photo credits: Isaiah Goncalves
Alicinio Cardoso (center) from the New Bedford Cape Verdean church serves faithfully, effectively and cheerfully from his wheelchair. Read below for the rest of his remarkable story.
On June 15, the Southern New England Conference Cape Verdean churches gathered for camp meeting with day of powerful preaching and teaching, inspiring testimonies, and rich selection of praise music from local vocalists and groups.
Ailton Ribeiro, a pastor and missionary born in Cape Verde who is now serving in Brazil, presented the morning message. Rudy Willyam Fonseca, a pastor from Cape Verde who currently serves as the executive secretary of the Association of Seventh-day Adventists in Cape Verde, led the adult Sabbath School.
SNEC pastor of the Norwich Cape Verdean SDA church plant, Deivon de Andrade, hosted a dialog for the youth during Sabbath school, discussing how to be more engaged spiritually.
Before the 11:00 worship service, two amazing testimonies inspired and rallied God’s people for mission. The first report was from Global Youth Day, which took place on March 16, 2024, with the theme: “Show Up in the Cities.” That’s exactly what SNEC Cape Verdean youth did. It was reported that after SNEC Youth and Young Adults leader, Teddy Williamson, presented the sermon, about 500 youth and young adults visited the fire station and police station and served homeless people living in tents. They prayed with people, shared food with the homeless, sang in the park, and passed out literature.
The second testimony came from Alicinio Cardoso who was shot by robbers who mistook him for someone else. He nearly died, and because of his injuries he is now confined to a wheelchair. But despite this misfortune he has become an Adventist and is now serving in the New Bedford Cape Verdean church as a Sabbath school leader. No matter what situation you find yourself in, you can still be part of God’s mission!
Local musicians brought a variety of music to Cape Verdean camp meeting: Carlos Pires from the Brockton Cape Verdean church; Carlos Munir from the Fall River Cape Verdean church; Heralds of Freedom, a men’s quintet from Taunton, Massachusetts; and Clovis Ribeiro from the Dorchester Cape Verdean church.
In the afternoon, SNEC president, Bob Folkenberg, Jr., presented the seminar, “Quiet Time with God,” one of the first classes available on SNEC’s newly formed Discipleship Institute, available online at Discipleship Institute (sneconline.org).
Following camp meeting, the SNEC Cape Verdean community continued the spiritual momentum with an online week of prayer conducted by camp meeting guest speakers, Ribiero and Fonseca.
SNEC Cape Verdean coordinator, Ivanildo Lopes, is preparing to present an evangelism series in September ‘24, as well as help churches conduct “Backyard Evangelism,” where church members invite friends and neighbors to listen to sermons and music presented by church members, and share and talk in the comfortable, low-key setting of their backyard.
The SNEC Cape Verdean community continues to work “Together in Mission” in their churches and neighborhoods.
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