Southern California Conference

LEFT: Narváez (left) pictured singing with the Lincoln Heights Spanish church choir. Narváez sang in the choir well into her 90s, often accompanying them with her cello. MIDDLE: Narváez (front, right) with volunteers at AHWM. RIGHT: Narváez pictured with her family at her 95th-birthday celebration.

Eva Narváez: Celebrating a Woman of Faith

Eva Narváez was described by her family as a woman before her time for her professional achievements, her dedication to her community, and her passion for Christ and His church. This woman of faith made a profound impact on our Hispanic community in the Southern California Conference.

Narváez was born April 8, 1920, in El Paso, Texas, and raised in the Catholic church. In her 30s, she met a Bible worker at Adventist Health White Memorial (AHWM), which she described as a life-changing encounter.

Shortly after, she joined the Adventist church. Later, she and her good friends Eufrosina Benitez, Atalia de la Vara, and Plácido and Eva Ortiz, became founding members of the Lincoln Heights Spanish church. She worked closely with Pastor Fred Hernandez and his wife when they became leaders of the church. Narváez helped spread the word about the church in the community as it began to grow. She purchased a van to transport members as they shared God’s word and even drove new members to church on Sabbath mornings.

Narváez ministered locally by passing out Christian literature, helping shape future generations in the church,

CORRECTION: In the September issue, the article entitled “Women Driven by Service Prove COVID-19 Can’t Stop Love” on page 56 omitted the team’s name for the project and described the sandwiches they distributed as veggie. The team named their project #CovidCantStopLove, and the sandwiches were made with turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. We apologize for these errors. and volunteering at AHWM chaplain’s department for many years. She led groups to Los Angeles County General Hospital to read Scripture, sing hymns, and worship with patients. She also worked with the Dorcas Society, often collecting donations of clothing to take to Tijuana, Mexico. Narváez raised three daughters on her own, working long hours to make ends meet and ensuring they learned to be independent and resourceful. She was affectionately known as “Maki” by her grandchildren and great grandchildren, and family meant everything to her.

“Every time we saw her, she asked three questions: ‘Are you going to church?’ ‘How’s work?’ and ‘Are you being nice and praying?’” recalled her granddaughter, Sarah Guiterrez.

Narváez’s determination also guided her profession. She worked at La Opinión, a Spanish-language news outlet based in Los Angeles, for more than 45 years and became the first female manager of the classified section.

“She valued the Lord and His work in the world,” said her daughter, Sandra Narváez McLeod. “She was dedicated to spreading His word and working in the Latino community to bring individuals to the Lord.”

Narváez passed away in Glendale on July 4, 2020, at 100 years of age. She was dedicated to her family, her community, and her Lord, and she will be greatly missed. ____________________ By Araya Moss

Members Connect Through

“Stories From My Kitchen” Cooking Series

I“ n this age of social distancing, fear, and isolation, it is especially important to be able to hear one another’s stories and to see God at work,” said Simon

Liversidge, pastor at The Place Adventist Fellowship church. “We were searching for an interesting way to tell stories, and I came up with the idea of telling stories connected to food. Where better to tell stories than your kitchen?”

After the death of George Floyd and the ongoing protests against racial injustice that followed, Liversidge believed it necessary to encourage conversation from different perspectives—and the “Stories From My

Kitchen” cooking series was born.

Enzo Nguyen, a new member at The Place with a background in photography, experience with film and production, an interest in food, and a passion for God, hosts the series each week.

During each hour-long episode, guests prepare a dish from their culture. Since June, viewers have learned how to make Mexican tamales, Korean japchea,

Filipino lumpia, South Indian dahl and rice, Australian pavlova, and many other dishes.

The production is truly a one-person show: Nguyen plays producer, host, and crew. He is not discouraged, though. “As soon as the camera starts rolling and people begin to share, I immediately remember why

I’m here,” Nguyen said. “When I hear the stories, it’s a reminder to me of how God is constantly at work.”

Nguyen presents two loaves of sourdough bread that he baked, each with a different scoring technique.

Originally, the series was set to conclude by the end of summer; however, people are still interested and willing to share. They plan to continue through the end of the year.

“The food has been amazing,” Liversidge added, “but the stories have been such a blessing.”

Learn more and watch the videos at https://scc.adventist.org/stories-from-my-kitchen. ____________________ By Araya Moss

FAR LEFT: Kristi Lee tops her Korean japchea, a glass noodle stir-fry, with garnish. LEFT: Fred Jean-Marie places the Martinique empanadas in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes.