Great Lakes Adventist Academy

By: Stephanie Martinez

Do I have the inside scoop for you today! I am beyond excited to share with you everything that happened last weekend. Here at GLAA Fridays are special. Classes are shortened, and the Sabbath draws near. We even get time to just hang out around the dorm, and enjoy each other’s company. Every Friday we have vespers to celebrate the Sabbath, and to share Jesus with each other.

Last Friday we did something new. Everyone gathered at the fitness center, where we had an amazing night. It was an opportunity for some of our students to use their God given talents. We had guitars, a keyboard, and astounding singers that lead us in a night of worship through music. As people were trying to find their seats, we noticed the lights were dim to set the mood, and there was a cross set up as a main focal point. It didn’t take a long time for all of us to feel God’s presence. Singing here at GLAA is nothing new. We do it on the daily. We use songs to celebrate and to thank God for everything He’s done for us. This singing was extra special. There was more power in their voices, there was a gentle force and strength. You could see the Holy Spirit in the eyes of the singers as they put everything into it. Inspiration crawled up my spine, it was truly beautiful. The energy in the room was so precious and calming. It was incredible to see Jesus working in all of us. God is alive and vibrant on this campus.

Alex is our SA Pastor, he was the one who talked to us that night. His sermonettes are something I look forward to, and they’re incredibly insightful. There were so many memorable things he said, but some things stood out more. He reminded us that God never said the walk of life will be easy, but that it will be worth it.

The atmosphere was full of broken people trying to bring their hearts to God, and allow Him to mend them. There were hearts that were healing, hearts that were sore, and hearts that were close to giving up, but at the end of the day, they were all just hearts formed by God. There were tears being shed. The whole gym was full of God’s presence. Lyrics were being sung in forgiveness. You could see some people beg for God to re-enter their lives. We didn’t want it to end, so they continued with song suggestions. We were hungry souls craving more. Even after it ended, and we walked back to our dorms, students continued to sing.

The next morning for church we had Communion. Personally, I’ve never participated in it before, because I didn’t want to be a part of it until I completely understood the meaning behind it. It was such a touching process to me, and I’m so glad that I waited until I was ready. There was special music that really tied everything together, and set the mood. As people walked up to receive their bread and juice, it was like they were letting go of everything that was holding them back. I could see it in their eyes, all the battles they’ve gone through, it was so powerful to see all they’ve conquered. One by one I saw their determination. People from different countries, different backgrounds, different ages, all coming together to surrender everything to God. It was nice to know that for a few seconds we were perfect, and that our sins of the world were erased. This weekend was my favorite, and I hope we have more of these to come.

Continuing our amazing weekend, we had faculty parties on Sunday. It can be a little tough on students, not having their parents here, but we get a set of faculty parents and siblings. At the beginning of the year we circle our most ideal families, and after being run through a computer program, we get randomly selected. When we have a faculty party, we go to our “parents” house, for an eventful evening full of good food, games, and worship. It’s always nice to get out of the dorm for a while, and spend time in a homey environment.

My faculty family is the Morgans, and we always have the best time together. We started off by having a vegetarian burger bar, and eating until we were stuffed. We talked about fun things in our lives like, snowmobiles, the weekend, my birthday, and our families. After that, we had worship. My faculty mom always gives the best worship thoughts, and it was something I needed to hear. We played a game with M&M’s and it was fun to get to know everyone better. After that, we enjoyed chocolate lava cakes and played a board game. We went back to the dorms that night happy, tired and well fed.

Being at a boarding academy sometimes means being away from home on the weekends. But, when those weekends are filled with Christ centered activities and love from our staff and friends, it makes being away easier.

Have a great week, and make sure to look us up on our socials, to see all of the photos and videos we upload. Feel free to comment anything you would like to see, or read about.