For those of you who may not know me personally, you might know my parents, Nathan and Sarah Hilvers. I am incredibly thankful for the kindness, love, and support so many have shown me. I’m excited to share with you the opportunity God has placed in front of me for this upcoming school year.

Over the past few years, while it may have looked like I had it all together, my mental health declined drastically. I went from being a joyful young girl to battling deep feelings of worthlessness and anxiety. Even though I knew the truth of the gospel — that I am saved and deeply loved — I struggled to believe it when my circumstances seemed to scream otherwise. I became lost, just a shell of who I was meant to be, seeking validation from anything that might make the emptiness go away.

I poured myself into high school achievements — perfect grades, leadership positions, acceptance into amazing colleges. Yet even after accomplishing it all, I felt more empty and broken than before. In what should have been a season of celebration, as I was about to graduate high school, I was filled with anxiety and uncertainty. Overwhelmed by the pressure of a life-changing decision about my future, I tried to keep every door open out of fear of choosing the wrong one — and ended up not choosing at all.

But while I was stressing about the fall, God opened an unexpected door: a position at Hume Lake Christian Camp for the summer. I applied just days after my graduation — far past the normal hiring season — and within 48 hours, I was on the phone with my future boss and preparing to move in just two weeks to work in retail. That experience alone showed me that even when I can’t see it, God is always working. He opens doors, leads us forward, and all He asks is that we trust Him.

It was at Hume that I first heard about the Joshua Wilderness Institute.

The Joshua Wilderness Institute (JWI) is a 9-month discipleship program located in the Sequoia National Forest. It exists to train young adults to love God and His Word, laying a foundation for a life worthy of the gospel. Fifty students live together, attend Bible classes, learn from guest speakers, go on mission and service trips, participate in small groups and book studies, and serve in different departments of camp. The program teaches us how to apply the truth of God’s Word to our daily lives — without running to the distractions and numbing of the world.

By God’s grace, I was accepted into the program a few weeks ago.

To be honest, this wasn’t the plan I had in mind. I envisioned going to a prestigious college, meeting lifelong best friends, and living out the “perfect” next chapter. But God kept placing JWI on my heart all summer, and the more I resisted, the more He made it known that this is where He wants me.

So, I’ve surrendered all my college acceptances and my plans. I’m choosing to walk in obedience, trusting that God’s plan is better than mine — and in this season, that means saying yes to the Joshua program.

I am beyond excited to see what God will do through this experience. During the program, we fast from TV, pre-recorded music, dating, and social media. We go on five service and learning trips — three domestic and two international. Domestically, we’ll take a formative wilderness trip, serve at Hume SoCal, and minister to diverse communities in inner-city Los Angeles. Internationally, we’ll partner with Students International in the Dominican Republic to serve and share the gospel. We’ll end the year with a two-week study tour through Turkey, visiting many of the biblical cities Paul spoke of in Acts.

As I step into this next chapter, I would love to invite you to be a part of it.

First, I ask for your prayers:

Please pray for my mental, emotional, and physical health as I continue to work through past struggles and lay them before God’s truth.

Pray for a strong community of friends and mentors who will walk with me in this season — that I wouldn’t isolate, but be uplifted by godly people.

Pray that my relationship with the Lord would deepen through this program — that I would fully believe in His love and trust in His provision.

Your prayers mean the world to me, and I am so thankful for your support in this way.

Second, I ask you to consider supporting me financially.

The cost of this program for me is around $22,000, which covers classes, housing, food, travel, and mission trips. Would you prayerfully consider giving? Any amount is a blessing. Your generosity is not just an investment in my life but in the work God is doing through this program.

Leilah