NN Feb 2023

Lydie Birai – Denver, Colorado … When I and my husband Daniel, lead pastor at Lifesource Adventist Fellowship, were expecting our first child, we needed a girl’s name. Choosing a child’s name can cause all sorts of worry, and the final decision was important to me. We had already chosen a name, but after praying for wisdom, we agreed on Hadassah, Esther’s original name. Although I had read the Book of Esther multiple times, somehow, I never paid much attention to the symbolic celebration at the end of the story—the Festival of Purim. I continued to pray for confirmation that we choose the right name.

Our Hadassah came to us on March 24, 2016. That year, it was Purim Day. That clinched it—she was special and made for such a time as this. It has not been a surprise that she has blessed our lives in so many ways and stretched our faith in God. I have found her to be a problem solver even when I try to find an excuse for not doing something. She is a child who believes even when my own faith wavers.

As couples do, Daniel and I enjoy discussing future plans. At least, I enjoy it. These discussions included whether we wanted to be homeowners now or wait a couple of years. Hadassah, of course, overheard many of these conversations, as children with little ears do. At the end of last year, we agreed on saving and waiting. But what is that saying? From little things, big things can happen? Again, Hadassah had a part in our plans.

On her way home from a visit, my generous mother-in-law gave our daughter twenty dollars as a parting gift at the airport. The six-year-old stuck the money in her pocket. When we got home, she took the cash and handed it to her father, saying, “Here’s twenty dollars for our house. How much more do we have to go?”

Maybe it was the way she handed the money to Daniel or her tone of voice (full of faith). Or maybe it was her persistence in giving “all” that made such an impact. Or was it simply God’s influence? Daniel and I looked at each other, struck by her affirming faith and acknowledging her small and powerful act of generosity and confidence. A modern-day widow’s mite story, you might say.

I started to “just take a look” at what was out there. Daniel’s view was “why look if we’re not going to do anything?” But for me, looking was the first step to action. Well, as God would have it, before the month was over, we had agreed on a house to purchase. Yes, we were leaping out in faith!

On February 20 of this year, with the spark of a sincere $20 gift from a little girl, we officially became homeowners again. Within a short time, God acted in many ways—through friends and family—to bring us to this point in our lives. We feel extremely blessed and fortunate to know so many helpful friends, and, most importantly, to know and to rely upon our God, our Savior.

God is the inspiration for this story on giving. He used the faith of a child to change to course of our new year. I look forward to seeing how God will continue to use our children to lead the way.

—Lydie Birai is secretary/treasurer of Club Ministries at LifeSource Adventist Fellowship in Denver. Photos provided.

Tiffany Mogaka – Lincoln, Nebraska … The Campion Academy boys and girls varsity basketball competed at the annual Union tournament over the February break to top off the season. Ten academies, including a team from Denmark led by Campion alum Richard Bass (’20), joined in the four-day competition at Union College.

Despite the challenge of traveling in cold and snowy conditions, the teams made it safely to the tournament, riding in the new Campion bus. Both Campion teams arrived at Union and played their first game on the same day.

The overall champions of the tournament in the Thunderdome Division were the Sunnydale Academy girls’ team and the Midland Academy boys’ team. The Campion girls’ varsity team emerged as champions, taking first place in the Clocktower Division.  Mile High Academy took first place in the boys’ Clocktower Division.

Team Captain Lindsey Smith, a senior, shared, “I’m so glad I participated in my last tournament as a senior at Campion. It was so exciting to receive the trophy and celebrate with my teammates. I’m proud of my girls and the team we’ve become. I’m honored to have played with each of my teammates this year.”

Damaris Lopez, sophomore, stated “I was a little tired from the eight-hour bus drive, but playing on the court gave me so much energy and excitement. I’m glad I got the opportunity to play again this year.”

The Campion boys’ varsity team finished in fourth place in the Clocktower Division. Team Captain Ekenna Nwankwo said, “Even though we didn’t win a ton, the tournament was still really fun. Overall, I think it was a really good experience regardless of how the games went. There was still improvement in our play despite the outcome. It was great watching us grow as a team.”

Boys’ varsity coach Carlos Santana reflected, “I am very proud of this year’s team. Last year the varsity team didn’t win a single game. Yet this year we were able to have a winning season. This is a tremendous jump, so I can only imagine what next year will look like. We have a young core where our starting five consists of three sophomores and two Juniors. This means that we have a foundation to build on for next year.”

Santana continued, “What I loved most was watching this team grow into what it is. Only they know how much work was done not only together at practice, but what each individual player did to get better. They really made my heart smile!”

—Tiffany Mogaka, Campion News Team. Photos provided.

Sue Nelson – Lincoln, Nebraska … Two Pathfinder teams from Rocky Mountain Conference won first prizes at the Mid-America Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE), which was held on February 18 at the College View Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Aurora Las Aguilas and Loveland Cougars had both received first place at the RMC Finals in Denver on February 4, which allowed them to move to the Union level. Out of the sixteen teams representing Dakota, Central States, Kansas-Nebraska, Iowa-Missouri, Minnesota, and Rocky Mountain Conferences, a whopping 10 teams received first place recognition to advance to the NAD level!

The Loveland Cougars had an unusual experience in-route to Lincoln. One of the Pathfinders had a severe allergic reaction to a medication and had to be taken to the Ft. Morgan hospital by ambulance where she was admitted overnight. This put half the team behind and unable to reach Lincoln on Thursday as planned. The doctor at the hospital happened to be an Adventist and offered his home to the family. On Friday, the Pathfinder was released, and they were able to continue to Lincoln where they joined the rest of the team that evening.

Alex Rodriguez, Pathfinder director, explained that an hour or two after arriving at the Airbnb, “another one of the team members began to complain of severe abdominal pain. With little explanation for why the pain was occurring, the Pathfinder was also rushed to the ER. They returned to the house around 2 a.m. with very few answers. The pain continued Sabbath morning and it was touch and go whether the team would be able to test with their full roster. By noon, the pain had reduced enough that they felt they could endure it and made plans to join the team.”

Rodriguez explained that the team showed up for testing with frazzled nerves, a bit numb, and sleep deprived. “They weren’t themselves the first half but were able to relax for the second half. Through the grace of God, they remembered what they have been diligently studying and scored high enough for first place.”

The competing teams are made up of 2-6 Pathfinders in full dress uniform, and a club may have more than one team, explains Sue Nelson, executive director of RMC Club Ministries. “Within each team, there is a captain, scribe, alternate, and a runner. The captain makes the final decision on the answer to a question. The scribe writes the team answer on a paper, and the runner takes their answer to a table of judges on the platform, who then grades the answer, which scorekeepers then record. Those getting 90% of the top score, receive first-place standing and can move on to the next level.

The questions are written by the NAD PBE staff. Each level (area, conference, union, national), has questions which get progressively harder.”

According to the pamphlet, “How to Guide Pathfinder Bible Experience,” from the North American Division Pathfinder Ministries, “The purpose of The Pathfinder Bible Experience is to promote and encourage in-depth Bible study and memorization by Pathfinders, so their understanding of scripture will increase and their relationship to Christ will grow.

Each team competes against a standard, and all who perform to the designated percentage advance. Meeting together adds a sense of excitement and an additional level of adrenaline that spurs participants on to higher levels of recall. Yet any and all can advance, based solely on their efforts.”

Both participating RMC teams are now eligible to attend the North America Division (NAD) PBE, April 21-22 in Tampa, Florida.

“We wish both teams success at the Division level,” stated Sue Nelson, “as they continue to study the Gospel of John, as well as the Andrews Bible Commentary on the same book.”

—Sue Nelson is executive coordinator of RMC Club Ministries. Photos by Judith Lopez and Venus Douglas.

Courtney Hass – Denver, Colorado … In 2006, Global Health Initiatives (GHI), an international outreach program supported by the five AdventHealth Denver-based hospitals—Avista, Castle Rock, Littleton, Parker, and Porter—began a partnership with Mugonero Adventist Hospital in Rwanda to extend the healing ministry of Christ. The objective was to advance healthcare capacity there by sending clinical and surgical teams several times a year, providing leadership training and educational opportunities, offering financial support for building projects, and much more.

After several years of project development and sending teams to Rwanda, GHI expanded their services to include one of our most popular programs—the clubfoot sponsorship program.

Thanks to generous donors around the world, GHI is excited to share that they have supported 101 children through the clubfoot sponsorship program! These children are now living life with fewer limitations and hope for a better future.

In Rwanda, some 500 babies are born each year with clubfoot. Geographical and resource constraints prevent many children with clubfoot from getting treatment, condemning them to a life of poverty and disability. Beginning in 2009 with a 13-year-old boy named Emmanuel, the clubfoot sponsorship program invited donors to sponsor a child in need of clubfoot surgery that they would otherwise be unable to afford. The sponsorship is in collaboration with Rilima Hospital, the leading pediatric orthopedic facility in Rwanda. It covers all costs associated with their medical care including surgery, rehabilitation, food, accommodations, check-up appointments, travel expenses for the families, and so much more.

One of the most common questions the GHI team receives when talking about the clubfoot sponsorship program is, “Why are there so many children with clubfoot in Rwanda?” The answer is simple, “There aren’t.” The medical professionals in Rwanda aren’t trained to recognize and address this issue early. Responding to such a need, GHI has also grown to include a training program called, Ponseti Method. This method addresses the need to treat clubfoot early through casting instead of surgery. Since 2012, the collaboration has trained more than 200 healthcare professionals, including physicians, physical therapists, and nurses to perform the serial casting, educate the parents, and follow up to ensure a successful outcome. Each trainee returns to their home district and sets up a clubfoot clinic to promote sustainability of the program.

“The clubfoot sponsorship program is a special extension of our partnerships in Rwanda,” GHI director Greg Hodgson shared. “These children go from living with a horrible stigma tied to their condition, to having their communities and families accept them. This program completely changes the trajectory of their lives and I feel so honored to have played a role in helping these 101 children—not to mention the children impacted by our Ponseti Method training—to have a more hopeful future.”

For the 101 patients already treated, for the staff at Rilima and GHI, for the donors that chose to support this program, and for those that have had the opportunity to travel through Rwanda, visit this facility, and return home to share their stories, the clubfoot sponsorship program is thankful. This program is life changing and we can’t wait to see how many lives we’re able to impact in the coming years!

—Courtney Hass is the Development Officer at Global Health Initiatives, Rocky Mountain Adventist Healthcare Foundation. Photographs supplied.

Marsha Bartulec – Erie, Colorado … A transformation is taking place at Vista Ridge Academy this year under the school’s theme, from little seeds grow mighty trees, which has set the tone for this transformation. After announcing teachers experiencing promotions, career changes, and relocations, the school decided to shift the part-time teaching principal position to a full-time principal position, promoting then vice principal Marsha Bartulec to this new role.

Principal Bartulec quickly went to work with her team and hired three new teachers and two new teacher assistants for the 2022-2023 school year. At the same time, the Rocky Mountain Conference department of education had cast a vision for all schools within the conference to transition to standards-based learning within the next three years, giving VRA a new goal to reach.

Since the end of last summer, the VRA team has been collaborating with the education department and other schools within the Conference, to make a path forward in order to realize the vision set by the department. The VRA team has received professional development in a variety of areas, including standards-based learning (SBL), building a strategic plan, growing a positive staff culture, and implementing the High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework.

During the month of October 2022, Bartulec and lead elementary teacher, Rachel Fetroe, attended an HRS workshop with other educators from the conference in Orlando, Florida, getting up to speed on HRS standards.

“In January 2023, the VRA leadership team, which included the early childhood teacher, Sandy Hepp, lead elementary teacher, Rachel Fetroe, and lead middle school teacher, Taryn Clark, attended the High Reliability Schools Summit in San Antonio, Texas. The team caught the excitement at the keynote sessions and were engaged in the many breakout sessions,” Bartulec said.

“Attending the SBL training with Marie Alcock last summer changed everything I thought I knew about teaching. She started me on a different path of thinking,” said Clark.

“When I attended the HRS conference, I learned further steps on how to implement my learning. I’m so thankful for the dedication of the Rocky Mountain Conference to the professional development and continued learning of teachers,” she added.

The importance of teacher-wellness was a theme that permeated the whole event. Sandy Hepp commented, “Within the first ten minutes of attending Tina Boogren’s breakout session, ‘From Surviving to Thriving: Wellness Solutions for Educators,’ I was hooked. I kept thinking, ‘How can we implement this at VRA for our teachers?’”

The team also witnessed the first Adventist school, Northwest Christian School, receiving certification for the High Reliability Schools framework, Level 1. Rachel Fetroe commented, “The HRS framework is organized, structured, and easy to follow. It gives us a path of what to implement, so we can be successful with student learning.”

“When we have healthy teachers, our students will thrive,” Bartulec commented. “The teachers are growing physically, mentally, and spiritually.”

In the current school year, the Vista Ridge Academy team is focusing on the following initiatives:

1. Building spiritual and emotional intelligence for teachers.
2. Casting an administrative vision.
3. Writing the VRA playbook (operational systems).
4. Building a safe, supportive, and collaborative culture.
5. Ensuring effective teaching in every classroom.
6. Designing a guaranteed and viable curriculum.

According to Learning Forward, a learning professional association, teacher wellness has an impact not only on educators as individuals, but also on the overall well-being of the young minds they care for.

James Clear, in his book, Atomic Habits, writes, “If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable—sometimes it isn’t even noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding.”

For nearly ten years, Vista Ridge Academy has been making improvements, resulting in an enrollment growth from 56 students to 110, a debt reduction from more than $200,000 to about $100,000, the creation of a positive culture, and team collaboration.

When reflecting on these remarkable results and looking forward, Bartulec believes Vista Ridge Academy is witnessing God’s hand in the growth of our little seeds into mighty trees.

—Marsha Bartulec is the Principal at Vista Ridge Academy, a preschool through eighth grade private school located in Erie, Colorado. Photos provided.

RMCNews – Loveland, Colorado … Campion church associate pastor of worship and evangelism Leandro Bizama, composed a theme song for a Revelation series in the fall of 2022.

“After thinking about the book of Revelation for several months, knowing we were going to be studying it for several weeks in the fall, I sat down to write a song,” Leandro explained.

“It needed to be Bible-based and communicate the most important points of the book—Jesus, His love for His bride (that is us), the urgency of His message (fear the Lord, come and drink, wash your robes) and the promise that soon we will be completely His and swallowed up in His embrace,” he continued.

The song quickly became a favorite for the congregation and one that they wanted to share. Please click here to find the full video, lyrics, and sheet music if you would like to include the song in your praise worship or just want to be blessed by the message. It is available as four-part harmony and as lead melody.

Pastor Leandro said, “I hope that as you sing and hear the song, your heart is inspired to join the Universe in recognizing the supremacy and love of Christ.”

—RMCNews. Photos provided.

Watch full music video below.