Did you go to the General Conference Session in Atlanta?  If you weren’t able to go, or even if you’ve never heard about a General Conference session, let me give you a few fun facts about it.

Every five years, the Seventh-day Adventist church holds a huge convocation to carry out the business of the church, as well as to present exciting reports of mission endeavors around the world and inspiring sermons that help us better understand God’s love.

Delegates are elected from all thirteen Divisions (geographic areas) of the Adventist church.  These delegates vote on church business, including electing the officers of the church for the next five years.  In addition to the elected delegates, anyone can come and observe the event.  On the last Sabbath of General Conference this year in Atlanta, nearly 70,000 people worshipped God together in the Georgia Dome.   That’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever experienced!

There’s a Day Camp for kids, with lots of activities, as well as programming for youth of all ages.  Some kids enjoy looking at the Exhibit Hall, where hundreds of vendors set up booths to promote their particular mission.  Lots of booth exhibitors gave out samples, including slogan pins, pens, CDs, souvenirs from their part of the world, and sometimes even food!  I saw some kids carrying bags filled with  “hand –outs” from the various exhibits.

At the White Estate booth, we handed out book marks with our web address on them, post cards of Ellen White, and the first issue of Visionary in GUIDE Magazine (http://guidemagazine NULL.com/). (If you didn’t get to our booth, you can look online at what we distributed at www.whiteestate.org/vez (http://whiteestate NULL.org/vez).)

You can see our booth’s banner in this picture of me (Cindy) standing with my 2 young friends Suvan and Solana at the White Estate booth in the Exhibits Hall in Atlanta.

GC session is fun, but your feet can get pretty tired!  Just about everyone at GC session walked A LOT—from their hotels to the Dome, and to the dining hall, and to the exhibits.  Along the way,the halls and corriders were filled with lots and lots of people.  If you were there with your parents, you probably had to stop many times while your parents visited with old friends.  General Conference is kind of like camp meeting, except a whole lot bigger!

While I was listening to the wonderful music and enjoying the inspiring sermons, I thought about heaven.  Won’t it be great to see every one we’ve ever known who has loved and accepted Jesus?  General Conference was spectacular,      but heaven will be even better!  In heaven, there will be no tired feet, no disagreements, and best of all, no good-bys.

Let’s all be faithful to Jesus every day of our lives! Then Jesus will invite us to the best home-coming ever!

–Cindy

Visionary for Kids issue “Been Green” is now available both online at Visionary4Kids.org (http://www NULL.visionary4kids NULL.org) Web site and for the first time as a special insert in the July 10, 2010 issue of Guide Magazine (http://www NULL.guidemagazine NULL.org/). From now on, the second week of every quarter (January, April, July, October), Visionary will appear in Guide as a special insert edition. Visionary is a magazine targeted for kids ages 8-14. It is full of fun stories, answers to common questions, puzzles, and activities. In this issue we focus on the importance of “Being Green.” Why is it so important? Was Ellen White green? Find out things you can do to help our planet!

Crystal Cave
Crystal Cave was formed long ago
By a God that send a flood powerful
Carved, shaped, and molded above and below
The cave formed to save more than a soul

So that all in Wisconsin could carefully see
It wasn’t evolution that made you and me
It was a God who wanted love to be
Placed in the center with laughing and glee

- Naomi Dow

photo from the Crystal Cave website (http://www NULL.acoolcave NULL.com/)

Hey Kids!

I arrived back home in Maryland from Germany just before the airports closed due to the Icelandic volcanic dust cloud over Western Europe.  I’m thankful to be home, instead of camping at the airports like thousands of others.  I hope those people who are stranded get home soon, too!

I think you would have enjoyed the Youth in Mission Congress in Mannheim, Germany.  Picture it—1200 youth gathered for the express purpose of learning to be missionaries for Jesus, first in their neighborhoods, and then wherever in the world God may call them to serve.

These  teens and young adults were on fire for Jesus!  Listening to their testimonies, their music, their conversation, I couldn’t help but feel happy about their commitment to Jesus and to spreading the Good News about His kingdom.  Some of the teens are involved in summer projects that benefit their communities, like helping to organize something like Vacation Bible Schools, or Children’s Day Camps, or health expos.  They have lots of ideas and enthusiasm!

The weekend following YIM, I preached in Ludwigsburg, Germany.  To my complete delight, virtually all the participants were young people, strongly supported by the older members of the church.  I interviewed some of the children at this church.  You can watch their interviews at: Daniel’s Interview (http://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=QsIXczQSJAg) | Phillip’s Interview (http://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=m0iLEIbXqCs)

In the week between those two events, my husband, our son, and I went hiking in the Alps.  I love doing stuff outside—hiking, skiing, camping, swimming. Well, it was too cold for swimming, but we had some fabulous hikes.  Here are some of the pictures.

I hope that someday you can go on a mission trip, or  be a student missionary in some far-away place.  But in the meantime, God has a work for you to do for Him right now—at your school, in your family, in your neighborhood.

Remember, God called Jeremiah, who said, “I’m too young!  I don’t know how to give a Bible study.” But God answered, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’  For you shall go to all to whom I send you.”  (Jeremiah 1:7)

Ask God what He would like you to do for Him today. Be prepared for an opportunity to speak of your love for Jesus, to be patient when you’re annoyed, to help someone out who needs a little assistance, to be friendly to the friendless.

It doesn’t matter if you live in Germany, India, or the United States, God is calling you today to be His missionary!

Cindy Tutsch
Visionary Editor

Hey kids! we would love to see some of your bright ideas and creativity for our website! Send us your pictures, poems, stories etc. If we use what you send we’ll give you $25! Contact us

Good friends are great, aren’t they? We can tell them anything. Did you know that you can talk to God like you talk to your friends? Ellen White wrote a little book about knowing God better called Steps to Christ. It’s been translated in 160 languages! In the chapter about prayer Ellen White encourages Christians to tell God about everything—what we want, what makes us happy, sad, worried, or scared (Steps to Christ, p. 100). Sometime we think that is just the big things. But she really meant everything!

Many years ago God even showed Ellen White which horse would be best for her family! The church members in Sutton, Vermont, collected money to purchase a horse and carriage for the Whites to travel in for their evangelism appointments. It was expensive to travel long distances if you didn’t have your own horse and carriage. Let’s imagine the conversation the day the horses were brought to James and Ellen White:

Man: This first one is a spirited sorrel . . . uh, a little nervous, but a fine animal.
James White: Ellen, is this the one?
Ellen White: No. Let’s look at the
Man: How about this big, strong gray?
James White: Ellen? What do you think?
Ellen White: Not that one.
The third horse plods up.
James White: What a beautiful dapple chestnut!
Ellen White: He’s the one!
Man: Are you sure? He’s a little swaybacked.
Ellen White: (firmly) He’s the one.
Man: If you want him, he’s yours. His name is Charlie. But . . . how can you be so sure?
James White: (laughs) It was easy. Ellen had a vision last night. An angel showed her which horse to choose!

Charlie turned out to be a faithful horse, and a sweet and patient family pet. For many years he was a big help in transporting the Whites to many of their ministry appointments.

God may not send us a vision or dream to help in our choices, but He still gives guidance when we pray. Sometimes His help comes through the advice of Christian parents or friends, sometimes in Scripture, and sometimes the Holy Spirit impresses our hearts about what we should choose.

Remember, talk to God about everything in your life!

—Adapted from The Early Years, by Arthur L. White, p. 178, and from Pathways of the Pioneers, a dramatized audio series of Adventist heritage by Your Story Hour, available at Adventist Book Centers

Download a PDF of the story here KIDSVIEW vol. 9, no 3 page 5

You can find this and other great stories at Kids View Magazine (http://www NULL.kidsviewmag NULL.org/article NULL.php?id=107)

Here is our next Creation Puzzler. Find out what happened on day 2 of creation! Assemble the puzzle to learn this weeks bible passage and discover another special message from the writings of Ellen White.

We are pleased to announce our first Creation Puzzler! We will be posting a new puzzle every few weeks to celebrate the days of God’s marvelous creation. Solve the puzzle to find out each week’s creation quote as well as a special creation insight from the pen of Ellen White. Have fun!

Check out our first Creation Puzzler!