Valentine's Day was very different for Brenda Silva and Júnior Dias, who have been dating for almost two years. The couple decided to donate blood on June 12 in support of the campaign launched by the Youth Ministry of the Central Adventist Church in Aracaju, Sergipe. With the theme "Donating blood is a proof of love!", the action of love for others involved couples and singles and helped an average of 60 people who are in hospital beds.
“I always wanted to donate blood with my boyfriend. Some time ago, I was already commenting with Júnior, and finally, we had this beautiful experience of celebrating our love by helping other people on Valentine's Day”, Brenda highlights.
For Júnior Dias the day was doubly special. “We were celebrating Valentine's Day and helping those in need of blood on the Lord's Sabbath. It was a unique, spiritual, and social experience that will certainly be repeated again and again”, he emphasizes.
However, it wasn't just couples who participated in this wave of goodness and love on June 12. According to Joana Sales, age 18, “Every day is a day to show love to others, whether accompanied or not. Donation is quick and painless. I recommend it!”.
The campaign took place in allusion to Donor's Day, which is June 14. Across South America, Adventist youth were motivated to donate blood through the Life for Lives project. According to Denill Souza, director of Youth Ministry for the Adventist Church inSergipe, “Actions like these are taking place throughout South America in celebration of Donor's Day, and in Sergipe, it's been no different. Our mission on this earth is to help others and demonstrate our love in actions too”, he emphasizes.
According to Mydian Moura, youth director of Central de Aracaju, the action followed all protective security measures in combating COVID-19. “Helping others was a beautiful initiative of our young people, but all with responsibility and keeping the safety measures of the World Health Organization. There was no better way to celebrate love, whether single or [in a relationship], than helping those who are hospitalized”, he concludes.
This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site