Hi! My name is Elana York and I am a student with the Joshua Wilderness Institute at Hume Lake Christian Camps.
I am 20 years old, born and raised in Hanford, CA. Hume Lake holds such a special place in my heart. When I was 11 years old and in 6th grade, my school went to Hume for a week-long camp. It was there that I decided to take my faith seriously and surrender my life to the Lord. Over the past 5 years, I have had the opportunity to serve on several mission trips. The Lord truly cultivated a heart for ministry in me through each of these trips. It’s been such a beautiful opportunity to see the Lord work globally. Since committing my life to the Lord, I have done my best to serve Him in every season of my life. Right now, that season is with the Joshua Wilderness Institute (JWI).
JWI exists to disciple young adults toward loving God and His Word in order to set a foundation for a life worthy of the gospel. I will be living in a beautiful place with 55 other students, taking Bible classes, learning from various speakers, going on different trips, participating in small groups and book studies, working in all of the different departments of camp and more. I will be starting JWI in September 2024 and graduating in May 2025. In the program, I hope to learn more about the Word of God and how to truly be a witness to others about the gospel. I am beyond excited to see what God does in and through my time there!
One of the ways we will be applying what we learn in the building is through our service and learning trips. We take five trips throughout the program, three domestic and two international. In the United States, we participate in a formational camping trip at the beginning of the year, do work projects at Hume SoCal, and experience different cultures, service and evangelism opportunities in Inner-City LA. Internationally, we work alongside missionaries to practically serve and share the gospel with communities in the Dominican Republic. This is done in partnership with Students International, a missions organization that I have served with many
times over the last few years. We then finish the year with a two-week geography and study tour of Israel. I had the privilege to go to Israel this past June. It was a life changing trip for me. I am so excited to be able to go back to the Holy Land and see our 9 months of learning come alive while on the trip.
As I prepare for this next chapter of my life, I strongly desire my community to be a part of this journey alongside me. There are a few ways that I would love to invite you to help send me as I follow the Lord in this way. First, I invite you to please pray for me. 1) Please pray for my health, especially during my time at Hume. 2) Please pray that the Lord strengthens my relationship with Him through this program, builds a loving and supportive community among the students, and provides in every way that needs to be met. Your prayers mean the world to me and I am so thankful for your partnership in this way.
Second, I invite you to help send me financially. This incredible program costs $14,000. This includes all of my classes, room and board, travel, and trips. Would you consider helping me financially? Your gifts would be an investment into the Kingdom and help people hear the Good News. Gifts are tax-deductible and can be made online or by check. Please see below to make a donation. I am so thankful for your partnership and prayers, it really means a lot to me. I look forward to sharing how God uses this program for His glory and my good!
“For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.’ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!’” Romans 10:13-15
In Christ,
Elana York