The Mountain View College Alumni Church, a place that can accommodate 5,000 people, was brimming with delegates and Sabbath walk-in worshipers as early as 2:00 a.m. at dawn. The unity and togetherness were palpable as others chose to remain inside the church after the “Heaven at Last” segment, which marked the beginning of the Sabbath, according to Adventist beliefs.
After the morning service, which started at 4:00 a.m. this Sabbath, non-delegate believers from nearby churches began to arrive. People from other municipalities and districts kept coming with their tents, mats, chairs, baskets of food, and, most importantly, their Bibles and church hymnals.
The exit road near the pool and Sulad’s office was opened due to the influx of believers wishing to unite with around 30,000 initial delegates from the 11 countries and territories of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the dedicated personnel of Hope Channel, Adventist World Radio, the volunteer media team, the digital missionaries, and all the other volunteers who worked tirelessly to bring the live presentations to about a dozen LED walls or giant TVs across the campus and through other media ministries tasked to spread the message worldwide. The program hosts, singers, floor directors, camera men, technical crew, scriptwriters, social media managers, and other creatives, all of them, without exception, devoted their time and talent for the success of this unique remnant church.
The population inside the 1,024-hectare campus has grown significantly. Today, every believer will be facing either Mt. Kalatungan or Mt. Kitanglad while worshiping God on a 2,500-foot plateau. Our focus should be on heaven, where the last and grandest Sabbath School Congress will take place. The angels will usher us there, eliminating the need for transportation expenses since clouds will transport us, and Jesus Himself will welcome us and share His most beautiful stories.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1.
“The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature and brings us into communion with the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature, we find comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to the soul.” Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 281 (SePUM Communication)
