Summer Mission Success with SLAM

This summer, junior high and high school students from the Academy participated in a mission week with Students Living a Mission. The theme, REK’NIZE, drawn from Colossians 3:1-3, informed the sermons by speakers for the week’s Derek Bargatze and Gregg Garner. Students were challenged to consider their identity in Christ (who they are) and how God is asking them to seek things from above (where they’re at).

Each day began with worship and prayer before heading out to service projects all around the Nashville area. In the evenings, students shared meals together and participated in an evening session before heading to focus groups. These moments of reflection and connection helped them process the day’s mission work, fostering a deeper understanding of their faith.

The students dedicated their time to serving local nonprofits and ministries across Nashville including Project CURE, The Bridge, kids’ day camps, and visiting homes of the elderly. They worked without complaint, showcasing a spirit of service by sorting donations, organizing food drives, and assisting with community outreach programs. The following testimonies were shared by some of our team leaders and chaperones:

A Memorable Service Project for Our 7th Graders!

BY KK NADEAU

Our 7th graders took part in a truly special service project at the Madison Church of Christ Garden, a wonderful place dedicated to serving the homeless and elderly daily. Last year, this garden produced over 2,000 lbs of food to help those in need. 🌿🥕

On this cool morning under a sycamore tree, we were greeted by Nature Nate, who eagerly shared his inspiring story of faith and resilience. As we picked onions and potatoes, the students were enthusiastic about the mystery of how many potatoes they’d find under each plant. Nate taught us all about hydroponic gardening using fish poop (which the boys found especially fascinating), rainwater, and limestone. His resourcefulness and heart for teaching shone through every moment. 🌱💧

Nate's story of Obedience, Endurance, and Humility in the Lord deeply touched us all. He shared his testimony which continually pointed to the Lord. We took time to lay hands on him and pray over him, as he is having knee replacement surgery soon. He expressed his gratitude to all the students for helping him do things that were painful for him. Service projects are at the core of our program, but it’s rare to meet someone who gives so much of themselves like Nate does. 🌟

One of the highlights of the day was when we worked together to plant 500 lbs of pumpkins! Each student played a crucial role in digging, measuring, and planting, and with 18 of us, we completed the task in just 45 minutes—a job that would normally take Nate seven hours! Nate’s praise for our teamwork and unity was a true honor, and he even told us the college students who help every summer could learn these lessons from us. 🎃👏

Special thanks to Fawn and Jason Teska, Quinn’s parents, who volunteered alongside us and heard similar compliments from others in the garden. We’ve been invited back in the Fall to help harvest all those pumpkins, and we can’t wait!

A Special Moment with Mr. Odero

BY AMANDA DAVIS

What a full day of service for our crew as we served at Dandridge Towers Apartments. We cleaned 10 apartments and visited with the residents. The people we served were elderly and cleaning for them was such a blessing as we heard them say over and over how helpful we were.

One apartment that touched my heart was that of Lukio Odero a former geograpy teacher from Kenya. He is 80 years old and has been here in the states for 2 years. He suffers from severe back pain at times. He LOVES the Lord and it blasted worship music as we cleaned. Through out he would say Mrs. Amanda “I can’t tell you how much you all are blessing me.” He loved talking with Levi and answering all of his questions.

We sang two songs, “Ni Wewe tu and Yesu Ni Wangu” that the kids have learned at school and Mr. Odero said he felt so at home after we sang with him. He continued to testify and prayed over our students. God’s spirit was with us.

Below I will post a clip of Mr. Odero testifying when he mentions about being new to this land I couldn’t help but think of this verse from Leviticus! Our kids lived out these God’s word today we are so proud of them. They were the hands and feet of Jesus.

33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

On Set in Africa

Victor Lubega sits for an interview, reflecting on the insecurities he felt regarding his English language skills when he first began joining Academy classes. He recently went back to look at his homework from 2 years ago, and marveled at how his English has improved since then!

“Rolling in 3-2-1... Action!” This semester, our Academy Remote Learners in Uganda have come together for a film project. Together they are producing a mini-documentary: “Going to School in Nashville from Uganda.” They report that this is the most fun they’ve ever had working on a group project! Each of the six Jr. High and High school students have a role. 9th grader Victor Lubega is serving as Director, and he shared the valuable lessons he is learning on leadership and humility. “It was a challenge to me as director to listen to everyone and then come up with an idea for everyone that I thought was good. But then if it turned out it wasn’t good, they needed to correct me and we had to make changes.”

He has also learned valuable skills on planning for and running an efficient meeting, with an agenda and a clear start and end time. Adding this project onto his course load has taught him how to use his time more efficiently in all areas. “Whereas before maybe I would take my time on all homework assignments, now I set a timer and focus and I work quickly to complete my assignments. Then I can move on to work on the documentary.”

The 15 minute film will show the daily life of these students, from their daily chores caring for the chickens and pigs, to how they Zoom into Academy classes in Nashville every evening. They share the joys and the challenges, and reflect on how they have grown as people through the last several years of being Academy students. Academy Home Education Vice Principal Rebekah Hjälmeby has been guiding them through the process. “I’m not a film expert, but I understand project management and the value of team dynamic. I always remind the students that while I’m super excited about the movie they will produce, they themselves are the real project here.

Ms. Hjälmeby meets weekly with the students over Zoom, and brings in technical experts to advise as needed. Here she is joined by Ms. Sara Davis, who graduated from film school and worked in the film industry in L.A.

They are God’s workmanship, and the practical and social skills they’re learning through this will serve them well in whatever area they are called to work.” The students admit that they have surprised even themselves with what they have been able to accomplish together. “Volleyball has been the main group activity we have done together, but this is teaching us how to be part of a team in a whole new way,” says Favour Kimbugwe. “Yes,” agrees Genesis Ssemakula, “At first I didn’t really expect us to be able to do much. I was mostly motivated by the enthusiasm of my teachers, because they were really excited, and I didn’t want to disappoint them. But once we finished the intro video, I could see for myself the potential of the project. I could see the pieces of the puzzle coming together even more beautifully than we had imagined.”

Genevieve, an 8th grader who is one of two Videographers on the project, has learned much about operating a camera through the experience. Additionally, she has learned to critically think about the audience’s perspective. “As a videographer, you have to use your wisdom and brain to think how to catch the audience’s attention. And make them feel different emotions throughout different scenes.” Sserwada Gideon shared a similar reflection. “I am learning to create a background sound related to the emotions displayed by someone on screen.” Gideon is a talented musician, and he is writing the score and managing audio for the project. He too is learning to think about how to tell a story in a captivating way, and use music to help the audience connect emotionally.

Script writer Rebecca Lubega has the challenging task of creating a narrative that pulls together all of the interviews, B-roll and story angles. She is loving the challenge of learning this new genre of writing. The students have a deadline of the end of May to complete this project. Stay tuned to see the finished project, and join us in praying for and celebrating the work that God is doing in each of these projects of His!

Home Education Exemplary Students

Throughout the school year we acknowledge exemplary students within our Home Education program. So far this year, the Exemplar award has been given to two hard-working students, 11th grader Rebecca Lubega (Uganda) and 7th grader Esme García (Morristown, TN). These young ladies are both full-time remote learners, attending classes virtually through our hybrid classroom setups. 

In the Fall 2023 semester, Rebecca Lubega stood out to her teachers for taking ownership of her education with responsibility and enthusiasm. She had outstanding attendance in her classes and engaged course content with questions. Rebecca contacted her teachers regularly to stay on top of class work. As a Junior she did an outstanding job on her Directed Studies project, exploring the relationship between culture and food and how history has shaped those connections. This project culminated in a meal she prepared and hosted for her church community, organizing volunteers, and sharing with her guests about the things she learned throughout the process. Rebecca has shown great determination to succeed and we are so proud to acknowledge her accomplishments. 

Esme is in her first year with The Academy, and she has demonstrated resilience and faith in adjusting to a completely online school program. This spring in particular, her teachers have noted Esme’s consistent contributions in class, and her diligence to submit timely work. She has shown humility and positivity, persevering in her classes and making new friendships. Esme has truly had to practice faith in the Lord, and trust in her parents and teachers in this season, and we are happy to celebrate her!

Phoenix Basketball 2024 Season Comes to Close

We wanted to take a moment to recognize the achievements of our basketball teams and coaches for the 2023-2024 season. Our athletes and coaches have shown dedication, skill, and perseverance this season, and we are proud to acknowledge their performances.

The 2023-2024 jr high boys basketball team, coached by Ben Young and Teeyha Campbell.

First, we wanted to congratulate the Jr. High boy's team, led by coaches Ben Young and Teeyha Campbell. With a record of 16-4, they secured a second-place finish in the TSIAA conference, showcasing their talent and teamwork on the court.

Next, the JV Girl's and Boy's teams, with coaches Jen Nyago, Shaun Galford, and Isaiah Aaseby played an independent schedule that allowed them to elevate their game, providing invaluable experience and development opportunities that will shape their future contributions to our basketball program. The JV Girl’s team still has a couple of tournaments left to play in February and March.

Special recognition goes to our Varsity boy's team, led by coaches Andrew Bartlett, Isaiah Aaseby, and Stephen Ownby. They reached the semi-final game of the division 2 state playoffs, a testament to their hard work, skill, and determination throughout the season.

The 2023-2024 boys varsity basketball team, coached by Isaiah Aaseby, Andrew Bartlett, and Stephen Ownby.

We also want to honor our seniors, Antonio Thomas and Justice Garner, who have been integral members of our basketball program for all four years. Their leadership, dedication, and talent have left a lasting mark on our program, and we are very proud of their contributions.

We extend our sincerest gratitude to our senior captains, all our players, coaches, and loyal Phoenix fans whose support contributed to our teams’ successes throughout the season.

Some notable individual highlights of the season were the following (pictured left to right):

• Elam Littleton received All-State honors with the TSIAA

• Caleb Muñoz was awarded the Star of the Game for the Jr. High Championship game

• Justice Garner's record-breaking performance, scoring 32 points in a single game on senior night.

We look forward to the continued success of our basketball program in the years to come. Together, we will continue to rise as the Academy for GOD Phoenix!

Congratulations once again to all our teams and coaches on the 2023-2024 season!

Academic Achievements for Semester 1, 2023

It's time to celebrate the incredible academic achievements of our Junior High and High School students at the Academy for GOD for the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year! These students have demonstrated hard work and dedication in pursuit of academic excellence.

In Junior High, the following students achieved Academic Honors, which is awarded to students who earned all As and Bs during the Fall 2023 semester.

7th Grade

• Yonah Arroyo

• Olivia Brooks

• Brenton Buck

• Abram Davis

• Solomon Horst

• Charlee Kagay

• Jude Montgomery

• Phillip Motorny

• Landon Perryman

• Eve Willis

8th Grade

• Caden Aaseby

• Daniel Cameron

• Ruby Edmondson

• Eliana Galford

• Noah Galford

• Eden Loeffler

• Ajay Maute

• Nanozi Nyago

• Hudsyn Roberts

Also, in Junior High, the following students achieved Academic High Honors, which is awarded to Jr. High students who earned all As during the Fall 2023 semester.

7th Grade

• Judah Aaseby

• Isaac Muñoz

• Caleb Muñoz

• Abela Roufs

8th Grade

• Tobin Nadeau

• Stephen Ownby

In high school, the Principal’s Award was given to the following students students who achieved a Fall 2023 High School GPA of 3.5-3.86.

9th Grade

• Zuri Aaseby

• Caleb Lasater

• Joshua Lasater   

10th Grade 

• Malachi Aaseby

11th Grade

• Ethan Benoit

• Blessing Davis

• Tyler Worlow

12th Grade

• Tasha Andrews

• Kiah Roufs

Furthermore, the Headmaster’s Award is given to the following high school students who achieved a Fall 2023 High School GPA of 3.87-4.0.

9th Grade

• Evie Arroyo

• Adia Bargatze

• Esperanza Davis

• Owen Kagay

• Amani Kurtz

• Ethan Olson

• Shae Ownby

• Sailor Reichert

• Sarieli Reyes Sauls

• Jaelyn Roufs

• Jonah Willis

10th Grade

• Camden Cole

• Sophia Galford

• Luke Loeffler

• Joselyn Muñoz

11th Grade

• Ezrah Aaseby

• Esther Bargatze

• Mckenzie Castlen

• Eved Roufs

12th Grade

• Sawyer Cole

• Jackson Kurtz

• Luci Muñoz

• Zeke Nadeau

• Moriah Olson

Congratulations to all the students at the Academy for GOD for their outstanding accomplishments during the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year. Your hard work and dedication inspire us all!