Two members of Walla Walla University’s Engineers Without Borders club and three faculty sponsors made their second assessment trip to Tanzania in early September 2023 as part of their long-term water supply project in the village of Manda. The team prioritized collecting data and forging strong connections with Manda locals. Intending to provide Manda residents [...]
Parenthood can be overwhelming. For instance, today I'm in a small hotel trying to keep it organized and help my sixth-grader keep up with school work. I am feeling overwhelmed. I have stopped three times in 45 minutes to pray for patience, kindness, gentleness and love. But, I am slowly losing it, friends. So, I [...]
1. Acknowledge the presence of grief You aren’t bad or good for experiencing grief. It’s simply important to acknowledge that grief is something you feel and experience. On some days, it may feel more present than on other days. There is no time limit for grief. 2. Normalize Understand your grief process is unique to you. What used to be “abnormal” prior to the presence of grief may be considered “normal” [...]
In the Salem, Oregon, area, members of East Salem Adventist Church have been hard at work serving their community. “We’ve already completed 57 projects so far this year,” shared Derrick Teague, one of the founding members of the ACTS group. ACTS, which is an acronym standing for Affirming Community Through Service, takes inspiration from the [...]
Walla Walla University is offering a new class this winter designed to prepare theology students to better serve and engage with their communities. Titled Community Engagement–Churches, the class draws on the relationships, experiences and lessons in best practice collected from the operation of the Center for Humanitarian Engagement over the last five years. David Lopez, [...]
What happens when you bring together more than 140 enthusiastic seventh- and eighth-graders, 30 dedicated sponsors, uplifting music and thought-provoking worship experiences in a unique setting? You get 7UP — a spiritual retreat weekend designed for seventh- and eighth-graders, hosted by the Upper Columbia Conference office of education. The creation of the 7UP retreat stemmed [...]
There's new hope for church and school ministries in our region, thanks to an innovative investment in theology and education majors who choose to attend Walla Walla University. That's the message the North Pacific Union executive committee heard on Nov. 8, 2023 during its regular meeting on the WWU campus. The NextGen Difference Two years [...]
Tualatin Valley Academy is rejoicing after receiving senior academy candidacy accreditation from North American Division. While TVA is approved to expand their Pre-K–10 program up to 12th grade as of the 2024–2025 school year, the school has opted to gradually work toward a full secondary program, adding 11th grade in fall 2024 and then 12th [...]
“Our success will be in proportion to their belief in our belief in, and appreciation of, them.”1 If our primary objective is to make other Adventist believers, we will spend all of our energy making people conform to our theological opinions. However, if we believe that every human we encounter is worthy of receiving the [...]
After spending weeks planning and preparing, Danya Nicketa-Kiljoha, Brianna Lawrence and Teresa Jensen led a Vacation Bible School program for 30 kids ages 5–13 in Togiak, Alaska, on Sept. 28–30, 2023. The weekend consisted of four VBS sessions, a church service and a community potluck. From the onset, the group faced challenges. Even though things didn’t [...]
