Comets Carry History of Mission Calling to Albania on Senior Mission Trip

In 1914 Berge Revne sat in a stuffy classroom in Grand Forks, North Dakota, listening intently. The school’s founder and President, E.M. Broen paused his teaching to wipe back the tears shed for the lost in the world; students scribbled notes in Norwegian, memorializing the life-changing lessons from the words which echoed in the dimly lit classroom filled with Revne and his Bible School classmates. The simple but powerful Christian education Revne received led to an inspiring story that continues to shape Hillcrest over 100 years later.

LBS Graduation class of 1914
Front Row: Finn Larson; C.A. Ask; Lornts Aasheim
Back Row: Martin Valderhaug; Gilbert Stenoien; Marie Skovholt; Berge Revne; E.M. Strom

Revne was one of many students who leaped from his time at Hillcrest to join the mission of God around the world. While E.M. Broen taught through tears sharing statistics of those who’d had yet to hear of Christ in China, something that pricked the heart of Marie Skovholt in class and inspired her to venture to China, Revne’s heart cried for the continent of Africa.

This scenario has played out countless times at Hillcrest. A teacher shares something happening in the world and has to pause because of its weight, a student hears the call of the Lord through a lesson, and the message of Christ is expanded in the world.

For many at Hillcrest, these calls were felt through the annual missions conferences where students would hear from missionaries and find a supporting ministry. Today, students learn of the need for missionaries and people to join Christ in His mission worldwide in classroom lessons, chapel services, and special speakers.

In the early 2000s, Hillcrest started offering opportunities for students to experience a cross-cultural mission experience while attending Hillcrest. School administration and leadership devoted teaching times and segments of the school year for students to share the Gospel in the community of Fergus Falls, throughout the region of the midwest, and overseas.

This week a group of students and chaperones boarded a bus and later ventured to a series of planes and landed in Albania to join a mission movement in that area. Over the next week, Hillcrest students will take the lessons from their classrooms to the streets of Albania, sharing the love of Jesus and His mission for the world to know Him in remote areas.

In all this, students follow the leadership of teachers in a similar way to Marie Skovholt and Berge Revne. Replacing the voice of E.M. Broen is the voice of Gregg Preston and Gaylen Peterson, Karina Larson, and Augusta Ewan. The Lord is using the lessons and hearts they’ve passed to students throughout the year to inspire a group of seniors to join Jesus on His mission in Albania and encourage the Albanian church. In this spirit, Hillcrest continues to live out the mission of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren to make disciples worldwide. Students are living into the rich history of equipping students for lives of eternal significance, so evident at Hillcrest Academy.