"Familias Llenas de Poder” ("Families Full of Power") was the theme of the first Hispanic congress of the Hawaii Conference. Eighty-five people from four of the islands of Hawaii gathered at Camp Waianae in Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii. The guest speaker was Dr. Fernando Zabala from the Inter-American Division Publishing Association.

On opening night, Zabala said that families are imperfect because people are imperfect, but God loves families with an everlasting love and is eager to perform miracles of reconciliation, love and success.

Following Zabala's message, families prayed together, cried together, confessed their mistakes to one another and asked for forgiveness. “It was a very special and moving occasion, unquestionably led by the Holy Spirit,” said Maria Zavala from the Kona Hispanic company.

On Sabbath morning, Zabala spoke to the young people about Joseph and Daniel, the Bible heroes who committed themselves to be faithful to God long before they arrived in Egypt and Babylon. Zabala challenged the young people to be modern Josephs and Daniels for God’s glory.

Following a Latino lunch, Paolo Rivera, a Marine who served in Iraq for six months, was featured in a session entitled, “Lecciones del Campo de Batalla” ("Lessons from the Battlefield"). Rivera, who is not yet a member of the church, shared a few of the life-changing incidents he experienced in Iraq.

At the end of Rivera’s presentation, Chuy Olvera, an elder from Oahu Hispanic church, told Rivera, “Your wife and son requested prayer for you at every prayer meeting at church. The whole body prayed for you, not only on Wednesdays, but every time we had the opportunity. There are no doubts that God has a plan for your life.”

During his next presentation, Zabala told the adults that the parents of both Joseph and Daniel had taught them early a strong sense of responsibility to God—responsibility that would be evident at all times, regardless of the circumstances.

Of the 85 attendees, 15 were not Seventh-day Adventists. After the camp, one of the 15 decided to prepare for baptism, another began Bible studies, four decided to join the church, and all but three have attended church every Sabbath since.

“We saw that this is a powerful tool for evangelism," said Cecilia Ochoa, Sabbath school superintendent for the Oahu Hispanic church. "Even though this is a lot of work, we should have at least two camp meetings a year.”

The success of this congress was credited to prayer and teamwork. Before and during the congress groups met to pray for the speaker, the visitors, families and church projects, and to establish the Hispanic work on Maui.

And although there were representatives from 10 countries of the three Americas and the Caribbean, many said that the Holy Spirit made them just one body—not Mexicans or Salvadorians or Colombians, but one big, loving Hispanic family.

Both the Kona Hispanic and Oahu Hispanic congregations are planning for the second Hispanic congress to be held in Hilo, Hawaii, during the fall of 2008.