NN Sept 2019 Page 3

05 Sep

Campion Seniors Learn To Trust Each Other and God

In

At the end of August, the senior class of 2020 left for a highly anticipated four-day trip to Rocky Mountain’s Glacier View Ranch. Senior Survival

has been a tradition at Campion for many years, and a key moment for bonding. The theme for the weekend was trusting in others, yourself, and God.

The journey up the mountain was challenging because the bus only took us so far, and then we had to take our packs for the week and hike the remainder of the distance. Once we made it to the campsite, our next challenge was making a shelter. We were provided two tarps for rain protection, stakes, and twine. Many chose to sleep in hammocks but some were brave enough to sleep on the ground.

Each day consisted of many challenging team-bonding activities. Our class was split into three groups which separated typical friend groups. The activities were challenging mentally and physically. They required us to put trust in our teammates.

Each night after the activities were completed, a campfire was built and everyone gathered around. A short worship was given by our chaplain Mrs. Eickmann, and then the time was given over to the class for discussion. Some nights we would go around and tell funny stories, or we would share our greatest struggle. Even people who were typically quiet opened up. We repeated the saying, “What is said on the mountain, stays on the mountain.”

Commenting on the experience, Grant, a senior, said, “Everyone was open and honest. We had such a good time telling stories, laughing and crying together, and getting closer to each other and to God. It’s definitely something I’ll never forget.”

—Megan Michalenko, Senior, Student Editor; photo CA Newsletter

03 Sep

RMC Pastor’s Marriage Retreat Features “Compulsory Time Together”

In

Twenty-five pastoral couples met in Breckenridge, CO for the Rocky Mountain Conference Pastors’ Marriage Retreat, August 23-25. The couples enjoyed a weekend of fun and insightful seminars, with opportunities to relish the beautiful scenery as they spent needed quality time with their spouses. The gathering was a testimony that the Conference prioritizes family when involved in the ministry. “We were truly blessed attending the event,” was a common comment after the get together ended.

As guest speakers the retreat featured Drs. Claudio and Pamela Consuegra, directors of the North American Division Family Ministries Department. With the hotel located within walking distance of downtown Breckenridge, the pastoral couples were able to enjoy a delicious meal at one of the local restaurants.

On Friday, the dinner was followed by the first seminar presented from the ‘Love For A Lifetime’ series by Consuegras. On Sabbath morning, the couples enjoyed a delicious breakfast, followed by a second seminar. After lunch, the couples had a great time exploring the beautiful city of Breckenridge via the free gondola ride. Once at the top, the participants were greeted by beautiful vistas of the surrounding valley.

The Consuegra seminars were well received by all the participants. Their vast knowledge and experience in the ministry, their many years of research, as well as their fun presentations, gave the pastoral couples an opportunity to connect with each other on a deep, personal level, as the couples were encouraged to spend more time together during the event.

These presentations had a good dose of humor, commented Leif Hansen from Estes Park, who attended the gathering with his wife, Donna. “Being a very visual learner, I especially appreciated their occasional use of cartoons to make an important point. The one that especially struck me in its depiction of the never-ending dilemmas of separation/divorce was a picture of two goldfish in a small fishbowl. The female fish was telling the male fish, “I am leaving you! You can have the bowl, I’ll take the water and the pretty colored rocks.”

The weekend program included a variety of topics discussed during the gathering, including, The Love Bank, His and Hers Most Important Needs; How Changes Happen; How to Apologize and Forgive, as well as communication and conflict resolution.

Emily Roque-Cisneros, the wife of Eliezer, who is a pastor of Delta, Cedaredge and Peonia congregations, said that her “favorite part of the retreat was getting to spend some mandatory time with my husband! I mean that in a good way. I enjoyed getting my husband’s full attention for the weekend, knowing he wasn’t distracted by projects at home or expecting his phone to ring at any moment.”

“To love others is not a command for an emotional response, but rather, a choice to care for others regardless of our feelings,” commented Shayne Mason Vincent, pastor of Casper, Wyoming.

It would be remiss to not acknowledge Pastor Tom and his wife, Gingerlei Tupito, who attended the Pastors’ Marriage Retreat. Gingerlei sadly passed only two days after the retreat, due to a heart attack and complications from an emergency heart surgery. Tom and his family are in our thoughts and prayers.

—Gabriela Vincent; photos by Emily Roque Cisneros and Gabriela Vincent

03 Sep

Well-Spent Summer for HMS Teachers

In

There were some noticeable changes for students and parents when the HMS Richards staff opened their doors on the first day of school this month. Despite the fact that it had been summer vacation, if you drove by campus in Loveland, you may have noticed that the HMS parking lot was rarely empty. The elementary school staff spent countless hours this summer meeting with students and families, as well as cleaning up and remodeling several areas of the school.

Principal Paul Bragaw made it a goal this summer to meet with each student’s family to get to know them better, find out their desires for their children’s education, and pray with them. “I wanted to do this because it’s important to get a better understanding of who our students and families are by seeing another part of their lives,” Bragaw commented.

While Bragaw says he has been able to meet with just over half the families this summer, he plans to continue during the fall semester and revisit with families as often as possible. “Communication is everything,” Bragaw explained. “We’ve been able to realize the needs and desires of families and individual students, and this has inspired me to work harder to make a difference for these kids and their parents by making our school better.”

With enrollment numbers continuing to be strong this year having enough space in the building remains an issue. All of the teachers spent time during the month of June sorting through bookshelves and closets, getting rid of any unnecessary items. The large storage closet at the end of the hall was completely emptied and turned into a much-needed teacher workroom.

“We actually cleaned out every square inch of the entire building,” Bragaw said. “There are some storage areas that many people don’t know about where 40-50 years’ worth of stuff has been piling up. We have gone through it all, either throwing it away, selling it at the yard sale, or organizing it to make better use of space.”

One of the biggest changes that took place was the renovation of the seventh and eighth-grade classrooms. Last school year, a temporary partition was installed upstairs to provide an additional classroom for kindergarten in what was formerly the principal’s office and a storage area. Before leaving this summer, Davin Hammond, with the help of Kim Melanbacher and Ken Albertsen, was able to complete a permanent wall to separate the two classrooms.

Carey Jordan, the incoming seventh and eighth-grade teacher, along with her family and several volunteers, then spent weeks stripping and even re-plastering the old walls, painting, replacing ceiling tiles, purchasing new bookshelves and tables, and overall providing a complete face-lift for the classroom.

“It was really important to me to have a classroom environment that was well-organized and conducive to learning,” Jordan explained. “I enjoyed changing the space and making it my own. It’s been a really great start to the year, the students have responded well to the new classroom environment. It’s paid off; having a well-organized space has helped the students learn our procedures and we have been able to get started into real learning.”

School is now underway, and the halls and classrooms are filled with the happy chatter of children who are warmly welcomed by the HMS teachers who care so deeply about them and providing a healthy and Christ-centered learning environment. Please pray for our church’s school as we start the new school year.

–By Jill Harlow, photo by Carey Jordan

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