NN Dec 2025

Samantha Nelson – Farmington, New Mexico … Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, chef Teresa Morlan held a three-night cooking school at the Piñon Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church in Farmington, New Mexico, on how to create delicious vegan holiday meals—from entrees like Sham Ham to desserts like pumpkin pie and parfaits.

“We were very happy with the turnout, as 60 people had registered in advance and 45 actually turned out—many from the local community who had never visited our facility before. Sadly, Pastor Steve and I had to miss the first two nights due to a funeral service for his father. Otherwise, the count would have been higher,” shares Samantha Nelson, coordinator of the event.

The testimonies received speak for themselves:

“I was shocked at how good the quality of the food was,” remarked participant Wes Branch. “I had never had vegan food before and was pleasantly surprised. I really liked it!”

Participant Alondra Delgado commented, “Good ideas for holiday cooking and vegan options. Inspirational testimonies that uplift the Spirit.”

“I have really enjoyed Teresa and Derek! I loved the sweet treats!” shared church member Robbie Wilcox, and participant Joshua Roy said, “I love good quality food!”

“My mom took the cooking class and absolutely loved it,” remarked Michele Wayne. “She brought home really good food and ideas.” Participant Sharon Wayne commented, “Excellent way to learn about vegan cooking.”

“I thought it was a wonderful way of learning how to cook differently and healthier and to fellowship and make new friends,” shared Aztec Seventh-day Adventist Church member Taylor Henning.

Morlan did a great job of presenting the importance of choosing the best and healthiest possible food and ingredient options and interspersed the cooking demonstrations with spiritual life lessons. Her husband Derek worked beside her in prepping, cleaning, and serving.

No one left hungry and those who won the drawings for leftovers each night were very happy. It was a great success with one attendee even saying she hoped we would plan to have Morlan back each year.

—Samantha Nelson writes from the Piñon Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church where her husband is lead pastor. Photos supplied.

Samantha Nelson – Farmington, New Mexico … The Piñon Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Farmington, New Mexico, celebrated its 125th anniversary, November 22.

It all started when Steve Nelson, pastor for the Farmington District, and his wife Samantha were reorganizing the pastor’s office after their recent transfer from Wyoming. As they put up new pictures, Samantha noticed that one painting was of the old church and was dated November 1900. Realizing that this year was the 125^th anniversary, the idea of a celebration was brought to the board and approved.

It took a team of volunteers, including Jennifer Halphen, Brenna Kincaid, Wanda O’Nan, Ana Foley, and many others, to pull off the celebration—gathering historical information to be shared with the congregation, planning special music, a fellowship meal, decorating the sanctuary and fellowship hall, etc.—but all their hard work paid off! Everyone was blessed by the celebration of God’s faithfulness in keeping the church operating for so many years.

Shirley Stewart has held her membership at the church for 75 years, the longest of anyone. “It’s such a good church. It’s always been a good church because we won’t allow it to be anything else,” she says.

Cora and Tony Goldtooth were also present, and Cora shared that she started attending the church school here in 1957.

Church youth Ryker Watson shared special music while his grandmother and church member, DeAnn Weber, as well as members Bruce and Karen Bowen, shared some of the church history. The choir gave a moving performance, and the pastor shared an encouraging message about “Going Home.”

Afterward everyone enjoyed a delicious meal and an opportunity to take a photo in front of the decorations.

—Samantha Nelson writes from the Piñon Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church where her husband is lead pastor. Photos supplied.

Will Reed – Greeley, Colorado … Greeley Adventist Christian School (ACS) in Greeley, Colorado, held a special school chapel service in honor of two long-time volunteers who will be moving from the area, November 20.

Students, staff, and church members came together to celebrate Doyle and Susie Dick, a retired couple and members of the Greeley Seventh-day Adventist Church, who spent several years at the school offering their service to the school’s needs.

Mr. and Mrs. D, as they were known to the students, worked in several areas over the years, starting in the spring of 2015. Doyle, a retired teacher, taught upper-grade math for several years while managing most of the school’s technology, including teacher computers, student laptops, printers, and internet equipment.

Susie worked primarily in the library, sorting and cataloging books, helping students find books to check out, and reading to the lower-grades students. The D’s were willing to be of service in needed areas, often volunteering at school fundraising events or being available as substitute teachers.

Will Reed, upper-grades teacher and principal at ACS, expressed gratefulness during the chapel service that the D’s consistently supported the school and blessed it with their efforts: “Doyle and Susie, we are not trying to idolize you today but rather to show our great appreciation for the sacrifice of time and resources that you both gave to ACS and to thank God for sending people like you here to make the school a better place,” he said.

The Dicks were also celebrated during the service by Amber Fellers, a former Rocky Mountain Conference teacher, Michael Shannon, pastor of the Greeley Church, and two current ACS students. Tony Gowler, ACS school board chair, presented the D’s with a plaque commemorating their time at ACS. He referred to them as “two selfless servants of God. They make the rest of us want to be better.”

As the service concluded, Doyle and Susie shared their appreciation to the school community for allowing them to play a part in the functioning of the school which gave them an opportunity to watch the students grow up and have an impact on them. Being at the school “meant just as much to us,” they said.

—Will Reed is principal and fifth through eighth grades teacher at Adventist Christian School. Photos by Will Reed.

Cindy Roldan – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Eleven Upper School students from Mile High Academy (MHA) in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, spent their day partnering with Denver Sur Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church to support their annual Thanksgiving breakfast and food bank operations, November 19. Students helped prepare and serve meals to community members and worked alongside volunteers to organize and distribute food to local families in need.

This service outing reflects MHA’s new Upper School service model—shifting from a single annual Service Day to ongoing, smaller-group service opportunities throughout the year. By mixing students from grades nine through twelve, the program aims to build stronger relationships and a consistent spirit of service within the school community.

MHA also contributed items for the event’s raffle, supporting the organization’s efforts to uplift and encourage families during the holiday season. Roger, MHA junior student, shared why these experiences matter: “It’s important for us to have empathy and put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. That is why my parents encourage me to participate in these events.”

MHA school chaplain RD Gallant reflected on the impact of the day, noting how diverse the human experience can be and how meaningful it is for MHA students to join organizations already doing significant work in the Denver area, such as Denver Sur Church.

Though the students returned tired from the full morning of service, each one expressed feeling blessed by the experience and grateful for the opportunity to make a difference. They also walked away with a deeper appreciation for the dedication of leaders like Margarita Meza, who works tirelessly to keep the food bank running for the community.

—Cindy Roldan is Mile High Academy’s director of Student Services. Photos supplied.