Shen-Val-Lore
Mission Trip
OMARIS MERCADO
On Wednesday March 8, at 2 A.M, everyone attending the mission trip began boarding the bus. We arrived at Cancun and drove eight hours to Campeche in Escarcega. We were understandably all tired and got a late start the next day. We met the church leaders at breakfast and headed out to the first church site in Matamoros where the old church was small and made of wood. We were divided into groups of cement mixers, brick passers, and stackers. Some church people brought us coconuts and soda and, later in the day, some kids came by and students went to talk with them and played soccer. We left very tired at 6:00, having ended
up laying four layers of the wall on that first day. The second work day was Friday, so we worked until four. That day we split up into our two churches and I stayed at the second site at Haro. On Sabbath the groups were also split into their respective groups. Our smaller church at the site was a small house. It was taken down and too small for all of us to fit in, so we went to a sort of basketball court for church. There weren’t many members, but it was quaint and everyone was nice. I translated for Pastor Harley, who gave the sermon that day. Our worship group, which included Saray Castillo-Cruz, Belmaris Mercado, Sarita Sanchez, Isai Roblero,
Juri Castellanos, Steve Paz, Alonso Sanchez, and Roger Gullien, led the song service. After church we had lunch and later the Sabbath activity, which was a hike with some members of another nearby church called “La Chiquita.” At the end of the hike when we walked back to our buses, as the sun set we held hands and sang for eventide with the church members and children.
On Sunday and Monday, we worked hard. For those two days I was sifting sand, sweeping, and helping mix cement. The building was starting to come together. The ladies brought us tortillas and chicken and jugo jamaica. On Tuesday we worked until noon and then
went to Miguel Colorado Eco Park where we ziplined 200 feet above a cenote. After ziplining, we went down to the water.
On day eight I worked until noon and then went to the nearby school with Gaby Goncalves, Mia Rivera, Diara Bonilla, Belmaris Mercado, Isai Roblero, Saray Castillo-Cruz, and Juri Castellanos. We sang songs with the children, who were so excited to see us. We played games with them and left them with some stuffed animals and sports balls. Thursday, we went to Playa Aguadena (Mayan Riviera). The beach was so beautiful and we collected and brought back beautiful shells. The beach was so serene and we ate tamales the
ladies
The sunset was gorgeous, and we spent hours in the ocean. Afterwards we had a devotional together and watched the sunset.
The last day of work was Friday and we worked until 4:00. The church ladies brought us food again. They made yuca with tortillas and the most amazing vegetarian tacos I’ve ever had. We did most of the wall plastering and went to the youth summit afterwards. The theme was Adventist youth in missions. All the youth were shocked to see Americans and asked to take pictures with us.
Alumni Weekend 2023 was full of excitement and laughter throughout every generation represented. The big event, which the music groups and alumni committee had been working on for so long, was pulled off without a hitch. The weekend started with the golf tournament Friday morning, April 14, at the Bryce Resort. Kurt Moon (‘83) and many other players and sponsors filled up the roster to raise funds that will go toward installing ballfield lights at SVA. That afternoon, alumni registered in the SVA cafeteria and enjoyed haystacks for dinner. Many stories were told that evening as the senior class of 2023 sat with their alumni counterparts. After dinner, alumni and stu-
dents headed to the church for vespers. The prelude was performed by Classical Players, and then the worship service began. LaShana Jackson Barker (‘83) graced the SVA body with a song about Jesus caring for us and being in control. Next, the message, presented by Geoff and Alicia Williams Patterson (both ‘83), was about dealing with grief and loss. Mrs. Patterson talked about the importance of mourning the past but then celebrating the present. Sabbath morning was a whirlwind of activity. While current students warmed up their voices and instruments, alumni caught up with their friends in the lobby and portico of the new gym. After everyone finally settled down, Principal
Alumni Weekend
ANISA PHILLIP
Short gave a welcome and invited the representatives from the honor class to come to the front. The SVA family especially celebrated Bernice Davidson (‘43) because this was her 80th honor class alumni weekend. Her commitment to the Adventist health message inspired every individual in the audience. At the class of 2003’s roll call, music department members recognized their beloved teacher, Kelly Wiedemann, as it was her honor year. Orchestra played many pieces during the service and joined with the Shenandoans to perform an arrangement of “We Have This Hope.” Geoff and Alicia Williams Patterson spoke again, but this time they focused on seasons and how there is a time
for everything. The “Hallelujah Chorus” was sung to close the service per tradition, and then it was time for honor class photos and lunch.
The Zirkle gym ribbon-cutting celebration and dessert reception was right after lunch. The rededication ceremony to celebrate the renovation of the new gym addition was filled with thank-you’s to all of the donors and people that made the project possible. The reception afterwards was delicious and had many different fruits and baked goods to choose from. There was also some downtime for the honor classes to hang out together, but then it was time for the eagerly anticipated alumni basketball games.
The girls’ varsity team played against the alumni ladies first. The game was intense and very aggressive as the alumni tried to take back their title of reigning champion after losing it last year. Both sides fought hard for the victory, but in the end the alumni’s determination led them to a win. The boys’ varsity team played next and annihilated the alumni men. The final score was 104-74. Everyone on and off the court had a good time because the seniors sold yummy concessions until about midnight! Though the night ended late, there was still more fun to be had the next morning at the Sunday brunch and soccer game.
To close off this year’s Alumni Weekend, there was a Principal’s View Breakfast in the cafeteria. A small group of SVA strings was featured, and students enjoyed talking to the alumni one last time and eating good cafeteria food. Lastly, the boys’ soccer team played against alumni and won. It was so great to be back in the gym and have all the activities that SVA has not been able to have since the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be hard for Alumni Weekend next year to be more exciting and memorable than this year!
Junior/Senior Banquet
As Junior class officers, our vision was to create the atmosphere of a secret garden at the Junior/Senior banquet. That’s when our vision became a reality. Setting up at The Granary was a process, but our team pulled it off. Thank you to the many parents and students that helped, because we couldn’t have done this all without them. Our vision started off with our thinking of different themes. We liked the idea of greenery and had that as a main concept. As a team, we decided that the theme should be “secret garden.”
Now that we had our theme down, the next thing was the food. We wanted it to be inclusive for everyone to enjoy, as we have a variety of different students with different diet preferences. Our cooks at the venue made burgers for everyone to enjoy and gave us a variety of fries that were freshly made. Along with that meal choice,
HEILY VIGIL
we had different appetizers that contained food items such as fruits, sandwiches, chips, and other bite-size meals. For dessert, we had macaroons of all different flavors, dirt cups, and fruit cakes. And lastly, for our drinks, we had a variety of mocktails.
As everyone walked into The Granary, they were welcomed by the junior class officers. They had the option to sit wherever they liked because we didn’t have assigned seating/tables. For our scenery, we had lots of space outside to just roam around with friends or take pictures. We had Mrs. Short with a camera taking Polaroids for people as well. For our activities, the team decided it would be best to have something simple as we had just had two big events (mission and music trips). Thus, we had games like Jenga, cornhole, and card games. Our last event for the night was senior presentations.
As we had the senior class walk down the aisle, their future dreams and aspirations along with their favorite memories were read out loud. At the end of the Junior/ Senior banquet, the class officers wanted to give a gift to everyone for coming to our event, so we gave our little succulents to stay on theme. Along with that, people were also allowed to take some flowers in remembrance of a wonderful night. Our team enjoyed having everyone participate. I would like to give a big thank you to the sponsors, staff, students, and parents who helped make our vision a reality.
It was a cool and sunny spring morning when the SVA Juniors loaded onto the buses, preparing for the trip to Washington, DC. We arrived at the Bible museum and had a chance to explore the interesting exhibits. We learned about things from the history of the Bible, from its stories to its influence around the globe in things such as music, literature, and fashion.
There was a certain exhibit on Floor 3 that was particularly interesting, which was a walkthrough of the stories of the Hebrew Bible. It was like being in first-century Nazareth, and allowed us to listen to the story of how the followers of Jesus became a thriving community. The temporary exhibit was also compelling because it explored the Bible’s role in the historical relationship between science and religion. Another fascinating new walk-through is the Stations of the Cross exhibit,
Junior Religion Trip
REBECCA REIS
which features sculptures in bronze of each stage of the final hours of Jesus’s life. Most of the museum exhibits even had fragments of real artifacts found that support the existence of the Bible. There are actually 40,000 objects and artifacts, ranging from the time of Abraham through the New Testament period. We were able to enjoy the other interactive exhibits and roam around the entire eight-floor museum before a delicious lunch outside and some more exploring.
After sadly leaving the museum we had one more spot to go: the Lincoln Memorial. We got to see the giant 19-foot statue of our former president as well as roam around different classic tourist points such as the Washington Monument. Most of the students walked (or scootered) around the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. It was the perfect day for explor-
ing around DC and we all enjoyed it very much. Overall, the trip was a lot of fun! Mia Rivera expressed her trip as “Woowwwww!” and Zaevon Dalhouse described it as “a fun, educational experience.” Tabor Parker said, “Lincoln was so big and I have never seen a fountain so pretty.” After listening to many other reviews and comments, it is safe to say that the trip was a success.
For this year’s Spring Week of Prayer, former Boys’ Assistant Dean Jason Foster and SVA Alumni Dale Pickett spoke every day on the aspects needed to become the “right person.” Their overarching point was that if you are the right person, it doesn’t matter the place or time, God will use you. From the first day of the Week of Prayer, Dale asked these four questions: “What do you want to get from this week of prayer? How do you achieve it? What barriers may get in your way? And how can you overcome them?”
Monday, April 3, was the first day that focused on mental strength. Dale and Jason compared mental adversity to physical resistance training. When adversity is used as an opportunity to grow, you will become stronger and an opportunity to see what God wants from you. Jason used the example of Moses and the snake to illustrate that God is more powerful than the things we are afraid of or see as dangerous. In the later
vespers presentation, they dove deeper into the idea of being the “right person.” It was mentioned that adversity is not the ideal; however, when a person with a willing mindset chooses to endure the experience and learn from it, that person becomes more like the “right person.”
On Tuesday, April 4, the topic was wisdom. Wisdom is a process and to obtain it one must be willing to be patient through the process. The speakers introduced the idea of emotions and how they play a part in having wisdom. They warned against having the goal of being happy, because happiness is an emotion, and emotions are temporary and reliant on exterior factors to feel emotions. I would add that emotions are reactions to the environment around us. Jason and Dale agree that a major part of being wise is understanding your emotions, but more importantly, not allowing yourself to be irrational due to your emotions.
Week of Prayer
ESTHER RAPLEY
Relationships were the topic of the third day. Family plays a role in who you become as a person. Additionally, the people you surround yourself with play a role in your development as a person as well. The demonstration for relationships was none other than Job and his friends. Jason used the excerpt where his friends sat with him in silence for seven days to compare to today’s relationship; sometimes we don’t need advice, but we need a hug and prayers. It is also important to choose your friends wisely. Dale told the story of how he flooded 15 rooms in the boys’ dorm in an attempt to impress a group of guys he wanted to befriend. Jason closed off this day with this thought: the way we treat one another is the most important thing to God.
The focal point of Thursday, April 6, was values. The morning presentation kicked off with James 1:19, which reads, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Jason said if you claim to be religious while you are unkind and angry, you are deceiving yourself. Then we asked the question, “What is acceptable to God?” Dale joined in and explained the difference between a goal and a value. A goal is something that can be achieved (for example, complete my algebra homework) while a value is something that can be worked towards but cannot be achieved (for example, wisdom; no one ever reaches the endpoint of attaining wisdom). Values are a way of life. In the second presentation the text 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the love chapter, was used to expound upon the topic of values, in particular love. Goals come to an end, they say, but love never ends. The love they spoke of is the kind that is unconditional, constant, and patient. That kind of love is needed to be a good friend, and that kind of love casts out all fear. Students left that night with this to think
about: When life gets hot, no matter how hot, it won’t matter because God controls the sun and who will protect you when your values are rooted in Him.
On Friday, April 7, Dale was very vulnerable with students about his experiences in his youth while he was a student at SVA. He explained the Adverse Childhood Experience or ACE questionnaire for students to take note of and to show the magnitude of his adverse childhood experiences. In the evening portion of the presentation, Dale opened up more about his experiences and made a point of how important it is to work through those traumas for your sake. Jason chimed in to agree and add that there are outlets such as therapy that can and in many cases should be utilized. They both agreed that God should be a part of your journey in healing those traumas. Therapy can only do so much if you don’t include God. Vespers ended with communion, which was a beautiful experience of vulner-
ability met with warmth and the embraces of friends. Many testimonies were shared, gratitudes were expressed, songs were sung, and hugs were had. Week of Prayer is always a wholesome experience for the student body. This one felt special due to the relaxed nature of the speakers, with many people saying they felt like they were listening to a podcast. The personalities of the two were clear when listening, which added interest, and their friendship helped the difficult topics feel more digestible for most. Dale and Jason made a great duo and students were thankful for their willingness to not only present but to talk with them one on one or in religion classes. Thank you, Dale and Jason.
On Monday, April 17, the sophomore class took a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the Museum of the Bible. After loading the bus and taking attendance, we departed around 8 a.m. The bus ride to the museum took about an hour with some light traffic.
When we arrived at the museum, we were handed a clipboard with our religion assignment given by Pastor Harley. Our assignment was to summarize the information we learned in the different exhibits we visited. Upon entering
the museum, we went through security, where a few of us got patted down. Next, PH gave us instructions for the next three hours that we would be in the museum. We then split into groups and started to make our way to the exhibits. Our assignment required us to see exhibits such as The History of the Bible, The People of the Land, and Stories of the Bible. One of my favorite parts of our trip was the Hebrew walk-through. It was a 30-minute presentation from the Stories of the Bible exhibit. The presentation consisted of stories from Creation
Sophomore Religion Trip
NAOMI PAKKIANATHAN
to the end of the Babylonian invasion. There were special effects throughout the theater that helped tell the stories such as bright lights, loud sounds, and thick fog.
After completing our assignments, we headed outside near our bus to eat lunch. Alongside the sidewalk, we served each other chips, dips, granola bars, fruits, and drinks. By around 12:30 p.m. when everyone finished eating, we took a vote on what we would spend the rest of our time on. We decided on splitting into two groups to visit
the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Art. We loaded the bus once again and headed to the National Mall. Each group spent an hour visiting the museums. Our next and final destination in D.C. was the Lincoln Memorial across the national mall. Many pictures were taken and much information was learned.
On our way back from our field trip, we stopped for food (and a little shopping) outside of D.C. PH gave us each money to spend on our dinners in various restaurants. After dinner,
we loaded the bus for one last time.
This religion field trip was not only an excuse to get off campus, but a chance to learn more about the Bible. It was also insightful and, most importantly, enjoyable. It was great seeing some students get to experience Washington, D.C., for the first time. This was a great bonding experience not only for the students but also the chaperones who came along with us. This trip couldn’t have been possible without PH’s organization and guidance. We are also thankful
for Mr. Müller and Ms. Romero for coming with us and being our chaperones. I’m glad I was able to go on this trip with my class and enjoy learning about the Bible with them.
The Tuesday before Spring Break found 60+ SVA students and chaperones, including myself, packing the bus with luggage and driving to the airport, bound for Italy. Everyone was so excited about the trip! We knew it would be an adventure, and we were not disappointed.
Before we arrived in Italy over 24 hours later, we had already performed several informal concerts during a long layover in the airport lobby and then on the plane. We were asked by the stewardess to sing for the plane since we were delayed for a long time on the ground. The pilot and crew were thrilled as well as most of the passengers to hear several of our songs.
When we arrived in Milan, after some touring and food, we drove to Collonges University in France to spend a few nights. The next few days, we traveled around
France and Switzerland. We toured the university, Geneva, and a little city in France.
One day, we recorded music videos in the foothills of the Alps. It was freezing for the girls to be in the wind chill in choir dresses, but we made it through. I believe it was worth it because the music videos are going to look very beautiful with the Alps and Geneva in the background. A notable moment during the recording sessions was when Emma Cuellar accidentally kicked her performance shoe off the cliff overlooking Geneva. I tried to get a comment from her on the scene of the event and she said, “It was a good punt.” The shoe was never seen again.
Our first Sabbath in Europe was spent performing at Collonges University’s French church. The evening performance was definitely a favorite! One could feel the excitement in the room
Italy Tour
ELLIE ANDERSON
before, during, and after we performed. The audience listened breathlessly to every piece whether we sounded good or not, and they gave us a standing ovation at the end of the concert, which prompted us to give an encore. The feeling of bringing people joy through our music gave us joy in return, and we sang and played with all our hearts. God’s presence was truly felt at that concert, and it was a perfect way to kick off our tour performances.
Much of our tour was spent on the bus, so we were intentional about enjoying the journey. We slept a lot on the bus, but many of us also played games whether it was Uno, two truths and a lie, or other fun activities. We quickly got many daily segments going on the bus where certain groups of people would do activities or share information over the bus microphone. Giuli
Biagg. and Lala Biaggi made a segment called “Fun with the Cousins” that entertained everyone on the bus with its fun activities and contests. I made a segment called “Trivia with Ellie” where I shared fun facts about the many places we visited on our tour. Olivia Patrick shared “Weather with Olivia” where she would tell us the weather report for the following day so that we knew how to dress. The worship team shared devotionals with us every morning, often over the bus microphone. As our bus “family” grew closer, we began to appreciate each other and our bus driver, Kari, more. We also learned to appreciate all the beautiful sights we saw out the window by bursting into a chorus of “wow” whenever we saw something impressive. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun on the bus. The trip was full of sightseeing, too. Some of our favorite sightseeing
locations were Chateau de Chillon, Mont Blanc, Venice, and Rome. From castle tours, to going up 15,000 ft. on a mountain, to touring a floating city, to seeing ancient ruins like the Colosseum, to eating gelato everywhere we went, it is safe to say that Italy Tour was an experience of a lifetime!
Since it was a music tour, we performed at many churches all over Italy and quickly realized that our trip was actually a mission trip. Italy does not have many Adventists, and the small churches that we went to were so grateful to have us! It was amazing to see that we could bring people such joy and encouragement, even to the point of tears. We enjoyed singing in several famous cathedrals with good acoustics. One cathedral that we did a concert in was built in the 1500s. We had an almost entirely non-Adventist
congregation, and they were so happy to host us.
Everywhere we went in Italy, we found kind people eager to hear our music, beautiful historic sights, and a lot of pasta and pizza. Everywhere we went, we also found croissants. By the end of the trip, we were sick of croissants, but our hearts were full of the wonderful memories we made, the joy of blessing others with our music, and the new experiences we had as our views of the world expanded.
- Nya Walker, Newspaper Editor
Editor: Nya Walker
Mrs. Boyer White: Sponsor
Letters to the Editor:
The Shen-Val-Lore welcomes your letters. All letters must contain the writer’s name and phone number. All unsigned letters will be omitted. The Shen-Val-Lore reserves the right to edit your letters for space and clarity, and to reject any letters. Place all letters under the door of the newspaper room or mail tham to: Shen-Val-Lore, 234 West Lee Highway, New Market, VA 22844.
The Shen-Val-Lore is the official student newspaper of Shenandoah Valley Academy and is published by the students. The opinions and views expressed in the Shen-Val-Lore are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, Shenandoah Valley Academy, staff and faculty, or the Seventh-day Adventist Church.