AI-narrated recordings
The publishers barred ministries from recording the devotionals and posting them on YouTube, which left us without audio.
Other ministries chose to narrate devotionals generated by AI. We built a process in which AI only reads each devotional's real text, without changing anything. It may still make a few mistakes, and these recordings are not posted on YouTube.
Producing them every day is costly. Thank you for your support and patience.
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Verse:Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. —1 Peter 5:7, NLT
With the pandemic behind us, for the most part, it is easier to see the impact it had on millions of families around the world. My family is no different, specifically when it comes to my twin sister Valeria, my only sibling. We lived seven hours apart, she in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and I in Huntsville, Alabama. Separated and masked as we were, staying in touch became all important as the sense of isolation felt overwhelming.
I kept in touch with family as much as I could through free conference calls, Zoom, and texting. This worked with everyone except Valeria because she had no cell phone or internet access. I purchased a phone for her birthday, and she was able to connect by way of a nearby cell tower. She was ecstatic. Every Sabbath morning we were able to meet together through technology and study the Word of God. My sister had many health challenges and had been on dialysis for seven years. I remember one Sabbath in particular when she really enjoyed our Sabbath School study time with family and friends. She seemed to be doing well, so what happened next came as a big shock. That same Sabbath evening I received a call from my brother-in-law, James, and my nephew, Patrick. They told me they had found Valeria on the floor. James had come into the house and could not find her.
After looking through the house, he found her lying beside the bed on the floor. She was alive. The ambulance came, and the emergency medical staff said she may have had a stroke. They rushed her to the hospital in critical condition.
I felt petrified. Because of the pandemic the hospital personnel would not allow me to see her, and because I lived so far from her, I could only communicate through Google Duo or Zoom with the assistance of the health providers.
Valeria could hear me, and once when I asked her to raise her hand if she could hear my son, Nelson, she did. We were so excited.
Three weeks later the doctor called to say I should come to Baton Rouge to say goodbye. I was able to see her once before she passed away.
How I cherish the blessed hope we have in Jesus.
Friends, we will see our loved ones again and will live together forever—and we will never part again. Hallelujah!
Vivian Brown