April 23, 2010 Volume 16, Issue 14
Compiled by Chrystian Ulrich
Jared Schultz, Richie Martinson, Justin Olsoe, Zachary Schroer, and Andrew Hohncke make friends with children in the Dominican Republic on the mission trip.
Dios Es Bueno! Hillcrest seniors spend a week sharing God’s love in the Dominican Republic. by Ali Connelly
After a three hour bus ride, a 3:15 a.m. wake up call and two plane rides, the team of 32 seniors and chaperones finally found themselves in San Pedro, Dominican Republic. There was no time to waste. COI leader, Elson Jones, got right down to business. The team went out to the streets to share their faith at an outreach with a local church. These outreaches included dramas and testimonies. Senior Michele Kalleberg said, “When we talked to groups, God gathered so many people to hear the Word.” The team spent the next few days at local schools, including the school that
Hillcrest sponsors--Santa Fe. Street evangelism and evening services were also a large part of the mission. Senior and translator Christina Lackey said, “I saw kids who were eager to receive the Gospel and, as I was translating for the services, I could see the audience responding to what was being said. There were some people who had tears running down their faces.” Every student was given an opportunity to speak during the trip. Some shared the Gospel, while others shared their testimony or words of encouragement. Michele Kalleberg said, “One of my highlights was sharing the Gospel in front of a huge group. I worked through that fear of mine, and continued on page 2
continuedfrom page 1
God’s power was so evident in our work there.” After four days of mission work, the team was able to take Friday morning off and spend time at a local beach relaxing and reflecting on the week. Michele Kalleberg said, “He really put a love for the people in my heart. I became so attached to all of them. We meshed with the Dominicans so well, skin color didn’t matter at all.”
My Great Awakening by Elisabeth Listor
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Shortly after arriving home for spring break, I was thrown for a loop when my parents pulled me aside and told me that some things may be changing due to my health. There was an opening at the doctor’s office and now I would have an appointment a week earlier than I was supposed to. I quickly learned that this appointment was to determine if I was going to be able to go to the Dominican Republic on the mission trip that I had been planning to go on for the last eight months. I stepped into that office praying that God would be at work in the situation and make it clear if I was meant to go on this trip. Before I knew it the doctor was telling me that the only way I would be able to go, was to have surgery. From that point on God was opening doors everywhere around me. It was because I was able to have this appointment a week earlier, that I was able to schedule surgery for the following week, and by God’s grace everything was successful. God had provided a clear path for me and at that point I knew that I was meant to go to the Dominican Republic. I was still very nervous about going to another country just a week after having surgery. God was really teaching me to lay everything at the foot of the
cross and fully give my trust over to Him. While in the Dominican I learned so much, but the two things that God was truly working in my heart about were the Gospel and prayer. I have grown up knowing the good news of the Gospel, but I have always been very timid about sharing what Christ did for us on the cross. I never felt that I was confident in knowing how to go about it, but now that has all changed. It is just incredible to me how much I learned from every single one of my teammates. Being able to listen to each person present the Gospel and share their testimonies with the people in the D.R. Prayer has always been a big part of my life. But now I see prayer in a completely different view. So often when we are praying we find ourselves asking for things. The people of the Dominican Republic were so content with everything that they have. When they were praying they were lifting up the name of Jesus and completely worshipping Him for the Great God that He is. We went to bless the Dominicans, but I know that the Dominicans blessed me as well. But this doesn’t all end after returning home. I am challenged to now live a life of significance, Holy and pleasing to my Lord Jesus Christ in everything I do. My prayer is to not spiritually fall asleep, but to seek out my purpose here on earth in sharing the Gospel.
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
2
God Doesn’t Take a Day Off The DR team spends Day One of the mission trip on the streets of San Pedro. by Abigail McWaters
After weeks of preparation and fundraising, the DR team finally stepped out of the plane, arriving in the Dominican Republic, welcomed by the humid heat filling their Minnesota blood and friendly smiles from the Christian Outreach International (COI) team. All thirty-two participating in the mission trip entered the COI buses, most expecting to finish the night off with some dinner and relaxation. Not many knew what the Lord really had in store for them that night. “I was expecting to just learn what was planned for the rest of the week and have some time for team bonding,” Michele Kalleberg said. However, as the team stepped out of the buses into the streets of San Pedro, they were immediately greeted with playful children, friendly neighbors, and sights of poverty most of the team had never seen before. “I’ve heard of the poverty there, but actually seeing it is completely dif-
ferent. It was a surprise. But even with how poor they were, they never seemed to complain,” said Brett Quernemoen. The team quickly began socializing with the people in the neighborhood by starting up a soccer game with a few young children, playing basketball with some teens, and chatting with the adults. Following play time and dinner, the team set out to the streets of San Pedro with their Bibles and EvangeCubes in hand, which they received before the trip. An EvangeCube acts as a helpful tool while sharing the Gospel. Everyone shared the Gospelwiththe people in the street, attempting to use their Spanish speaking skills. Thankfully, the team was blessed with a few translators. Christina Lackey, who is fluent in Spanish, said, “I’ve translated before for other groups, so I knew what to expect. The Dominican kids, however, were a little hard to understand because they tend to mumble.” The night also included testimonies from Jared Schultz and Sophia Undseth. “I was so nervous, but I knew that I still needed to do it. Just because you’re nervous, it doesn’t mean you back down. I prayed a lot and trusted in God. It was cool because I knew
it wasn’t by my power,” said Sophia Undseth. The first night on the streets of San Pedro was wrapped up by prayer and a few very powerful dramas put on by the COI team. Talya Tysver said, “God was definitely present during our first night of street ministry. Through powerful skits, testimonies, and preaching of the Gospel, many lives were changed.”
3
Christina the Secret Weapon A Spanish-speaking student is very helpful in the DR. by Rachel Sandnes
As Christina Lackey hopped off the plane and felt the warm breeze of the Dominican air, her thoughts floated to her memories of Ecuador. Christina felt the butterflies come from the pit of her stomach, not with nervousness, rather excitement to be back in a Spanish-speaking country. She prayed for God to do something amazing here. She knew this mission was bigger than herself; she was there to tell the people of Dominican about the Gospel. As the week progressed, Christina said, “I was stretched and challenged. Doing a lot of the translating can be tough at times especially when the people in Dominican have a differ-
ent accent than I’m used to and the children tend to mumble a lot.” Christina also said that one of the harder things on the trip was when she had to speak and give her testimony. Instead of translating someone else’s testimony which is what she usually did, she got to experience the other side of things. Christina said, “Even though I got nervous before I got up to share my testimony, I knew Christ would give me the words. All I needed to do was trust in Him and find peace in Him.” She said it was awesome to see each person on the team sharing his or her testimony and the Good
A Different Style of Living
Christian Lackey with the children.
News. It really helped the team grow closer to both each other and Christ. Christina said, “One of the most fun and simplest joys I experienced while in Dominican was being able to play with the children. The kids had nothing, yet were filled with joy and had smiles that were stamped on their faces!”
People in the Dominican Republic live their lives much differently than we do. by Peter Rogness
As the mission team got in to the Dominican Republic, and started to drive around, they felt like they were in a crazy place. As they would go down the streets, they were surrounded by thousands of motorcycles, cars, buses, and people. The drivers on the street were crazy drivers too. They drove on both sides of
4
the road, motorcycles swerving in and out of traffic, and big buses cruising fast with horns blasting. People were everywhere: walking on the streets, or just sitting on street corners or outside their homes. The people were friendly and just loved to smile and wave to the Americans. The team would yell out “hola,” and the nationals would all respond with a wave or a “hola!” They were very open and willing to listen to the evangelistic message of the team. The language barrier was difficult at times, but with the help of translators, the team was able to share God’s Gospel with them. They would sit there and listen, and allow the students to pray for them afterwards.
Not all of them accepted God’s gift at first, but the team trusts that the seeds of the Gospel have been planted. The children loved to cling onto the team and follow them. They were very open to letting God’s love be shared with them. They love to see Americans and want to play and talk with them. The food in the Dominican is very similar to American food. They have the meats, rice, french fries, and fruits. The food tastes very similar to American food, so the Dominican team did not have any issues with food. The housing that the team stayed in consisted of bunk beds with a mattress and sheet. That was it; they had no pillows or blankets to use. But the team survived and did not complain about the housing they were given.
Mission Music Road Trip Students head west for Band Trip. by Kyle Mitchell
After months of preparation and fundraising, 40 students and 3 adults were off to the West Coast with a mission in mind. Not only to play in concerts, but to share the Good News of the Gospel and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ to those they encountered. At 9 o’clock a.m. on Friday March 26th the Hillcrest Academy band packed up for a 17 day trip with 15 concerts to play during those days. Though the main point was to play a concert for the churches, they also wanted to show the love of Christ throughout the trip. The concerts had a variety of themes throughout the 11 songs played by the concert band, jazz band and sax ensemble. The concert band
started with the first three songs: “Fanfare Prelude ‘O God Our Help in Ages Past’”, “Adagio and Tarantella” and “Thematic Variations on Dona Nobis Pacem.” Then jazz band came and also played three songs: “Amazing Grace”, “The Bari Thought of You” and “Chili Pepper 101.” Next Mr. Jahr would come and give a little more information on Hillcrest, followed by student testimonies (usually seniors). Next, the saxophone ensemble would come and play a
variation of “O When the Saints Go Marching In” during the offertory. The concert would end with four more songs from the concert band: “Divinum Mysterium,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “They’re Off!” and “The Lord of The Dance.” “Itwasgreattobeabletoplaymusicand witness to people at the same time; it was an awesome experience,” said senior Gabe Jennen.
The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round 3,808 miles in 17 days with 15 concerts at 13 different towns in 7 different states played by 40 students and 3 chaperones in 1 bus. by Gabe Jennen
With everyone getting back from spring break, some wonder what everyone did. Some went home, some went to Chicago, some went to Florida, and some even went to the Dominican Republic, but there are some that spent their whole spring break on a bus… these are members of the Hillcrest Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble. The Hillcrest Band picked the Pacific Northwest as their destination for Band Tour this year and with driving to Seattle comes a lot of miles on the road and all of those miles were covered with all forty band members on one bus. The bus left Friday March 26 at 9:00 a.m. and didn’t get back until Sunday
April 11 at 4:00 p.m., a total of 391 hours of band tour. As the tour got longer, the bus got more and more tiresome. Every morning the band would be on the bus by anywhere from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Not wanting to be awake for most of the six hour trips ahead of them, most people would sleep away the first couple of hours. After mostly everyone was awake, the band had its daily “Uncle Dave Show,” staring Minnesota’s number-one bus driver, Dave Mansfield. Each morning the band would do some stretching and maybe even a competition, which included trying to “surf ” while Uncle Dave would drive on a curvy road.
After the “show,” the band would have a devotional led by either Mr. Jahr or a student; the students would pray together and get ready for the day ahead of them. After devotions some would go back to sleep, some would listen to their music, and some would watch movies playing over the bus televisions. Movies watched on the bus included: “Finding Nemo,” “The Blind Side,” and “Wallace and Gromit: the Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” After two weeks of riding the bus and by the time the band got back, they were all shouting with joy to see the great Fergus Falls, after having a great tour.
5
Give It Up For HIT, Two Days Of Basketball Teams from across the Midwest compete in the 44th annual Hillcrest Invitational Tournament. by Eli Christofferson
weekend for all involved. “It’s one of the greatest weekends of the year for all those associated with Hillcrest,” said Boys Dorm Head Dean Craig Nersten. “It’s like a big reunion.” It was also a beautiful weekend in Fergus Falls during the 44th annual tournament with clear skies and 70 degree weather all weekend long. Sixty teams competed in seven different divisions: Division 1A, 2A, 2B, Classic A, Classic B, 3A, and 3B. The ages of the participants of this tournament varied from 7th grade all the way to 65 years old. Of the 60 teams competing, three represented Hillcrest: the Boys dorm team managed by Kyle Mitchell and Josh varsity girls plus Zach Taylor and Wolderich took 2nd place in Division 3B. Every year, Hillcrest and Fergus Falls gear up for the many people coming from all over the country to participate in the annual H.I.T. weekend. This year, teams from the East Coast and all over the Midwest attended and made it an exciting
Andrew Twedt who placed second in Division 3A; the Hillcrest boys dorm, who placed second in Division 3B; and the father-son team that placed third in Division 3A. During halftime of the championship game for Division 1A, it has been tradition to have a dunk contest. This year three athletes competed. Once all three dunked twice, there was a tie breaker between Sam Larson and Craig Larson. After a vote from the judges, Craig Nersten, Ragnhild Apelthun, and Quincey Circo, Sam was declared the winner by one point. The final score of the Division 1A championship game was 91 to 75 with Fergus Falls 3 overcoming Triumph NDSU.
Art For All! Alumni and current HLA students showcase their art. by Kari Battillo
HIT weekend is always a busy time for Hillcrest Academy. Alumni and friends from all over the country come to play some basketball and catch up with old classmates. In addition to those activities, the visitors were invited to attend the Alumni Art Show. The art was on display all day, April 15-18, open to all who wished to look with no admission charge. The 2nd Annual Art Show was set up in the Chapel and the Student Activities Center at Hillcrest. The majority of the alumni’s art was displayed in the Chapel while most student art was displayed in the SAC. “It was exciting to see young artists already starting to market their work,” said Gaylen Peterson, art teacher at HLA, when
6
asked why he started the Alumni Art Show. “It had specially to do with seeing artists like Bethany Olson, Calvin Brue and Dave Christenson going off to college and using their skills as a source of their income. Many students from HLA submitted their original artwork also. There were clay pots, sculptures, paintings, photographs and drawings. Some of the alumni that submitted work even showcased some websites that they had designed. There were 11 alumni that displayed their work at the art show this year having graduated as far back as 1962. There were also 52 current Hillcrest students that submitted their work to be on display
throughout the weekend. “I liked being able to have my art on display at the art show because I worked really hard on it and I was excited for others to be able to enjoy it,” said HLA senior Paige Stier. Paige had several pieces displayed. Some of the art on display throughout the weekend will also be featured at the Minnesota State High School League Fine Art Festival on May 5. The art will be displayed from May 3-14 in Battle Lake.
Norwegians Go East Twenty-six Norwegian students from HLA go on a tour of the country. by Amanda Schnyders
March 26 was the day of departure if you were from Norway attending Hillcrest Academy this year. They headed south from Minnesota to Texas, then east to Florida. After Florida, they headed north to New York, stopping in Washington D.C., then back here to Minnesota. They headed straight down to Texas, only stopping for sleep and rest stops. Once arriving in Texas on March 28, the Norwegians went to a ranch and stayed with a host family until March 29. But first, on March 28, they stopped in Dallas to see where JFK was assassinated. After reaching the ranch, they rode horses, watched a performance of live country music, and then dispersed to their host families for the night. Before the twenty-six of them got to Florida, they stopped at the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge, March 30. This was the bridge where the African-Americans protested and were intending to march all the way to Montgomery, Alabama. In Orlando, Florida, they camped out at the Super 8 for four nights, April 1-4. Thomas Kilvær, junior, com-
Sports Scores
Baseball
Thursday 4/15 Clinton-Graceful-Beardsley...3 Hillcrest..............................6 Monday 4/19 Ashby.................................5 Hillcrest..............................6
mented, “It was so much fun [to throw Katrine in the pool with her street clothes on]. She loved it!” During these days and nights, they went to Disney World, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, the Kennedy Space Center, and Cocoa Beach. “It was really fun,” Anne Johansen said. “We all got sunburned,” Katrine Tvedt quickly agreed. Between Florida and New York they visited the nation’s capitol, Washington D.C. on April 6. Dispersing around the city, students went to Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, McDonalds, and Starbucks. “I liked being at the same place as Forrest Gump,” Carl Berge said. “It felt like I was in the movie.” After D.C., the group went to New Jersey to spend the night before going into New York City. In the city, April 7, they saw the
Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the United Nations Building, Ground Zero, and the Norwegian Seaman Church. After they went around the city on their own, some of the places they went to were Times Square and the Hard Rock Café. They also ate pizza and went to Starbucks. On April 9, 2010, day 15, the group of Norwegians went to Chicago and attended a church. “It was a Norwegian church…of course,” Tvedt chimed. April 11 was the return date for the twenty-six Norwegian travelers. “It was great!” Ida Weltzien said, “There was a lot of singing with our Norwegian teacher on the bus ride. It was awesome!”
UPCOMING EVENTS
Week Sixteen 4/25 Choir @ OLV Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:30 am
4/25 5/1 5/1
Choir @ St. James Episcopal Church. . . 10:30am SAT Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:45am 6th Annual Auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:30pm
5/3 5/8 5/8
Knowledge Bowl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7pm Formal Photos Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:45pm JS Banquet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:30pm
5/30
Baccalaureate and Commencement. . . . 10:30 am
Week Seventeen 5/3 Choir Concert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7pm
Future Events
7
A Magnificent Chicago Trip. Students go on Chicago study and mission trip for an entire week of museum visits and Hillsong Concert. by Carl Berge.
Nineteen students went on the Chicago Mission trip. Along with them were science teacher Mr. Jahr, math teacher Mrs. Good and Mr. Stender. The students started their long drive down to Chicago at 6:00 a.m. Monday the 13th. They arrived at their hotel around ten and went to bed. The Chicago trip consisted of museum visits; among those were The Nature and Science Museum, the Aquarium, The Planetarium and the Museum of Science and Technology. On Wednesday the students drove down to Kentucky for one of the high points of the trip: The Creation Museum. There, the students were presented with various proofs for creation and the truth of the Bible. “I really enjoyed the way proofs were presented, and I liked the zoo they had at the museum. They had a mix between a donkey and a zebra there - a Zonkey!” said junior Oystein Ryland. The students also participated in missions. They went out on the Magnificent Mile in Chigago. “The trip was about getting out of your comfort zone. So we were challenged in going out on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, and asking people questions,” said junior Thomas Kilvaer. The students were given a survey from Wayne Stender, and they asked people on the street questions about different worldviews. “We asked questions like ‘Where do you think you go when you die?’ and ‘How was the world created?’ The point was to make people
8
think about the big questions in life,” said Thomas Kilvaer. The students discussed and presented their views as well as listened to other people’s views. “It was interesting seeing theoretical knowledge from museums and worldview class being put into practice on the streets of Chicago,” said junior Steinar Hjelset. The mission week finished with a Hillsong Concert in Chicago on Saturday the 14th. Some other Hillcrest students went down to Chicago to experience the Christian concert. Daniel Torsvik, being one of them, enjoyed it a lot. “A rich experience. I really liked seeing Mrs. Good banging her head to the music,” said Daniel Torsvik. Junior Martin Hagen went down to catch the concert as well and he was impressed by it. “In the midst of the sound and the lights it was amazing seeing everyone – no matter whom they were or where they were standing – uplift God.” Hagen also liked Hillsong Lead singer Joel Houston’s message. “I liked what he said in the middle of the concert: ‘Why don’t we come together about the things we agree on instead of arguing about things we disagree on.’ Finding different views, different opinions, are easy -there are a lot of different interpretations about stuff – but small differences don’t matter; what matters is worshiping God in all eternity.” The impressions from the trip were many. “I learned a lot from this trip,” said Thomas Kilvaer.
Tidbits
Compiled by Carley Fabian
According to Heather Frustol, Truls Jørgensen straightens his hair everyday. Shawnie Hestenes broke yet another piece of pottery. Wilner Twedt, Jake Jones, Cliff Vestol, Tore Falch, and Andrew Stender sang “Weird Owl” all the way to Dairyland. Kylee Haegeland, Julia Miller, Mollie Jacobsen, and Laura Basile got all their scooters stolen Tuesday night and would greatly appreciate if they were returned.Thomas Kilvaer threw Katrine Tvedt into a pool with all her clothes on. Wilner Twedt had trouble watching his family play basketball last weekend because he was doing book while they were playing behind him. Lauren Abel and Talia Pearson didn’t use their phones for a whole day. The Chicago Trip went to a Hillsong Concert and thought it was cool. Øystein Ryland dropped his watch in the toilet. Mike Stilwell made the jaw of a pre-historic monkey fall off.