Finding Community in the Mountains: Young Adults Gather at Leoni Meadows
By Ken Miller
In a season of life when many young adults are searching for connection, purpose, and a place to belong, a simple weekend at Leoni Meadows became something more—a reminder that authentic community is still possible and that the Northern California Conference (NCC) and its churches are committed to supporting this age group.
One hundred twenty-five young adults gathered for the retreat, and from the start, the atmosphere felt warm and welcoming. Presenters encouraged participants to engage fully in the weekend. They emphasized the importance of creating spaces where young adults can ask honest questions, explore doubts, and discover their personal faith, while also building meaningful relationships with peers and mentors.
Question-and-answer sessions highlighted the honesty and curiosity of the group. Questions submitted anonymously on phones sparked open conversations, and the panel’s transparency modeled the kind of spiritual authenticity this generation values. Young adults are seeking authentic relationships, safe spaces to share struggles, mentorship, and opportunities to actively live out their faith—all of which were reflected in the weekend’s activities. The prayer room quickly became a favorite place, offering a quiet space to reflect, while the growing prayer wall invited participants to share hopes, concerns, and prayer requests.
This weekend also marked a new chapter. Plans are underway for a mission trip to Alaska in August 2026, during which young adults will help run a summer camp. The annual Leoni retreat will now move permanently to January, with the next gathering scheduled for Jan. 8-10, 2027.
Mission: STEMpossible at Rio Lindo’s “Spy” Academy
By Nicholas Sigler
Rio Lindo Adventist Academy transformed its campus into a world of secret missions and scientific discovery during its “Spy” Academy STEM Camp, the first since 2018. Middle school “agents-in-training” from six NCC schools spent two days diving into hands-on activities that blended creativity, curiosity, and real-world science.
Students began their mission by constructing their own laser mazes. Using geometry and spatial reasoning, they positioned mirrors to guide a laser beam through a complex path, learning how light reflects and how real security systems operate. Agents then moved into the cryptography lab, where they created ciphers and used mathematical patterns to crack secret messages. By applying logic and number sequences, they decoded clues that revealed new “intel” throughout the camp.
Next, participants experimented with invisible ink, testing everyday substances—from lemon juice to baking soda to cabbage-based indicators—to discover which solutions could hide or reveal messages using heat or chemical reactions. Campers finished their training by engineering LED magnetic trackers, wiring small circuits with lights and magnets to create devices that could flash or stick to metal surfaces, mimicking tools used in real investigations.
Through experiences like “Spy” STEM Camp, Rio Lindo isn’t just making science fun for students in the NCC—it’s helping them imagine their futures. By blending teamwork, problem-solving, and hands-on engineering with a mission to make science exciting, accessible, and unforgettable, the camp equips young people for advanced coursework, technical careers, and real-world challenges.
As Emma, an eighth-grader from Feather River, shared, “It was a great opportunity to meet other schools and make new friends. The teachers were friendly and helpful. I learned that lasers show up better in the dark and fog, and the light bounces off mirrors.”
