This week on ANN.

In Haiti, the death toll continued to climb after days of ongoing search and rescue efforts for survivors of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the nation’s southern regions. Preliminary reports indicate that there are now more than 2,200 deaths and 12,000 injuries, with significant infrastructure loss. Over 53,000 houses were destroyed, and 46,000 buildings were damaged, including hospitals, schools, and churches. There are also reports of road blockages. As the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) assesses the needs of affected populations, it will scale up its plans to ensure people in Haiti get immediate access to essential items and receive ongoing aid to advance towards a recovery stage.

'Codex Sinaiticus: A Journey in Biblical Discovery' will document a rare visit inside St. Catherine's Monastery and a meeting with Father Justin, chief librarian for a collection of over 2,300 ancient manuscripts. A combined production of Hope Channel Norway and the Trans-European Division, Tor Tjeransen and Victor Hulbert take viewers on an inspiring journey. The documentary and accompanying short videos, 'Moments from Sinai,' are more than just a travelogue or historical journey. Hulbert and Tjeransen share the story of Moses and God's faithfulness with a young Australian couple who had climbed the mountain but knew nothing about the Bible. 'Moments from Sinai' will be released later in the year with a second series filmed in Jordan.

The president of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, Ted N.C. Wilson and president of the Adventist Church in North America, G. Alexander Bryant, led out in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Northeastern Towers Annex. The new complex is a 158-unit affordable housing complex located in Queens, New York, sponsored by the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by the project's partners--the Northeastern Conference, the Fifth Avenue Committee, and Mega Development.

The Life Bridge Seventh-day Adventist Church provided the Tacoma, Washington, community with more than $90,000 worth of free dental care for two days. The clinic director and local dentist, Jed de la Paz, and the LifeBridge team recruited more than 75 volunteers who donated their time and expertise. The clinic was hosted at De la Paz's practice, Bright Smile Dental.

In Fiji, a group of "10,000 Toes" ambassadors and Dorcas ladies from Nadi English Church brought smiles to the faces of 17 families financially impacted by the second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic. Rural Nadi, surrounded by cane fields and accessible only by dirt roads, are isolated family homes. Some of the families live day-to-day, not knowing where their next meal will come from. The 10,000 Toes ambassadors, in partnership with the Dorcas ladies, hope to grow this 'Loaf Ministry' through kind donations.

In Timor-Leste or East Timor, the main challenges for women continue to be deep poverty, domestic violence, and the lack of recognition of women's contribution to political, economic, and social spheres. Economic empowerment is particularly crucial as conflict during the Indonesian occupation and violence left nearly half of all Timorese women widowed and sole providers for their families. ADRA and Rede Feto are teaming up, with a grant from the European Union and a contribution from the Austrian Development Cooperation, to implement a four-year project called "Empower Women" in various regions throughout the country. The initiative will help 45 civil society organizations create gender awareness and inclusion programs and support female heads of households in production, processing, trading, saving, and loan activities.

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