Merry Christmas!

The campus is now quiet for the 2-week Christmas break, with school resuming on January 4th, 2010.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, with peace and joy in 2010!

20 Year Celebration

On Friday, December 4th, a big celebration took place at the Danielsen School in Bergen, Norway, celebrating 20 years of sending students for a one-year experience to HLA. Guests at the event included about 200 former students. Jeff Isaac, Gregg and Marie Preston, and my wife Linda and I attended the event as well.

We were overwhelmed with the testimonies and comments of former students. They expressed life changing experiences through the program. I sensed that this was especially meaningful to Gregg, who has taught every Danielsen student in a History class since the program originated.

The general attitude of the group was that these events should happen more often, on the order of a Danilesen/Hillcrest Alumni organization. There are over 500 students currently on the roster, with 25-30 added each year.

One of the thoughts is to have a gathering like this on the Hillcrest campus, bringing former Danielsen/Hillcrest students to America.

Southern Califormia

I just returned from an extended weekend visit with alumni in the LA area. What a great time it was! (Minnesota, 40 degrees, windy, and rain. California, 90 degrees, sunny, and calm).

Time was spent in Pasedena, Altedena, Northridge, and Fullerton. On Friday, I was given a tour of Pasedena (the Rose Bowl), and on Monday, a tour of Biola University, both tours led by HLA alumni. I also visited the Calvary LB congregation in Fullerton.

It is a blessing to witness the spiritual fervor of HLA alumni! They are connected with their churches, involved in leadership roles, support Christian education in their communities, and recall their experiences at Hillcrest as formative times of personal growth and preparation for the future.

It is important that Hillcrest's mission statement is being realized, rather than being just another nice, catchy phrase. What I sense in visiting alumni is that HLA has contributed to enriching their lives. HLA alumni are being used in significant ways for the kingdom of God. Praise God!

Hillcrest Alumni Still Come to Homecoming

A good number of Hillcrest alumni showed up for a tailgating party (in the old gym due to rainy weather) before the Homecoming football game against Ashby last Friday night. Hotdogs, chips, and bars were served, and alumni sat in circles of chairs on the gym floor (just like former Prayer Day formats in the old gym).

I must have counted at least 20 toddlers (future HLA alumni) enjoying the festivities as well.

Halftime at the football game also featured an alumni Trivia game, with sweatshirts handed out to winners. The grand prize, a flat screen TV, was awarded to Melissa (Missy Stokes HLA '88) Pribbenow, who had been debating with her husband Brad if they should drop cable TV. Guess not.

Students Enter through Many Doors

I still remember the words of Steve Undseth, Hillcrest English and Bible Instructor, at a spring celebration banquet on the completion of the Student Activities Center a few years ago. He said (I'm paraphrasing) that students come to Hillcrest through many doors. Some are the academic doors, some the music doors, some the athletic doors, some the social doors, and some a combination of all doors. It's important that what we provide on the other side of the door is excellent, because their lives will be impacted. And, whatever door they enter brings them, most importantly, into a faith setting, where God's Word, prayer, worship, and other spiritual disciplines nurture their spiritual lives.

In other words, (or paraphrasing my paraphrase of Steve's comments), Hillcrest is equipping students in a biblical, Christ-centered environment for a life of significance (HLA mission statement).

Alumni remain "Old Friends"

On Tuesday evening, Linda and I enjoyed a dinner gathering of about 18 people at Mabel Murphy's restuarant in FF, hosted by Elling and Barbara Halvorson (HLA 50 & 51) for some "old friends." The place they all became friends? Hillcrest. As some from the gathering will celebrate their 60th year reunion this spring, it was great to hear them talk about their cherished times at Hillcrest and the impact those years had made on their lives.

Yesterday morning I was visiting on the phone with a more recent alumna, who mentioned that she learned of a similar group of ladies who met recently on the East Coast to renew friendships and talk of "old times" together.

With Linda Patch now assisting in the HLA Alumni Relations Office, we hope to facilitiate more of these important gatherings of the growing list of "old friends" regardless of our ages.

New Christian Relationships Class Begins

One of my efforts to engage with HLA Seniors comes through a 2-day class I teach called Christian Relationships. This course is all about the students -they are the subject and the textbook. The goal of the course is to provide a language that helps them understand who they are as well as to understand that other people may not think the same way that they do because we are all unique. I hope to share from time to time how the class goes.

Opening School Picnic Last Night

There was an excellent turnout for the school picnic last evening. The weather cooperated, and it really looked like students were happy to be back for a new year. After the picnic the students gathered on the football field for some activities led by the Student Council. Parents met in the chapel with the HLA faclty and staff, led by Principal jeff Isaac.

I enjoyed visiting with some former students when I taught Art and Bible at Hillcrest many years ago. They were dropping off their kids -- how quickly time flies! This hasn't been the first year- I might have to create a list...

By the way, if you (former students) might be worried, I have a standing rule - I simply don't tell your kids any stories about you when you attended Hillcrest, (unless I need it for leverage).

A New Communications Era for HLA

I'm hearing the word "blog" in so many conversations these days - it wasn't very long ago that I was trying to understand what "e-mail" was. In the 70's I was introduced to the word "modem" at Hillcrest. My, how things have progressed! And now, I can't remember how I ever survived without e-mail...

So, welcome to my blog! I look forward to discovering the value of this means of communication!

Coming August 1,2009