Education

Pastor Sanghae Kim reads the baptismal vows to candidates Kyle Williams and Joseph Berry.

Story by Esther Hernandez

“At Blue Mountain Academy (BMA), we believe that true education focuses on academics, along with social, physical and spiritual development of our students,”
states Burney Culpepper, principal. “This year’s FOCUS (Focus On Christ’s Ultimate Sacrifice) week impacted our staff and students in a powerful way, causing them to grow in their relationship with Christ and strengthen their understanding and desire for the Word of God.”

Image from iStock

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1, KJV).

My favorite verse in the Bible is Psalm 23:1. I know I am safe if God is my Shepherd. I will always have what I need. Many times, however, when I experience trials, I easily forget this promise and start to distrust and despair. I need to trust God when difficult times occur, and rely on this promise to keep my heart calm.

God saved my life when I was baby. As a premature infant, I weighed only three pounds at birth. The doctors didn’t expect me to live. They also thought that, if I did live, I would only have half of my heart and be unable to walk. But God saved me and sustained my life. If it weren’t for the Lord, I wouldn’t be here today—totally healthy and strong.

Image from iStock

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor” (Eccl. 4:9, NKJV).

This verse is one of my favorites because it encourages teamwork. I like working in groups and working with my friends on projects because it’s fun! We learn so much from each other.

Have you ever done a group project and the other person won’t work with you? How does that make you feel? It probably makes you feel sad because you’re the only one working. My teacher assigned a group project in school, and I was excited to work on the project, but my teammate didn’t want to do much of the work. I tried to talk to him and encourage him to work with me on the project so that we could finish it and it would not be a lot of work for both of us.

Third-graders Lucas Saintil and Hector Flores post prayer requests on a cross.

Story by Rod Olofernes

At the beginning of March 2020, Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA) completely changed. Yet amid clouds of doubt and uncertainty, God bestowed His blessings and shined His light of mercy, grace and love on His children, evidenced by LNAA opening its doors in the fall.

At the start of the pandemic, even meeting in person was in serious question. But recently, God allowed them to celebrate a Week of Prayer.