Golden Heart Christian School and several members of the Fairbanks Adventist Church recently hosted students in grades 3–10 from Anchorage Junior Academy (AJA) and Mat Valley Adventist School (Palmer) for the “best campout of our lives” as one seventh-grader put it. Approximately 50 staff and students from Anchorage and Palmer schools made the 400-mile trek up the Parks highway on Thursday during the peak of fall colors. The students spent Thursday night at the Fairbanks School and then moved to Twin Bears Camp 30 miles from Fairbanks. Barbara Quaile, Golden Heart Christian School (GHCS), plans an annual campout for her students each year and tweaked the schedule a bit to accommodate the larger group.

Fairbanks church member Bernard Bador, an employee at Fort Knox, a working open-pit gold mine, arranged for a three-hour guided tour. Students and staff alike were “totally wowed” by the process, the huge equipment, and holding a 21.42-pound brick of gold worth $148,394.96 ($577.30/ounce).

On Friday afternoon, cowboy Neil Wetherington, a local church member, shared a part of his extensive collection of cowboy gear including a variety of chaps, outerwear and several antique weapons.

Ruth Farnsworth, AJA principal, organized the Sabbath School nature activity. Daphne Keeney, a Fairbanks member, led the group through several activities to illustrate that in God’s hands ordinary hands can do extraordinary things.

It took only about 35 minutes on Sabbath afternoon for the combined group of students to package the dry ingredients for nearly 300 bags of soup for the local food bank. GHCS has provided the local food bank with approximately 100 bags of soup mix for the past six years. The food bank has contacted the school each fall to verify that they can count on this contribution. Students enjoyed the opportunity to contribute in this meaningful way.

On the final night, Chena Hot Springs, a natural hot springs 30 miles from the camp, made the perfect place to relax from three long and busy days.

Anchorage and Palmer students may have driven the miles, but Quaile and her team in Fairbanks went the extra mile to provide the visiting schools a wonderful introduction to the Fairbanks area. Sylvia Thruston and Jane Bador made sure there was plenty to eat for the hearty appetites. Members shared their personal canoes, giving the students the enjoyable opportunity to paddle in the small lake with the beavers.

On Friday afternoon at a Taco Bell, a patron commented that it was a great pleasure to dine with so many teen boys without having to listen to foul language. She also observed that they bowed their heads in prayer.