Two people were baptized and another person joined the church on profession of faith on May 20 at Westvale church in Syracuse, New York. Alla Toderiko and Marc Raymond Vreeland had been attending the church for quite a while but finally decided to take their stand for Jesus and be baptized. Sally Baker was brought up as a Seventh-day Adventist but then drifted away from the church for about 40 years. She finally came back to God and the church. She had been attending the Westvale church for a while before deciding to join the church family through profession of faith.
On May 20, the Westvale church was also privileged to have Richard Ortega, a guest speaker from the Rochester church, who shared during the message by Reynolds Rodriguez, the church’s pastor, about witnessing for God. Ortega shared how people can witness for God wherever they are. He shared his experience of helping to save a man from jumping over a bridge and ending his life.
The Sabbath was also bittersweet for the Westvale church because, after serving for only five months as pastor of the church, Rodriguez was leaving to serve as director for youth and young adults in the New York Conference. At the close of the service, the congregation surrounded Rodriguez for a special prayer led by Sue Hayford, head elder. He was also presented with a gift from the church. The Westvale church members are sorry to see Rodriguez leave but know he will do well as a youth director.
—Joan Payne, elder, Westvale church
