‘Undivided’: A Conference-Wide Concert

Story by Ashley Boggess

Faculty and staff praise the Lord for the many blessings He bestowed upon Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA) throughout the 2022–23 school year. These blessings have come in the form of protection, students giving their lives to Jesus, and many opportunities for individuals to share their God-given talents with the community, say leaders.

To that end, LNAA and the other elementary schools and junior academies in the New Jersey Conference (NJC)—Tranquility Adventist School, Vine Haven Adventist School, Waldwick Junior Academy, and Meadow View Junior Academy—joined to be a blessing to the greater NJC community.

This year marked the first New Jersey Conference-wide concert that highlighted the musical talents of all its schools. Led by LNAA music teachers Henoc Morrobel and Mahaleth Forbes, and in partnership with Daniel Arrabato, the music teacher at the other schools, all five schools performed a concert at the Maranatha Haitian church in Newark. Students from each school performed instrumental and choir pieces. Under the direction of Morrobel, the LNAA band and orchestra showcased their many hours of practice. To close the program, a mass choir of students and soloists from all the schools sang the song, “Undivided.” Attendees share the song was a powerful ending to a beautiful evening.

This concert served as a culmination of a year of collaboration. LNAA has had the privilege of serving three other schools— Tranquility, Vine Haven, and Waldwick—in the education partnership to serve their high school-level students. The concert provided an opportunity for all the students in the NJC to come together to praise the Lord through music. Through instrumentals, praise and worship, choral pieces, and the spoken word, the Lord was praised and spirits were uplifted.

As Elisa Maragoto, LNAA principal and NJC education superintendent, appropriately states, “The Lord has surely blessed our conference’s schools with talented students, teachers, staff, administrators, supportive parents and communities. We thank God for His loving care and look forward to more opportunities to praise the Lord and minister together as an ‘undivided’ New Jersey Conference Education Department.”

With nearly 800 attendees from across the NJC, they say worshipping God together provided a truly unified, “undivided” experience.