NN Feb 2020

Grand Junction, Colorado … It all started when Bernie Hartnell was on his nap mat during his preschool days, imagining wings that could fly him away from nap time since he hated taking naps. As the son of a pastor, Bernie often thought of his angel and the wings that might be in a drawer ready for his use.

After being raised in the Northwest, he eventually sought a career in healthcare.  In 1976, he was a nurse making $2.80 per hour and living with his parents.  He prioritized his money and time to take flying lessons twice a week.  It was quite an expense at $30 per hour, but his living expenses were lower at that time of his life so he could pursue his passion.

His love of flying took a back seat with the responsibility of marriage and two daughters.  But he was eventually able to reconnect with his piloting dreams and found that building his own aircraft, takes only one-fifth of the money.  He chose a VAN’s RV14A model sold by an Aurora, Oregon company. With his wife Marty by his side helping with the engineering plans, and with good mentors who could answer his questions, he was able to build the aircraft in four and a half years. Altogether, it took 5,000 hours to complete the job. As an involved member of the Grand Junction Church, he felt it necessary to take a break when the responsibilities of chairing the building committee for the new church building in Grand Junction took a year of his time.

As he worked on the aircraft, his appreciation for flying was heightened, seeing all the details and “how without the bolt holding the cotter pin, the rudder won’t work. All the pieces work together,” he observed.  He connected this with the way humans are made to work.  “One part [of the body] can’t work without other parts and if you abuse any part, there will be ramifications,” he said.

When talking with Bernie about his experience, he shared that he rode motorcycles, but “wanted something safer to travel.” Thus, the airplane. Marty adds that theirs was a “once in a lifetime experience.”

Flying helps him look down on earth with a new set of eyes. He often sees evidence of the flood, stirring up even more musings and convictions about God and about life.  He and Marty flew 150 hours last year to enjoy God’s creation, to visit family on the East Coast, and to help with various Maranatha Volunteers International projects. They feel blessed to be able to fly, and “hobbies allow you to talk to people,” Bernie adds.

He often asks himself this question about his love for flying, “Do I have as much passion for Jesus Christ?”  A great question for us all!

—Karla Klemm; photos supplied by Bernie Hartnell

Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Over the years, Mile High Academy has established volunteer opportunities to encourage parents to spend time on campus sharing their expertise with students and forming partnerships with teachers and staff. MHA values parent involvement, knowing it is a key factor in an impactful educational program.

“The contributions parents make on behalf of their student is critical to their personal and academic education,” said Jamie Frain, MHA interim principal. “It may be as practical as looking through a folder of graded homework together, helping with difficult math problems or simply listening to stories from the day.”

Parents and other family members can be found volunteering on campus daily.  These family members help serve hot lunch, tutor in the classroom, participate in recess or bring snacks for the staff.

“When students see either their parents or the parents of their classmates at school, it increases their engagement.  These volunteers are also a valued resource for teachers. MHA is grateful to our community for the more than 4,000 volunteer hours that are shared annually on behalf of our school,” continued Jamie Frain.

Most recently the sixth grade class experienced this parent involvement first-hand as Dr. Ryan Maybrook and Nurse Corrie Maybrook oversaw the dissection of lamb hearts.

“The sixth grade science class is learning the different systems that comprise the human body,” said Christina Hernandez, MHA’s Middle School science teacher. “Dr. Maybrook is a cardiologist, and Corrie Maybrook has worked as one of his nurses. Their real-world, first-hand experience brought a whole new level of teaching the cardiovascular system. We are thankful they made time in their schedules to share their knowledge with us.”

Dr. and Mrs. Maybrook’s visit to the school also meant a lot to both of them, as not only were they able to share their insight into the cardiologist and medical world, but they also got to spend time on campus as parents. Dr. Maybrook especially appreciated getting to spend time with his son, who is a sixth grader.

“Thank you to Mrs. Hernandez for inviting us to spend time with her students,” said Dr. Maybrook. “I had such a fun time sharing with them what I do on a daily basis. Being able to provide extra insight and hands-on learning of the cardiovascular field while supporting Mrs. Hernandez’s current curriculum meant a lot to me as a parent. You never know, I might have just helped inspire the next generation of cardiologists.”

If you would like to volunteer at MHA or present your work experiences in a classroom, please contact Jamie Frain at [email protected].

—Karrie Meyers; photos supplied by MHA

Westminster, Colorado … Vista Ridge Academy enjoyed a Mom’s Night Out on Thursday, February 20 at “Color Me Mine” in Westminster.  Mom’s Night Out invited all women connected with the school to an evening of painting, appetizers, and fellowship.  “Events that create community on and off campus help to strengthen our school and develop lasting friendships,” commented Sandy Hodgson, VRA principal.

—Sandy Hodgson; photos by Marsha Bartulec

Grand Junction, Colorado … It all started with pies, followed with popcorn, and on February 15, some 30 Grand Junction Seventh-day Adventist Church members, old and young, added another “p” to poetry. The “Pizza & Poetry” event delighted those who attended this popular Connect Ministry event.

Fourteen participants, some of whom have mustered courage and defied vulnerability, read their own poems, read their favorite poems from Google on their smartphones, or brought tomes of classical poetry books.

A brainchild of Karla Klemm, such cultural events “bind people together,” she said. A similar comment was offered by Bernie Hartnell referring to the popular event as “providing the glue for our community.” Bernie, who is known for his creative engineering and related hobbies, read his poem, entitled, “Don’t let the old men in.”

Among those who read their newly penned or favorite poems was a retired pastor, a veteran of the Korean war, a daughter of a railroad man of 49 years, a farmer’s wife, and a local building contractor. The poems included such themes as environmental concerns, patriotism, a meaning of colors, nature, or the difference between hymns and praise music.

While others read their poems nicely typed or from a well-worn book, Taylor, one of the youngest in the group, read his poem from what appeared to be two post-it notes. His poem had colors and ultimately described how the color of Jesus’ shed blood was meaningful for our salvation.

Don Barton, who works in a hospital lab, shared a poem, entitled, “Canyon Walls.”

Gaze Upon blackened brown walls / Rock, Ageless Existence / Centuries of Witness / Small Emblems of civilization dot her sides / a deer, a man, circles, unknown shapes – testimony to a previous age / Silent voices of the past / Hear, Perceive, Understand – The Rock Remains.

It was obvious that though all shared pizza and salad, it was building the community and enriching it with cultural activity that dominated the evening.

Marti Hartnell commented that an event like “Pizza and Poetry” is “a great opportunity to come together as a church family, socializing and getting to know each other better.” Poetry is a good conduit to serve as a glue to bond people together. Bernie, her husband, added that “fellowship really does not happen unless you have some intimacy on a human level. You don’t get it sitting in church. You get it in a more social realm and that’s what keeps people bonding together.”

For Karla, these events are important since “different ages, generations, come together, and talk together and share. In this world of electronics, we just need to talk to each other.” Her day job is as a dietitian, so why poetry? She answered that “in my life, I enjoy it so much and I thought maybe other people would too. It has been accepted by many others.”

Karla’s husband, David, prayed at the end referring to those who shared poetry and chose “to be vulnerable by sharing [their] human experience.” When others put themselves out there, Karla adds, they show their vulnerability. “Many people share from their hearts. Not everybody always does,” she adds.

Before Karla closed the meeting, she wondered what the fourth poetry gathering would be called. Someone ventured “Pasta & Poetry.” If that’s what they call it, one would hope that the poems will be al dente!

—Rajmund Dabrowski, text and photos

Casper, Wyoming … “Fully Alive” was both the theme and a declaration of the 90 participants during the 31^st annual Winter Retreat. They came from across Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, February 14-16, to Mills Spring Ranch in Casper, Wyoming.

The weekend began with a snow-cat ride over five feet of accumulated snow for nearly a mile in order to reach the warm cabins. Participants expressed the “Fully Alive” theme, through energetic worships led by Lyle Wortman from Gillette Wyoming, and by engaging in biblical teachings presented by Henry Johnson, young adult ministries director for the Carolina Conference.

“These meetings were truly Spirit-filled,” commented Brent Learned, RMC assistant youth director. The weekend included outdoor recreational activities–snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, and snowmobiling. “Everyone was excited about this weekend filled with worship, fun, and building meaningful relationships,” Brent said.

The first official meeting began Friday evening with “Wine, Witness, and Why?” a presentation by Johnson on John, Chapter 2, explaining the significance of Jesus’ first miracle of turning the water in the containers, used by the Jews for ceremonial purification, into wine. Saturday’s worship was preceded by the baptism of Ezekiel Gillham by his grandfather Pastor Steve Gillham, director of La Vida Mission, located in New Mexico. The retreat’s concluding worship by Henry Johnson took place on Sunday morning, during which he compared and contrasted the recorded reactions of disciples Peter and Judas during Jesus’ final hours of ministry on earth.

“The speaker was amazing, had lots of energy, and made me see Jesus in a new way! Can’t wait to come back next year,” commented Bobbie Jo Tucker, who came to Casper along with her youth group from the Assembly of God Church in Gillette, Wyoming.

“The music team was energetic and inspiring. Visiting with friends was heartwarming,” said Brenda Young from Platteville.

“It was spiritually and physically reinvigorating. It was great,” exclaimed Sydney Cornett, a student from Campion Academy.

—Brent Learned; text and photos