Adventists Join Government Leaders in Instilling Values in At-Risk Children

The Seventh-day Adventist church in Colón, Panamá, recently joined the local mayoral office in a comprehensive initiative that helps vulnerable children in the Altos de los Lagos community — an area affected by escalating crime and violence.

More than 200 children attended a special program where they were taught about values by Seventh-day Adventist leaders, were gifted school backpacks, and took part in a program that is part of the “Getting to Know Values” educational program laid out by the newly elected mayor of Colón, Diogenes Galván, and his wife, Julissa Galván.

Mayor Galván expressed his unconditional support for the initiative and underlined the importance of instilling values in the new generations as he reaffirmed his commitment to local authorities and attendees. “Our province needs values, and they should be taught to those who are growing,”

Organized by Julissa Galván, the event was the first event that Adventist leaders were invited to lead, presenting the values the church embodies throughout its schools and congregations.

The gifted backpacks included school supplies and also materials to teach about being truthful, courteous, respectful, grateful, forgiving, punctual, responsible, obedient, full of integrity, optimism, and kindness, as well as being willing to serve, said Jeimy Rojas, children and adolescent ministries director of the Adventist Church’s Atlantic Panama Conference. “We also included a card pointing to our Radio Nuevo Amanecer 105.1 FM frequency so that children and their parents can tune in to our live children’s program at 3:00 p.m. each day,” Rojas said. “Children will learn about the 12 values to help them in their personal development.”

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Colón mayor Diógenes Galván (center) speaks during an event of the “Getting to Know Values” initiative. [Photo: Atlantic Panama Conference]

Children were gifted backpacks with school supplies and materials on the 12 values they will continue to learn through a daily radio program sponsored by the local Adventist radio station. [Photo: Atlantic Panama Conference]

Children raise their backpacks with school supplies and specially designed materials on values, given to them through the Adventist Church’s Atlantic Panama Conference. [Photo: Atlantic Panama Conference]

Children were happy and engaged and full of joy to participate in engaging activities, enjoyed special drama performances illustrating godly values, sang, and had fun together, Rojas said.

Julissa Galván expressed how happy and proud she was of the initial event in partnership with the Adventist Church. “I am so moved at how the Adventist Church works,” she said. “I never thought that we would work together so much. Seeing the children smile and the program flow, even though we had some challenges, was something that really moved me,” she said. She added that the program would be replicated in other communities in the Colón district in collaboration with the wives of the district leaders.

The plan is to reach the 15 areas that make up the Colón District to reach more than 3,000 children in the region, organizers said.

Domingo Ramos, president of the Atlantic Panama Conference, said he is delighted that the mayor and his wife asked the church to take part in the initiative.

The positive influence with local authorities and the public in general is a great opportunity for the church, he said. “It is crucial to coordinate activities that not only benefit the community but can allow children to know Jesus,” Ramos said.

This is the first project of this scale that the Adventist Church has been able to organize with the mayor’s office, Ramos said. Previously, the church has approached government leaders with visits offering literature, including a visit to Panama’s current president, José Raúl Mulino, he added. “This is a significant effort on behalf of the Adventist Church to offer a comprehensive solution through education and the promotion of positive values among children.”

The initiative opens opportunities for the message of the gospel to enter vulnerable communities in the district, Ramos said.

The church will continue to expand its radio programs to reach the children in the region and their parents with the kind of Christian values that can make a difference in their lives and offer the hope of salvation, Ramos said.

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.