NN Feb 2025 Page 2

Ruben Balaguer – Grand Junction … Ruben Balaguer, a retired Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) pastor, met the couple Provesh and Rupa Bairagi via Facebook two years ago. Provesh was a Baptist pastor at that time in Bangladesh in southern Asia where he lives with his wife and 11-year-old son.

The Bairagis have 51 orphaned children under their care, and Provesh preaches to the children and a large group of adults in a hall once a week. The small hall is seven hours away from where they live, and he must take four buses on this precarious journey to get there.

“They do not have the support of anyone because almost everyone there is Muslim and Hindu, and they have to meet behind closed doors because Christians are frowned upon,” remarked Balaguer. “Despite this, they continue doing the work of God and with the project of building a place of worship on a piece of land that his father donated to him … As soon the sanctuary is finished, he will move to live close to it, but for now he is not able to start building it because it is very expensive.”

Church members from Balaguer’s district in the RMC made donations to the building project that helped purchase construction materials.

“I began to share with Pastor Provesh a series of Bible studies on doctrines that he did not know, and he accepted them and gladly started to teach the new truths to his church. So much so that when they learned the truth about the true day of the Lord, they began to have worship every Sabbath,” Balaguer recalled.

He continued, “After the first study about the Sabbath he told me: ‘Pastor, don’t forget to send me the second study on the day of the Lord,’ which made me very happy because I noticed his sincerity and his love for the truth. My wife and I decided to start sending him a monthly donation. Thank God the dollar goes a long way there.”

Provesh named his church New Hope after the name of one of the churches in Balaguer’s last district and appointed Balaguer as the honorary leader of his congregation. Balaguer receives weekly updates with photos and videos of the meetings, of the children having lunch and studying, and of the food that he manages to buy with the donations.

Provesh knows very little English and uses the aid of Google Translate for correspondences. His wife Rupa does speak English which helps when doing video calls via messenger.

“I finished all the Bibles studies, and now I’m sending him studies about Revelation prophecies. Provesh has a brother who helps him with preaching when he can’t travel to that place and his brother is also learning and accepting all the new truths as well. I prepare new studies weekly and send them to him so that he can teach them to his congregation. I also send him stories for children. Praise God for what can be done through the internet! In my case, being a long-distance pastor and teacher,” commented Balaguer.

“There is no doubt that God is doing this miracle on the other side of the world with these people who love the Word of God and are sincere in accepting the new light that is coming to them from my home,” he closed with. “I ask you to pray for them, for all the adults who listen to Pastor Provesh, and for those 51 orphaned children that they feed and educate. They hope that they will be able to receive the help they need to build the church and continuing to preach the Gospel in that remote place.”

—Ruben Balaguer writes from Grand Junction and is a retired district pastor for the Rocky Mountain Conference. Photos supplied.

Jose Briones – Denver, Colorado … The Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) has kicked off a series of stewardship seminars aimed at equipping church members with practical tools for managing their resources effectively. The initial seminar took place at the Denver Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church, January 25, and drew a large turnout from the congregation and surrounding community.

The event featured three insightful presentations focused on the stewardship of money, family, and time and aimed to provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of stewardship from a biblical perspective, emphasizing the importance of managing one’s resources in ways that honor God and benefit the community.

Stewardship of Money

The first presentation centered on the stewardship of money. Attendees were encouraged to view their finances as a trust from God, to be managed wisely and with integrity. Practical tips on budgeting, saving, and giving were discussed, highlighting the principles of generosity and accountability. Jose Briones, RMC Stewardship Promotion and Content creator, stressed the importance of living within one’s means and the spiritual benefits of financial discipline.

Christina Hernandez, a participant and teacher at Mile High Academy in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, shared her thoughts: “We are thankful for seminars like these because our churches usually don’t talk about how to manage resources. With inflation going up, we need to learn more about how to be good stewards for God’s glory.”

Stewardship of Family

The second presentation shifted focus to the stewardship of family. This session explored the responsibility of nurturing and supporting family members, reminding attendees of the vital role that strong family relationships play in fostering a stable and loving environment. Practical advice on communication, conflict resolution, and spending quality time together was provided, emphasizing that family stewardship is about more than financial support—it’s about emotional and spiritual investment.

Some of the key questions encouraged as a weekly discussion between family members or couples included:

• What will happen this week?
• How can I pray for you this week?
• How can I help you this week?
• What are your expectations as a couple this week?
• Is there any conflict or concern that we need to discuss?

These could be adapted for churches to encourage more efficient communication and goal setting among members.

Stewardship of Time

The final presentation addressed the stewardship of time, a resource that is often overlooked and non-renewable. Briones encouraged those listening to prioritize their time effectively, balancing work, family, and spiritual activities. He shared insights on time management techniques, the importance of rest, and the spiritual practice of Sabbath-keeping. The message was clear: time is a gift from God, and how we use it reflects our values and priorities.

The seminar received positive feedback from attendees, many of whom expressed a renewed commitment to applying these principles in their daily lives. As the series continues throughout the year, other churches in the Rocky Mountain Conference are encouraged to participate.

For more information or to schedule a seminar, interested parties can reach out to Jose Briones at [email protected]

—Jose Briones is the RMC Stewardship Promotion and Content creator. Photos supplied.

Alexandra Cordoba – Lincoln, Nebraska … Twenty-seven students in the select choir, Koinonia, from Campion Academy (CA) in Loveland, Colorado, traveled to Union Adventist University (UAU) in Lincoln, Nebraska, to participate in the 2025 Union Choral Music Festival, January 29 – February 1. They joined over 200 students from Adventist academies across the Midwest, working together to perform six songs as a mass choir.

From Wednesday through Friday, students dove into the rigorous rehearsals, some lasting nearly 13 hours a day.

Students had the unique opportunity on January 31 to record in UAU’s new recording studio. The entire festival choir was recorded in groups, and one male and one female singer was chosen from each group to be the lead singer. The completed video was presented at the night concert on February 1, and students got to hear their voices edited together.

For the Friday night vespers program, each academy had the chance to showcase their songs. Campion was the last school to sing and received a standing ovation for their performance of “He Never Failed Me Yet,” featuring multiple soloists including Michael Shannon and Natalie Bryant.

CA student Marc Winokan commented on how he felt after performing, saying, “After our performance it was really exciting to see everyone cheering and screaming for us. I’m glad that it went well, and we were able to praise God through our music.”

The 200-member choir joined together on February 1 to sing for the church service and again in the evening for a final concert. Janey Padilla-Reyes, CA student, reflected on the culmination of the rehearsals saying, “It was truly something that was prayed over and a message that the group brought to everyone.” One of these selections, “The Lord is My Shepherd,” was a new composition written specifically for this year’s festival and made its debut at the event.

Students celebrated their hard work and accomplishments Saturday night with pizza and got to hang out with friends, play sports, swim, and have fun at the Reiner Wellness Center. During their free time, students also enjoyed exploring downtown Lincoln.

“Music fest was a lot of fun. Although, the practices were extremely long and tiring, the opportunity to sing a debut song and hear the final outcome at the concert was worth all the labor put into it,” concluded student Toby Quillin.

—Alexandra Cordoba, Campion Academy Student News Team. Photos supplied.

Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … The third annual FIRST LEGO League Middle School Robotics Tournament was hosted at Mile High Academy (MHA) in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, on February 2, bringing together six teams from across the region for a day filled with innovation, problem-solving, and teamwork. Sponsored by the Mid-America Union Conference and the Rocky Mountain Conference, the event challenged students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and push the boundaries of STEM learning.

The morning focused on final preparations and innovation project presentations, where students showcased their creative solutions to real-world problems in front of a panel of judges. By the afternoon, teams took to the gym floor for the much-anticipated robot competition, demonstrating their engineering skills and programming expertise.

While the tournament highlighted impressive robotics and coding skills, it also showcased the broader impact of STEM education. “The robotics program has helped our students improve their communication skills and creativity,” shared Chad Dungan of Omaha Memorial Adventist School in Omaha, Nebraska.

For students, the tournament was more than just a competition—it was an opportunity to connect with peers and grow as innovators. MHA sixth-grader Maddie M. reflected, “I think the tournament was a great experience for kids to come together from other schools to compete and have fun. I learned how to work together as a team and be creative. I am looking forward to next year’s tournament and hope I can be a coder.”

The tournament results and award winners are as follows:

• Core Values Award – Omaha Memorial Adventist School Angels were recognized for their enthusiasm and spirit—exemplified teamwork, discovery, inclusion, innovation, impact, and fun and always showing each other and other teams respect.
• Innovation Project Award – Minnetonka Christian Academy Royals Robotics were honored for utilizing diverse resources for their Innovation Project to help them gain a comprehensive understanding of their problem; had a creative, well-researched solution; and effectively communicated their findings to judges and the community.
• Robot Design Award – Omaha Memorial Adventist School Fusion Force team was recognized for using outstanding programming principals and solid engineering practices to develop a robot that is mechanically sound, durable, efficient, and highly capable of performing challenge missions.
• Robot Performance Award – Vista Ridge Academy EngineEagles II celebrated scoring the most points during the Robot Game, in which the teams had a chance to compete in three 2.5-minute matches with their highest score counted.
• Engineering Excellence Award – Mile High Academy Robostangs were recognized for their efficiently designed robot, innovative project solution that effectively addressed the season challenge, and core values evident in all they do.
• Rising All-Star Award – HMS Richards Adventist School HMS Robo Squad were acknowledged as a team that the judges noticed and expect great things from in the future.
• Champion Award – Vista Ridge Academy EngineEagles II was recognized as the team that best embodied the FIRST LEGO League Challenge experience by fully embracing the core values while achieving excellence and innovation in robot performance, robot design, and the Innovation Project.

Special congratulations go to the Vista Ridge Academy EngineEagles II and the Omaha Memorial Adventist School Angels, who earned invitations to compete at the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Championship in Orlando, Florida, this May.

The success of this tournament was made possible by the dedicated volunteers, including MHA’s Upper School Advanced Robotics team, Rocky Mountain Conference, community members, parents, and MHA staff, who gave their time and support for the next generation of innovators.

“Robotics is more than just programming and competitions—it teaches critical thinking, teamwork, and perseverance,” stated Jocelyn Aalborg, who in addition to being the tournament coordinator also serves as MHA’s Vice Principal of Finance & Development. “We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated and grateful to everyone who helped make this event a success.”

She continued, “As robotics grows in schools, the program not only teaches students valuable skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and creative thinking, but also helps develop important test-taking strategies and critical thinking abilities that will serve students well in all areas of academics.”

At the conclusion of the tournament, MHA principal Andrew Carpenter invited the teams to prepare for and return to MHA for the next FIRST LEGO League Challenge, scheduled for Sunday, February 1, 2026.

CLICK HERE to watch the recent robotics tournament competition.

—Karrie Meyers is the marketing and development coordinator at Mile High Academy. Photos supplied.

RMCNews with Mary Bennett – Lamar, Colorado … The second quarterly event of southeast Colorado’s “Women in Community” was held as a luncheon at a local restaurant in Lamar, Colorado, February 2. Ten women from the region gathered to share a meal and reminisced about childhood experiences, growing in numbers from six that attended the event in October in La Junta, Colorado.

The coordination of these gatherings is being led by Mary Bennett with support of regional pastor Ted Williams, lead pastor at the Arkansas Valley, Lamar, and Trinidad Seventh-day Adventist churches in southeast Colorado, and as part of the North American Division’s Pentecost 2025 evangelism initiative.

“Women are the ones who actually built the early churches by bringing family and communities together,” reminded Williams.

To participate in the events, women are encouraged to bring a friend that is not already part of the local Adventist church. “[These lunches] are for women who probably see each other in their local areas to get to know each other and build community,” remarked Bennett.

Bennett commented that she has been guided by the Bible verse Acts 16:14-16 in her efforts with the group: Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us (NKJV).

“I hope that this will eventually become a ministry at the local churches,” Bennett continued. “I want to show people that you don’t have to spend a lot of money, or have a big elaborate plan, you just need to spend time together. We are doing lunches for now, but if we come up with a better plan, we will do it.”

—Mary Bennett writes from the Arkansas Valley, Lamar, and Trinidad Seventh-day Adventist Churches. Photos supplied.

Alexandra Cordoba – Loveland, Colorado … Parents, staff, and students of Campion Academy (CA) in Loveland, Colorado, celebrated this year’s senior class with a recognition service Friday night and a student-led Sabbath worship service, January 24-25.

In an annual tradition, each staff member spoke about the senior students, highlighting their unique characters and acknowledging their accomplishments during the recognition service.

The next day, the seniors led the church worship service with the senior praise team leading out. CA senior students Toby Quillin, Keon Paez, and Alexandra Cordoba performed the song “Redeemer” for special music. Brayden Marroquin gave the children’s story.

Seniors Marcela Zuniga, Jack Jordan, Jack Ramos, and Damaris Lopez Morquecho delivered sermonettes based on the class theme of Faith over Fear, and each senior shared reasons on how faith can conquer fear.

Jordan concluded the sermons by giving out pieces of paper to the congregation and asking them to write down their biggest fear.  Above the fear he asked participants to write: “I choose to put faith over fear”, as a reminder that Jesus conquers all.

—Alexandra Cordoba, Campion Academy Student News Team. Photos supplied.