Amongst the flurry of assessments and just under a week away from exams for the year nines and tens, I and the rest of the stressed-out senior school students from Hills Adventist College were sent off to the Senior School Day of Worship. Many of us were delighted! It’s an annual event, and it’s always a fun experience for us. Besides, it was a good opportunity for a reprieve from all the stress and school work. Some of us were eager to reconnect with old friends, and the more outgoing of us were pumped to make more.  Safe to say that everyone was excited.

So on the 29^th of May, all the senior students from the Adventist schools around Sydney converged on Mountain View Adventist College for the Senior School Day of Worship. But before the worship could begin, we were given the opportunity to mix and mingle. . .

After a short bus ride for the Hills kids – not so short for MacArthur – the day began at the Sydney Ice Arena with all students trying their hands at ice-skating. It was understandably very crowded but fun all the same. There were a few spills and a few – many – close calls, but that didn’t stop anyone.

We then headed over to Mountain View where we had lunch, kindly provided by representatives from Avondale College. Before and after lunch – but definitely not during because the food was too nice – people from all schools participated in some friendly basketball while others chatted on the sidelines.  This was great because it gave us an opportunity to get to know people from other schools and to catch up with old friends. The Mountain View students were very friendly, and they made us feel welcome at their school. It was great to see how easily students from different schools could interact with each other; there was a real sense of connection.

“Students from Mountain View are nice and I felt confident on their campus during the day. “
– Esther Chan, Hills Adventist College

We then proceeded to the program. After the ice-breakers, we had some fantastic music, which was provided by a combined worship team from all the schools. Our speaker for the day was Nimrod Maua, and he spoke on the theme ‘Nothing is Impossible’, inspiring us and encouraging the year twelve students.

“The day was great, I felt that everyone connected really well with each other, and Nimrod spoke great wisdom through his words.”
– Ally Whittle, Hills Adventist College

After the talk we were blessed with some lovely special items: The Mountain View Middle and Senior Choir sang ‘Free’ and the MacArthur Senior Choir sang ‘Every Praise’. Both performances were heartfelt and were a true testament to the great talent that can be found in our schools.

The day was a great bonding experience that brought our schools closer as a whole to create a wider community outside of the individual schools. The day really made an impression on me and lots of other students.

“I thought it was great to fellowship with other schools and make new connections. The theme of ‘Nothing is Impossible’ has helped me believe that I can do anything through God.”
– Kira-Leigh Josey, Mountain View Adventist College

It was a fun day – a great experience—and Nimrod’s talk inspired us all; I know all the students are excited to see what’s in stall for next year.

Contributed by Madi Worker, year 10 student at Hills Adventist College