Hi, everyone! I know it’s been a little while since I last posted, almost 3 months! These last few months have been pretty hectic here at GLAA; first, we had Parent Day, then exams, dorm retreats, and Winter Week of Prayer. I can’t wait to tell you all about them!
Almost right after Alumni Weekend ended in October, we began preparing for Parent Day. For those of you who might not know what Parent Day is, it’s a day when all of our parents come to campus, and us students get to show off some of what we do here on a daily basis. This year, our music groups performed after worship, and then we headed over to the fitness center to watch the Aerokhanas and Beginning Gymnastics teams performances. After the Aeros performance, we all said our goodbyes and left for Thanksgiving Break.
When we returned from Thanksgiving Break, many of us began stressing about finals. Fortunately, during exam week, the Advancement department puts on “De-Stress Fest” for the students. During De-Stress Fest, the learning center becomes a place to just relax and talk with your friends, where we serve special treats like popcorn and homemade muffins made by our staff. As part of the Advancement department, I got to help make and serve the treats, which was super fun. Most of us did well on our exams, some even did a lot better than expected. Needless to say, all of us were super excited for Christmas break, where we could just go home and spend a few weeks relaxing before we started the second semester.
After we returned from Christmas break, we had our dorm retreats, which were awesome! Ladies from the conference decorated the commons, which is where us girls did Sabbath School and church, and Pastor Vic held Sabbath School and church for the guys in their dorm chapel. On Sabbath morning, instead of getting all dressed up, we got to wear comfy clothes. Our speakers talked to us about our identity and how we can make sure we know who we are in God, even when the world is telling us we are something different. On Sabbath afternoon, we wrote down questions and put them in a basket for a panel to answer. I always really enjoy listening to panels at church, camp, or Pathfinder events. Overall, dorm retreats were a really fun time when we got to come together just to talk, laugh, and learn more about God.
The next week was Adventist Youth for Better Living, or A.Y.B.L.Week of Prayer. In the mornings, our A.Y.B.L. officers spoke to us about how we can live healthfully for God. Then, in the evenings, Pastor Jose Medina spoke to us about how we can have a healthy spiritual life with Christ. Personally, my favorite part of Week of Prayer is the special music. I love to see and hear all the different musical kids in our school get up front and share their talents for God. At the end of the week, eight students made decisions to get baptized, and those of us who had already been baptized surrounded them as we prayed to end our week of prayer.
These last few months of our first semester have been busy and a little bit stressful, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Every day I am here at GLAA, I grow closer to new friends, I grow closer to the staff, and I grow closer to Jesus. I know I’m going to have lots of fun this coming semester and experience many new things. I can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Love,
Elena
Great Lakes Adventist Academy 