Becca Brown Page 3

05 Dec

Cranberry Bliss Rolls and Baclava favorite among Baked Goods auction at Casper Church

In

Casper, Wyoming… One of our favorite church family events is the yearly Baked Goods Auction. This year, November 23, the auction raised more than $2,400 with all proceeds being donated to the Mountain Road Christian Academy (MRCA), reports Casper church’s correspondent, Gabriela Anica Vincent.

These annual events support a variety of ministries in the church such as pathfinders, and girls or boys groups. According to Traci Pike, MRCA teacher, the Bake Auction in Casper started about 25 years ago with the Casper Mountaineer Pathfinder Club. It has become a yearly tradition that takes place just before Thanksgiving as a fundraiser for the Pathfinder Club.

“The Casper Adventist Church has supported this event every year with generosity and their fine baking skills,” she said.

This year, due to the low numbers of young people, the congregation does not have a Pathfinder Club but several parishioners did not want this tradition to end. It was decided that the funds from the Bake Auction would be split between MRCAz and the Girls Group/Boys Club at the church. The profits from the concessions this year went to the 7th and 8th graders at MRCA to help sponsor a class trip in the spring.

Participants in the 2019 event started the evening with a concession stand. It was obvious that the auction participants enjoyed fried mushrooms, veggie and beef hotdogs, fried onion, jalapeño poppers, fried pickles, and nachos, served at the concession stand.

The students and teachers of the MRCA, the Gage family, and many other volunteers have come together to help prepare the food! Since the fundraiser would benefit the school, students and teachers baked several items at the school on Thursday afternoon to be auctioned off. Students also brought baked items from home to contribute to the auction.

The 2019 Baked Goods Auction began right after the supper. Among the crowd’s favorites were Marilyn’s caramel rolls, Danielle’s fruit pies, Stephanie’s Cranberry Bliss Bars, Suzanne’s Butter Rolls, Timmy’s Cheesecake, Gabriela’s Walnut Baklava with chocolate drizzle, Eric’s honey, and many other items that return year after year.

Eric Mechalke, MRCA Chairman said, “I bid on many items, but only purchased black berry pie, lemon fudge, and home-made bread. The fun part is watching two friends have a biding war. Supporting Christian education is having faith for the future.”

“I was one of the auctioneers. Among my favorite dessert is the cranberry bliss bars at Starbucks. Stephanie Forsell made a Starbucks copycat version for the baked action! I started the bid at $50 because I really wanted them!” said Gabriela.

“Then we went back and forth with a few bids, until I made the last offer and purchase them for $140. It’s all for a good cause, right?” she added.

As for her additional contribution, Gabriela contributed three half batches and a full batch of Wallnut Baklava. It was sold for over $100 and the half batches for about $60 each.

“It is such a blast to get together as a church family. I am always humbled by how generous the members of the Casper Adventist Church are with supporting our school, and the kids’ programs,” commented Shayne Mason Vincent, the church’s lead Pastor

The organizers, together with the school and church leaders wish to thank all those who helped with the action, food donation, kitchen, sound, as well as those who worked behind the scenes to make this year’s Baked Goods Auction a success.

—Gabriela Anca Vincent; text and photos

05 Dec

Greeley Adventure Church ministry brings food and prayer to the needy

In

Greeley, Colorado… Nine years ago at the Adventure Church in Greeley, Colo., DW Wenberg started FAITH. Once a month, she and a group of others bring food to those in need. The ministry reaches women, children, retired veterans, and any others that are in need of help, love, and food.

DW has always had a passion for helping others. She felt inspired by the Holy Spirit to start the ministry at the church, but didn’t have a name for it or other people to work with her. But in spite of those small setbacks, she stepped out in faith and started the program with the support of the church. God provided a continuous stream of volunteers and a name for her ministry: FAITH, Feeding And Inspiring The Hungry. The ministry grew and also led to the inspiration of another ministry, the annual toy drive at Christmas that has been running for about five years.

Now, nine years later, rather than only giving out a few bags to people in need, FAITH has been able to provide up to eighty bags containing both food and things such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, hats, gloves, and even sleeping bags every month to people in need. In addition to providing those much-needed items, FAITH also provides people with an opportunity for strong personal connection with Christ. The volunteers spend the afternoon with the people they meet and pray with them. The goal is to share not only food material necessities, but also to share with them the love Jesus gives to us all.

The vision of the future is only growth. DW, who continues to lead the ministry, wants to reach even more people and expand the ministry to Loveland and Fort Collins. She believes a way to accomplish this would be with a food truck, and continues to have faith that no matter what God will lead and provide whatever is needed to fulfill His purpose.

The ministry’s mission is greatly based on Matthew 25:31-46. The goal is to remember those who are outside of our everyday life and remember they need love and compassion. It is a way to share God’s love and be Jesus’ hands and feet in a meaningful way in the community.

If you would like to contact DW Wenberg, you can reach her at (970) 310-0183 or email her at [email protected].

–Aubrey Stenbakken, text; photo supplied

 

05 Dec

Church clasps hands with Montrose community for Thanksgiving Box Project

In

Montrose, Colorado… The Montrose Church has been preparing for their annual Thanksgiving food distribution in the community for those in need of a helping hand. Three weekends were designated before the Thanksgiving Day. The first weekend over one thousand empty bags were delivered throughout the city. Notes on the bags asked for donations of food and explained the reason for them being left on their doorsteps.

On the second weekend the bags were picked up and brought back to the church, filled up with food ready to be sorted out. The following weekend boxes of food were given out in the community to over fifty families.

Chere Fisher, one of the organizers, commented, “It strained my muscles and warmed my heart to see the outpouring of compassion from the Montrose community during the Thanksgiving Box Project. Many people gave several bags.”

“When we delivered the bags, boxes and turkeys we were greeted by barking dogs and excited children. The need in the eyes of the adults were restrained, yet discernible. We were given hugs and many expressions of gratefulness,” she added.

A few bellies were full and a few hearts lightened during 2019 Thanksgiving Season due to the communities’ love for their fellow man, reported Zane Berry, Mortrose Church correspondent.

—Zane Berry, text; photos by Linda Steinert

05 Dec

Campion Spanish students gain an appreciation for Hispanic culture at the Loveland Museum

In

Loveland, Colorado… Students, from the Junior and Senior classes Spanish 1 and 2, took a field trip on Thursday to go see Chicano art at the Loveland Museum. They learned about the history of Chicanos, a term that many American-born people of Mexican descent choose to identify with.

During the museum visit, the students viewed art, asked questions, and gained a deeper understanding of the struggles of Mexican-Americans. “The field trip was so much fun! I learned a lot about Chicano art. The pieces that they had on display were very beautiful and it was interesting to see what stories they told and what the painter wanted them to do,” said Ashley Herber, Spanish 2 student.

While students looked around the museum, their teacher, Nate Marin, went to the grocery store to get canned mango, guava, and strawberry banana juice with conchas, a traditional Mexican pastry, for the students to enjoy. They came to the cafeteria during lunch-time to pick up the food. The day of activities helped students become better acquainted with Hispanic culture and gain appreciation for the language they’re learning.

—Naomi Boonstra, Student editor; photo supplied

05 Dec

Youth Rally Gets Hawaiian Flavor in Cañon City

In

Cañon City, Colorado… Participants of “Called and Chosen,” a youth rally that takes place at the Cañon City Adventist Church, were blessed by a warm and vibrant breeze from Honolulu, Hawaii, said Linda Benningfield-Hashman, church correspondent. A truly Hawaiian flavor came with Pastor Diamond Garcia, a special presenter who flew-in for a weekend of inspiration, October 4-5.

In his messages, he challenged the congregation and visitors to actively understand who they are in Christ, and in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. His words were powerful and direct, explaining the special purpose and ministry that the Adventist church has in the world today, Benningfield-Hashman reported. Several young visitors from the community joined the rally, some of who are regularly attending the church and taking Bible studies.

Diamond was born and raised in the beautiful islands of Hawaii. His early years included drugs, alcohol, and abuse. He found himself headed down a destructive path. At age 12 he found a book entitled The Great Controversy and read it in three days, he said. This led to him becoming a Seventh-day Adventist, engaging as a colporteur, and at age 17 joining the ministry.  Now at 22 he pastors two churches in Hawaii. Diamond also travels internationally sharing the gospel with thousands of people on different continents, and shares his sermons and personal testimony on YouTube.

In his testimony, Pastor Diamond shared how he got involved with the political arena for the State of Hawaii.  He uses his faith in God and his unique testimony to reach many people working in politics in Hawaii through prayer and education about the Adventist health message and Christ’s soon return.

Cañon City was beyond blessed with the message and testimony he shared.  It was an amazing weekend!

—Linda Benningfield-Hashman; photo supplied.

05 Dec

Frozen and canned veggie meat to be available in bulk in Denver in 2020

In

Franktown, Colorado… With the closing of the Adventist Book Center, many have wondered where they are going to get their veggie meat in the future. Well, there is good news!  A new company has been started by Erin Houghton in Franktown, Colorado called Rocky Mountain Veggie Meat, LLC that will provide canned (by the case) and frozen veggie meat to the greater Denver area.

Here’s how it will work: you can order online at www.rmveggiemeat.com or call 720-257-9037 and place your order. “We will plan on having drop-off dates at Mile High Academy and the Conference Office every other month. For now as we start up, we will only be in the Denver area, but if there are enough orders from other areas, we can deliver there as well in the future,” explains Erin.

Rocky Mountain Veggie Meat plans to be open for business on January 1, 2020. You can sign up at the website to be added to the mailing list or follow their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rmveggiemeat to keep up to date with news about ordering and drop-off times.

Dinner roast, Fri-Chik, Saucettes, Linketts and all of your favorites will still be available! Pricing will be similar to that of the ABC. Sign up for the newsletter and Rocky Mountain Veggie Meat will keep you in the loop on ordering and delivery.

–Erin Houghton

20 Nov

Regular Sabbath Worship Service Established in Rawlins, Wyoming Prison

In

Rawlins, Wyoming… “We have been trying to gain access to the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins for a number of years as part of the Adventist prison ministries. Eight to ten years as memory serves,” says Ted Williams, RMC coordinator of prison ministry.

Though working as a retired minister for Colorado’s Arkansas Valley and Lamar congregations, Ted is a passionate promoter of prison ministry. He has been engaged in this outreach in the Rocky Mountain Conference for 12 years.

“A Rawlins penitentiary inmate wrote many letters requesting a visit. Correspondence with the inmate begun a number of years ago and continues today. A litany of efforts brought us to stay in Rawlins for a week in early July 2019. We went to the prison asking for an appointment to meet with the chaplain there,” Ted shares what is a fascinating story of how God opens closed doors.

Several days latter he went to the prison for the appointment. “The conversation was cordial. Previously filed application forms were completed again, and we attended the required training with our first service held in that prison on September 21,2019,” he adds.

The inmate who wrote numerous letters was overjoyed. Several of his friends attended as well. Ted learned that a group of prisoners had been holding Sabbath services inside the prison on their own for several years. The original worship service time was granted for a monthly 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Sabbath morning. There was no other time available and that slot of time was rather inconvenient for the Lorell and Carol Harold, church members from the Rawlins Seventh-day Adventist Church, who have volunteered to hold services in the prison one Sabbath a month.

“We talked and prayed about the situation. Not long after I was at the prison and met the chaplain, he asked if a Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., would be acceptable for a service time, but no longer then meeting Saturday morning?”

“All I could say: WOW, what an answer to prayer,” Ted says.

The Wyoming State Penitentiary (pictured) is a historic, current, and frequently visited by tourists prison in Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming. It has operated from 1901, but was moved within Rawlins to a new location in 1981. In 2018, it is a Wyoming Department of Corrections state maximum-security prison for men.

There are two separate sections in the prison. The Adventist service is presently held in one section. Recently, the chaplain asked if the church would be willing to hold one more service in the other section. The details of that arrangement have just been satisfactorily concluded with coordinated meeting time schedules allowing for services in the two sections being conducted back to back on the same Sabbath.

“Now what we really need are more volunteers. We continue our prayers,” Ted Williams says, and asks church members elsewhere to join in prayer for more volunteers.

“Before we began services we supplied Adventist books for their library to allow the inmates access to materials in English and in Spanish. Among them are, Conflict of the Ages series, and additional multiple copies of Desire of Ages, Christ Object Lessons, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, Ministry of Healing andSteps to Christ.

Ted Williams is fully convinced that “God has opened these prison doors in His own time. It is exciting to observe and participate in His provision.” He adds, “should church members and ministers inclined to be involved locally or from a distance we need all the prayer you can commit. If in your prayer time it seems clear to you that you would like to experience more involvement there are many opportunities available.”

—Ted Williams; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

20 Nov

Public Health Advocate, Mark Johnson, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

In

Lakewood, Colorado … Referred to as a “public health icon,” Dr. Mark Johnson, Jefferson County Public Health Executive Director, won the Lifetime Achievement Award from Public Health of the Rockies. He has served in this position for 30 years and plans to retire in June of 2020. Among Johnson’s achievements in his role was helping to write and pass the Colorado Public Health Act in 2008, ensuring that “core public health services are available to every person in Colorado.”

Lakewood Sentinel reported, September 24, on Dr. Johnson’s award and decades-long service. The list of achievements is long. To start with, Johnson helped write and pass the Colorado Public Health Act in 2008, the bill requiring “use of assessments to determine population health and system-wide capacity issues; development of a five-year state and local public health improvement plan based on assessment results; engaging communities in health improvement and increasing the availability and quality of public health services to improve health outcomes. The goal of the bill is to ensure that core public health services are available to every person in Colorado.”

Johnson also worked to establish the Colorado School of Public Health, which includes the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado. According to the school’s website, the university is the first accredited and only collaborative school of public health in the region, as well as one of the top 25 graduate schools of public health in the country.

Commenting to NewsNuggets, Johnson said, “I feel blessed to have been able to work in Jefferson County and contribute to better health for the people.” He regards starting the Colorado School of Public Health as the biggest contributor to the difference in public health.

“When I first came, we had a small number of health departments in a few counties [in Colorado]. After we passed the bill, every county had a department and most had people trained in public health.”

Mark Johnson, member and chair of the vision board of the Boulder Adventist Church, was well prepared to create such a viable health program. He received his medical training at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University and is board certified in preventive medicine and public health.

Hearing about Johnson’s recognition, Ed Barnett, RMC president, said, “What a commendable accomplishment. Healthy living is among the church’s teachings and Dr. Johnson’s contribution in establishing the Colorado School of Public Health as well as the Colorado Public Health Act in 2008 is among the amazing accomplishments of his decades of service.

We all are indebted to such a vision affecting our daily life. Our Conference and its thousands of Seventh-day Adventists are grateful for his work to help our society live in a healthier environment. Congratulations!”

Under Johnson’s leadership, Jefferson County has been one of the healthiest areas in the state. Commenting about the award, Jill Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said “If there was a statewide public health initiative going on, (Johnson) had his feet at the table. To be honest, when I would walk in a room and see (Johnson) is there, I would feel good about it, because I knew we were going to have a good outcome,” she told the Lakewood Sentinel.

“I would call Dr. Johnson a public health icon,” she said.

—Rajmund Dabrowski with Becky De Oliveira; photo supplied.

20 Nov

MHA HOSTS ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL

In

Denver, Colorado… Mile High Academy’s Fall Festival is one of the most anticipated events of the school year as thoughts turn to falling leaves, pumpkins, apple cider and Mrs. Gerst’s famed corn dogs. On Saturday, Nov. 16, twinkling lights and colorfully-decorated booths welcomed more than 400 guests, including families, alumni and community members, to the campus.

MHA Sophomore Summer Nash moved from Tennessee with her family in January and was excited to experience her first-ever MHA Fall Festival. “I had so much fun seeing all the different booths,” she said. “But most of all I appreciated the opportunity to help staff both the Yearbook and Class of 2022 bead booths. I enjoyed helping the younger kids make their bead animals and having the chance to interact with everyone.”

Fall Festival booths are decorated and staffed by each respective class. The proceeds give teachers a little extra for their classrooms. Prizes are also distributed for the best-decorated booths. The 2019 winners are:

1st Place: Bead Animals (Class of 2022)

2nd Place: Indonesian Food (Local Family)

3rd Place: Nachos & Face Painting (5th Grade)

Other booths included a maze, decorating Christmas ornaments, pillow fights, face painting, a fishing booth and numerous food items. New this year to the Fall Festival was the 8th grade class Pie in the Face booth. Teachers and students donned their good sportsmanship smiles while attendees attempted to throw a pie in their face. A little friendly brother rivalry caused many laughs as Athletic Director Walter Weber was pied by his brother, Karl Weber.

“From decorating, providing supplies and staffing the booths, a lot of planning and work goes into the behind-the-scenes that makes Fall Festival such a fun-filled and remarkable event for our school,” said Jocelyn Aalborg, VP of Finance and Development. “We are humbled by the outpouring of support we receive from families, alumni, teachers and staff. And every year new memories and friends are made, which speaks volumes to the special school “family” that forms Mile High Academy.”

—Jocelyn Aalborg; photos supplied

20 Nov

MHA KINDERGARTEN AND 2nd GRADES TEAM WITH DENVER INNER CITY PARRISH

In

Denver, Colorado… Mile High Academy’s Kindergarten and 2nd grade students teamed up with the Denver Inner City Parrish Food Bank to raise money for Thanksgiving meals. During the month of November, the two classes prepared and gave presentations to various school-wide morning meetings. A jar was placed in the front office with informative display signage, giving visitors and families an opportunity to donate loose change. The jar was also available at the school’s Annual Fall Festival. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, $198 was presented to Hunger Programs Coordinator Michael Bruno as a gift from Mile High Academy.

“In October, Mrs. Armendariz and I took our two classes to the food bank to donate the vegetables we had grown in our school garden,” said Jessica Gleason, Mile High Academy’s second grade teacher. “While we were there, the students were inspired to learn other, simple ways to help the Food Bank.”

While at the Food Bank, students decorated paper plates. These paper plates went home with the kids, challenging them to utilize the plates as a means for collecting extra change to donate to the Food Bank. Students also learned just how far the money can be stretched to help provide food for those that are hungry. Examples that were given include:

  • $1 buys 10 cans of food
  • $1 buys 4 meals
  • $75 buys 4,000lbs of food

“I was surprised that $1 equals 4 meals,” said Aida Wentland, a 2nd grade student at MHA.

“Watching our students work together as a team to help someone less fortunate was both humbling and inspiring,” said Gleason. “Our Mile High Academy team is always looking to find ways for our students to help those in the community, specifically those who may be less fortunate. And when we see even some of the smallest of students driven to help others, it shows that God is truly working hard on our campus.”

—Jocelyn Aalborg; photos supplied

1 2 3 4 5 … 12