More than 12,000 Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist lay people were on hand at the Los Angeles Convention Center July 4 to 6 for the launch of Un Million de Amigos, a campaign to take 1 million copies of a special issue of the Adventist magazine El Centinela to members of the Hispanic community.

Gathering for the Hispanic Lay Festival, church members were encouraged to set aside time in July and the first weekend in August to take a copy of the magazine to 10 of their friends who are not Adventist. There are about 110,000 Hispanic Adventist Church members in North America.

“This was a huge success,” said Manuel Vasquez, a vice president of the Adventist Church in North America, who organized the event. He says that young people are taking a leading role in the Un Million de Amigos initiative, with 300 youth and young adults delivering the magazine to residents in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon.

“These kids are going to give out these magazines and make a presentation to people, not just leave it at the door,” he says. Vasquez adds that he is “bubbling over with joy” for the work the youth are doing, which will also help prepare people for a nationwide satellite evangelism program planned for November.