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The Jesters team was shocked and couldn’t believe they finally got to meet her: Lee — the girl known for signing up but never showing up — miraculously stood at the registration table, ready for a week of summer theatre camp. The team was thrilled to have her. “It was evident this precious young person needed a place to be cared for and feel safe,” says Ryan Scramstad, Jesters Program Director. “And that’s exactly what happened. She had a great week, and despite being shy, she even made a few friends.” “I just remember it being really welcoming,” says Lee....

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Written by Levi Friesen, GVYU MarCom A decade ago, I graduated with a tight-knit group of friends from a small local high school. At the time, we were captivated by what was then new technology: smart watches, virtual reality and self-driving cars. We would have been stunned by what exists today. For us, the new gadgets were cool, but what was really special was sharing in the excitement of what was newly possible. Today’s digital technology has taken it up a notch – or a hundred. The access we have to unlimited information is powerful, unprecedented, and sometimes dangerous. In...

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  “I learned about struggle and learning to heal. Healing is possible.” “The power of being present.” “How to be joyful even if you don’t feel like it.” “God doesn’t see ‘the other’ like we do, and loves us all the same.” This past fall, youth from the 2024 Elevation Experience reunited to reflect on their time in Rwanda. During post-trip programming, they began writing their lessons on a large whiteboard. Gratitude. Joy. Humility. Strength in Community. Quickly, the whiteboard was completely filled. Though each of the eight youth had unique takeaways, they all agreed: their lives had been changed....

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  On July 3, 2006, Clea Moss was officially declared dead. After accidentally ingesting an opioid to ease the pain of a serious car accident, her heart stopped for 30 minutes. Remarkably, she woke up. Clea’s life is a remarkable journey marked by miracles and resilience similar to this. As a youth, she found herself in a difficult place. At one point, she ran away from home, got involved in organized crime, and then became a travelling hippie. Along the way, many judged her situation, saying, “Clea will never change; she will always be a user and can never manage...

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