Werlei Gomide with wife Angelica
Fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, this Brazilian native has quickly made his mark, welcoming a diverse range of visitors and overseeing maintenance projects since his arrival last summer.
In just a few months, HAV has hosted a remarkable variety of guests. In August, visitors included four pastors from Brazil, three Jewish guests, 25 members of the worldwide Kellogg Foundation, and six individuals from Spain. Last fall, 22 Brazilian publishing and canvassing department members from four different conferences toured the site. Also, 50 residents from a local retirement home visited, plus a busload of Mormons came to learn about the Adventist health message and shared similarities between their faiths.
The numbers are impressive: 675 visitors came to HAV surrounding the Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming. Additionally, a German television crew recently filmed a health program on-site, and more workers from the Brazilian Publishing House are set to visit.
Werlei’s connection to HAV dates back to a visit a year ago when his many skills and dedication stood out. His wife, Angelica, supports tours on weekends while balancing her job at Andrews University, and their college-age sons, Jonathan and Samuel, helped at the Village last summer. The family has a long history with HAV, as the sons once served as enthusiastic Portuguese-speaking tour guides in 2014.
With the Village's rich history, the team is eager to welcome more visitors. Plan your trip by registering at adventistheritage.org.
Brenda Kis is editor of the Adventist Heritage Ministries bulletin.
