancing in place, they were forced to move the event to social media where they took turns preaching on the theme, “Love Written With Blood.”

The weeklong series received more than 19,000 views and was shared 678 times. Organizers believe that more people were impacted by the series than if it would’ve taken place “in person.”

Story by Elizabeth Anderson

Most child predators don’t lurk in alleys looking for their victims.  A predator is more likely to be a known and trusted figure in the victim’s community.

Some things to look out for in a predator:

1.  Grooming may be prolonged, but not in all cases.  According to the authors of “Safe Churches: Responding to Abuse in the Faith Community,” grooming could be preceded by a series of small tests that inform the abuser how to proceed.

2. An abuser’s intentions usually seem harmless.

3.  Look out for flattering words and making potential victims feel appreciated.

4.  Seemingly innocuous violations are usually followed by larger ones.

5. Seeking alone time to isolate potential victims “from those who can intervene.”