Lynette Goude has a big heart. Big enough to embrace every child who lives in Togiak, Alaska, where she and her husband, John, serve as lay pastors.

Last year, they helped raise money to send a group of children to nearby Camp Polaris, an Adventist mission camp in the pristine wilderness of southwest Alaska.

For some children, this was their first time away from home. They were nervous about leaving their families, so Lynette packed her bags and went along to provide comfort and support.

Her eyes filled with tears as she watched the children playing in the lake the first day. “It’s a happy thing, really,” she assured me. “You’d have to see how these children live the rest of the year to understand why I’m crying. They’re finally getting to be kids!”

When the children returned to Togiak, Lynette asked them to share one thing they’d learned from their time at camp.

“I learned how much Jesus loves me,” one child replied. “Me too!” said another.

“Everyone at Camp Polaris has one focus,” Lynette told me, “that these kids learn that God is their best Friend and that He wants to take them home to live with Him forever.” According to her campers, Camp Polaris has been successful in its mission!

In “Camp Polaris Revisited” on page 16, you’ll discover how your support of the first quarter 2015 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering made it possible for many more children to learn about Jesus.

You’ll also find stories in this issue about people whose lives have been positively changed by Adventist Mission projects around the world. Perhaps you’ll feel a heart connection with them as I did with the campers at Camp Polaris. If so, I invite you to respond with your prayers and donations.

Thank you for being part of Adventist Mission. You’re making an eternal difference, one life at a time.

Laurie Falvo

Laurie Falvo serves as the editor of Mission 360° for the Office of Adventist Mission at the Seventh-day Adventist Church world headquarters.