News reports from Loma Linda University Health; the Adventist Church headquarters in Germany; Pasadena, California; the Golden Crust food brand; the Today Show and the Kilimanjaro Marathon:

Loma Linda University Health has shared the video of a Facebook Live session in which a panel of experts from the university and local county departments of public health talk about the science behind the coronavirus and how Loma Linda University Medical Center is responding to the global outbreak. Watch it here

The president of the Adventist denomination in Germany, Pastor Werner Dullinger, has stated that Adventist leaders were stunned by the racist terrorist attack that resulted in 11 fatalities in Hanau. “There is no rational explanation for such a heinous act. With shock, horror and incomprehension we react as a church to this brutal and inhuman event in Hanau. Our prayers and sympathy go to the victims and their relatives.” Despite the political issues involved, he stated that it was the Christian duty of church leaders to speak out clearly and uncompromisingly and condemn all forms of xenophobia and racism. Source: APD

The Light Above Company, an Adventist congregation in Pasadena, California, started offering free guitar lessons as part of its music ministry. While their students are primarily children and youth from the church, the free lessons are also a way to share the gospel with the community around the church. The classes were designed for beginners, starting with the basics, such as parts of the guitar, how to strum, and basic notes. Soon each student was able to play “Jesus Loves Me.”

This week, New York-based food brand Golden Krust launched vegan versions of its iconic Jamaican beef patties (handheld savory pastry pockets) at select locations in Boston, New York City, and Toronto, Canada. The new patties are made with Beyond Meat’s vegan Beyond Beef and are available in two flavors: Spicy and Mild. Golden Krust created the new options using its 30-year-old family recipe and plans to expand the plant-based patties to its 125 restaurant locations and potentially to its 25,000 retail points of sale across North America. “Beyond Beef was the perfect choice for our new patties since it is designed to look, cook, and taste like ground beef, with all the benefits of plant-based protein,” Golden Krust CEO Alfred Novas said. “We challenge you to tell the difference between our traditional beef patties and our new plant-based protein patties.”

Wednesday (26 February) Carson Daly of the Today Show on NBC Television in the United States interviewed Wintley Phipps, the Adventist pastor who is a world-renowned vocal recording artist, and the founder of the Dream Academy, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering and mentoring the children of parents who are in prison. He has ministered to high profile personalities that include former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey. Phipps was the first recipient of an honorary doctorate from Oakwood University, the Adventist institution in Huntsville, Alabama.

On Sunday, March 1, many Adventist young adults will be participating in the Kilimanjaro Marathon. The annual event is held around the highest peak in Africa. An Adventist Today reporter based at Arusha University in Tanzania, will cover the event.

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