NewsNuggets Page 17

Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Mile High Academy (MHA) kicked off the academic year by welcoming 248 students with more still completing the application process, breaking decades-old records of first-day enrollment.

The campus buzzed with energy as students, parents, and faculty members converged to mark the beginning of a promising year of growth, learning, and community.

Principal Andrew Carpenter set the tone for the school year in the first all-school chapel with a warm welcome and introduction of the teachers. Upper schoolteacher, Becca Berg, lead the students in music, including the unveiling of the school year’s theme song, “All the People Said Amen.”

The main chapel thought was offered by new chaplain and upper school Bible teacher R.D. Gallant. He shared a thought-provoking talk that drew from his personal experiences as a first-time father to a three-week-old son. Gallant’s insights were intertwined with valuable life lessons, as he eloquently shared his belief that, just as a parent seeks to know their child, so does God aspire to understand each student as they navigate their educational path.

“God created the entire universe,” said Gallant. “He cares for you, loves you, and wants to get to you know through [our] school.”

The morning concluded with the much-anticipated annual prayer walk. Parents, students, and staff members came together to embark on a spiritual journey, participating in prayerful reflections at different stations strategically placed around the campus. This cherished tradition not only starts the school year in prayer and asking God to guide our school, but it also symbolizes unity, shared values, and the collective commitment to guiding and supporting each student on their academic and spiritual journey.

“We had so much fun today,” said Claire C., a MHA fourth-grade student. “I really liked the prayer walk. I can’t wait until we have Spirit Week and the reading week [later this school year].”

The new school year holds immense promise and excitement. With the addition of more than 60 new students, the school community continues to grow stronger and more diverse than ever before. MHA continues its commitment to academic excellence. This is reflected in the expansion of dual credit classes, providing upper school students with more opportunities to challenge themselves and earn college credits.

The school has also expanded its robotics programs, helping inspire creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork among the students. A full school calendar with academic and community events promises to make this year truly unforgettable.

“This school year’s theme is ‘Connected by Christ, Bonded by His Love’,” said Carpenter. “Together we become stronger. And with our larger student body, enhanced academic and extracurricular offerings, and God at our helm, we are poised to create an educational experience that will shape the leaders and visionaries of tomorrow.”

—Karrie Meyers is the marketing and development coordinator at Mile High Academy. Photos supplied.

Sandy Hodgson – Phoenix, Arizona … Every five years, educators and administrators across North America gather to learn and be inspired in the mission of Adventist education. Seventy-six teachers and administrators from Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) joined over 5,000 attendees in Phoenix, Arizona, to collaborate and connect, August 7-10.  RMC president Mic Thurber was in attendance to encourage and support Adventist educators in our conference.

With a theme centered around “Something Better,” the event highlighted the pivotal role leaders play in steering Adventist schools towards academic excellence and spiritual growth.

Each morning was started with Pastor Donnette Blake from the Northeastern Conference delivering a morning worship that challenged the educators, setting the tone for the rest of the day. General and breakout sessions equipped us with strategies as we integrate faith and learning.

The sessions inspired attendees to nurture not only academic competence but also character, empathy, and compassion, ensuring that students are well-prepared to thrive in an ever-changing world and the world to come.

New to the convention this year were ED Talks. Fashioned in a similar format to the well-known TED Talks, each ED Talk session featured two 15-minute talks from 12 leaders that answered the thought, Leadership: It all comes down to …

Dr. Tina Boogren and Dr. Mario Acosta from Marzano Research talked about integrity and wellness. Singer/Songwriter Laura Story talked about humility. Carlton Byrd, president for the Southwest Region and a keynote speaker, shared that leadership comes down to Modeling.

North American Division president Alex Bryant focused on empowering. “Empowering must be extended on a set of core values,” Bryant said. It reinforced our conference-wide educational core values found in CHERISH—Christ-Centered, Honor, Exploration, Responsibility, Integrity, Service, and Heroism.

In addition to the wealth of knowledge shared during the convention, the power of networking was palpable. Colleagues from various parts of the country, and even the world, converged to build relationships and forge partnerships. The camaraderie and collaboration that unfolded held the promise of resource-sharing and mentorship opportunities, ultimately benefiting both educators and their students.

The convention emphasized that education is not just about imparting knowledge. It is about shaping character, fostering values, igniting a lifelong love for learning, and, most importantly, pointing our students to the master teacher: Jesus. We are blessed to be part of the Mid America Union that strategically plans and sets aside finances every year to support this event.

Diane Harris, RMC education director, reflected, “Our teachers repeatedly expressed their appreciation of the RMC administration for their support of education. From our Unlocking the Reading Code curriculum training to High Reliability Schools workshops and Standards Based Learning training, teachers at the convention felt more knowledgeable and in step with the direction Adventist education is moving in North America. We are on a path to Something Better.”

—Sandy Hodgson is the RMC education assistant director. Photos by Sandy Hodgson and Mid-America Union Event Photo Archive.

Louisa Perin – Pueblo, Colorado … Pueblo First Seventh-day Church in Pueblo, Colorado, has been an essential part of the local community, providing spiritual guidance, social support, and practical assistance to those in need. In recent years, the church’s role in the community has become even more notable as many people seek ways to connect with others and find meaning in their lives.

With about a dozen volunteers, Luisa Perin, the VBS coordinator at Pueblo first, hosted the Vacation Bible School (VBS) entitled “Fiercely Faithful – God Always Keeps His Promises,” July 17-21. The theme of the VBS took place in a Middle Eastern setting, and it was based on the story of Ruth and Naomi, two women who showed great courage and faith in the face of adversity.

The story of Ruth and Naomi begins with the death of Naomi’s husband and two sons. Naomi was left isolated in a foreign land with no family or means of support. However, her daughter-in-law, Ruth, decided to stay with her, even though it meant leaving her family and homeland.

Ruth and Naomi traveled to Bethlehem where they faced many challenges. They were poor, hungry, and rejected by the community. However, Ruth and Naomi never gave up hope. They worked hard and trusted God to provide for them.

Eventually, Ruth’s hard work was rewarded. She married Boaz, a wealthy landowner, and they had a son. Thanks to their faith in God, Ruth and Naomi finally rebuilt their lives.

The story of Ruth and Naomi is a powerful reminder that God is always with us, even when things are tough. It teaches us never to give up hope, no matter our challenges.

Through stories, songs, crafts, games, and healthy snacks, the VBS helped the children to understand how God always keeps His promises even when things seem hopeless. They also discovered that God is always with us, no matter what.

Furthermore, the children learned about the importance of community. Ruth and Naomi rebuilt their lives because they had each other’s support. They also learned that we are all part of a community and should help each other when a need presents itself.

The five-day program was a huge blessing for us and our community. We ended up with 17 children ranging in age from four to fourteen. Thirteen children were from the community, while three were from the local congregation.

Praise God!

We are already planning for next year.

—Louisa Perin is the youth and VBS coordinator at the Pueblo First Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photos supplied.

Sue Nelson – Ward, Colorado … Nearly 300 Pathfinders and staff members attended the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Pathfinder Camporee, August 3-6. This year’s gathering was held at Glacier View Ranch (GVR) in Ward, Colorado, in the Pathfinder Village, and the theme was “Be the Difference.”

The Camporee focused on teaching the “Wilderness Living” honor by having stations for each part of the honor. Pathfinders learned what to do if lost in the wilderness, determining directions without a compass, how to purify and collect drinking water in the wild; identify animal tracks, run a compass course, learn first aid and knots, how to identify wild edible plants, and more.

Pastor Michael Taylor from the Casper Adventist Church in Casper, Wyoming, inspired the Pathfinders during Vespers and church service. Russell Palmer, from the Littleton Adventist Church, and teen representatives presented praise music and personal testimony.

Jodie Gage, RMC co-Pathfinder coordinator, commented, “The kids saw firsthand how God held back the storms and broke them up so we would enjoy the weekend and learn how to be the difference.” There was a lot of rain before and after the Camporee, but beautiful weather during. This was the first year in many that the clubs were able to have campfires at their campsites, providing warmth and s’mores. And too bad if any food was left out overnight—the resident black bear showed up at several campsites!”

Dwight Laubscher, RMC co-Pathfinder coordinator, said, “It was a wonderful Camporee with the kids enjoying God’s first book: nature. They learned new skills in wilderness living and tried new experiences like eating edible wild plants. But, most importantly, speaker Pastor Taylor pointed them to Jesus and challenged them to ‘Be the Difference’ back in their homes and communities.”

A special ceremony was conducted between Sabbath school and church service with the investiture of Chase Rodriguez, from the Loveland Cougars Pathfinder Club, to Master Guide. Rodriguez completed the master guide requirements and has also done Voice of Prophecy and classes at Southern Adventist University. He worked as a staff wrangler for GVR this past summer and has shown great leadership skills and inspiration. RMC youth director Brandon Westgate had a closing prayer while all the master guides who were present came up and surrounded Rodriguez with love and support as he moves forward in leadership.

Around 80 teens enjoyed special activities in the “Teen Tent” each night after the day’s programming. Veronica Gonzalez, RMC associate executive coordinator, remarked, “There’s nothing more wonderful than to see our Pathfinders come together at camporee to worship our amazing God. They don’t have to worry about being labeled or pointed at. They come to the camporee, ready to learn more about God’s love for them, to laugh, and to serve.”

“It was a blessing working together with an amazing team of Pathfinder leaders who worked hard planning and running Camporee. Pathfinders from across RMC were connecting and growing in freedom and newness of life through Christ because of each leader’s dedication to pathfinder ministry and investing in young people,” commented Brent Learned, RMC assistant youth director.

—Sue Nelson is executive coordinator for RMC club ministries. Photos supplied.

Rajmund Dabrowski with Liz Kirkland – Montrose, Colorado … You can find Addie and Greg working on their farm in Paonia. They tend to their fields and fruit trees during the week. On Sabbath, August 5, they treated 175 participants of the Western Slope Camp Meeting to what was announced as an inaugural performance.

“This is my first public performance,” Addie said. With husband to her side, she shared how the song was revealed to her. “I hear God’s voice as I am working in the field.”

Strumming on her guitar, we were treated to folk song with a message and Greg adding his gentle harmony. Addie wrote both the lyrics and music.

Come up into My Spirit.
If you listen, you can hear it calling you to be new.
To be in the world but not of it.
In My Spirit you’re above it.
I will teach you how to love it.

Come to Me,
to see with My eyes to be wise,
to hear with My ear to be clear,
to know what is so, to feel what is real,
to be just like Me.

Receive the present of love from above.
Receive the presence of love freon above.

For Nathan Cranson, a pastor of Montrose Adventist Church and their son, to hear his parents sing such an original and inspiring song was a highlight of the gathering. Other participants shared his view.

The nature which the Cransons experience daily in Paonia, the participants shared with each other at the Mountaintop Christian Retreat. “We always have a mountain top experience in such a natural setting,” said a participant from one of the Western Slope churches.

The camp meeting was kicked off on August 2 with an evening worship led by Mic Thurber, RMC president, beginning the sermon series and camp meeting theme of “Life Changing Lessons from Bible Characters.” As the event’s keynote speaker, he delivered thoughtful and story-rich programs with titles like “The ‘Almost people’” and “Scandalous Extravaganzas.”

Thurber was joined in presenting by two other speakers who held afternoon sessions. The first of the afternoon speakers was Dr. Kristen Mauk, who shared her passion and 40 years of experience in research, teaching, and participating with geriatric care with camp participants. The focus of her afternoon seminars was on aging well and recognizing and dealing with Dementia.

“As Christians,” Dr. Mauk commented, “we are called to honor, love, and care for our elders, whether it is our own family or other people, in a health ministry. And a takeaway from the aging process is we can recognize what is not normal by what is normal, and that is really important.”

She also said, “[Another takeaway] is realizing that our whole body works together; it’s not just the physical, but our spiritual, our psychological, our emotional, our relationships. And, by realizing that we are not just a physical being, we have all these components just the way God made us.”

Dr. Kristen Mauk is not new to the Western Slope Camp Meeting. She remarked on her time at camp: “There is something so spiritual about camp here. Every time I am here, I just feel the Lord’s presence.”

Harold Williams was another afternoon speaker giving glimpse into God’s natural world and mathematics with colorful photography presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and an introduction to the Fibonacci sequence. Williams taught physical sciences and mathematics at Adventist academies for 46 years and is enjoying his second career as a preacher. He enjoys coming to Camp for the “socialization with believers of like faith and world views, the comradery, and the desire to see Jesus come soon.”

The camp was hosted by the regional pastors who emceed and moderated the programs and panels:  Nathan Cranson from the Montrose Adventist Church; Eliezer Roque Cisneros from the Fruita, Palisade, Riffle, and Glennwood Springs Adventist Churches; and Mark Phillips from the Pinon Hills Adventist Church. Ron Johnson, from the Grand Junction Adventist Church, also hosted and is a fixture at the Western Slope Camp meeting for years, welcoming, organizing, and registering attendees.

When asked what expectations did he have of the event, Pastor Eli Cisneros commented, “I was really expecting to find out how we could be better suited to do evangelism and draw closer to God. Evangelism and the ‘personal walk’ are two things that matter to me a lot, especially as a pastor. And I feel like those were met, both through the preaching and the teachings that we had through our afternoon seminar sessions.”

“I felt greatly enriched in my approach to witnessing and outreach, and I also felt drawn closer to God because of the things that I learned scientifically and health wise. Just seeing how God is present in nature with things like the Fibonacci sequence was fascinating,” he also remarked.

Emily Cisneros, wife of Pastor Cisneros, also commented on camp: “Whenever I come to camp meeting, I always expect some rejuvenation and community. That is always surpassed every year in getting to make new friendships and rekindle old ones from other churches you don’t normally get to see. It is always refreshing to come to camp meeting and enjoy nature and get to be with your community outside of your community.”

—Rajmund Dabrowski is the RMC communication director and is editor of Mountain Views.  Liz Kirkland is the RMC communication assistant. Photos by Rajmund Dabrowski and Liz Kirkland.

Samantha Nelson – Cody, Wyoming … A series of hands-on natural remedies, first aid, and cooking classes at the Cody Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cody, Wyoming, were presented, July 22-27, 2023, by Carin and Ron Lynch from the Lay Institute for Global Health Training (LIGHT).

The programs were well attended. And for approximately half the attendees each night being from the community, this was their first time in an Adventist church.

One community member, Linda Pettengill, wrote on the church Facebook page, “I attended the full Sunday through Thursday program. Wonderful instructors, great topics, and down-to-earth explanations. Hands on examples, good handouts, and [the program was] well organized. It was well worth the time and effort. I learned a lot to apply to my daily living.”

Attendees began applying the principles they learned right away with several testimonies of how they tried one of the practical remedies at home after class and it worked for them.

Chrissy James, a member of the local church who participated in one of the hands-on demonstrations with her granddaughter Sage, wrote, “A day or two before the day we did the foot bath and wrapped up Sage, she had started to get a scratchy throat. I was telling my daughter about [the foot bath], and she asked when we did that. I told her, and she said ‘Momma, haven’t you noticed? She hasn’t had a sore throat since that happened.’ And she’s right. She hadn’t.”

Several people commented that they’d like to learn more, so the church will be discussing more health outreach options in the future. We praise God for the opportunity to equip our community with better ways to live healthfully!

—Samantha Nelson reports from the Cody Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cody, Wyoming. Her husband, Steve, pastors Northwestern Wyoming churches. Photos by Pastor Steve and Samantha Nelson.