By Sarah Gale, Contributing Writer
“Are we there yet?” has been a frequently asked question since last Thursday, when Jefferson Christian Academy started its journey to the West Coast.
The students’ final destination is the Adventist Association of Agriculture’s Annual Conference, approximately 1,700 miles away in Fresno, California.
Students and faculty crammed backpacks, travel pillows and even a printer into vans at 5 a.m, to start on the intimidating drive across the state of Texas.
Pine trees turned to grassy open plains, shortly followed by desert and mountains. Students passed the time with spotty cell service, a supply of gas station snacks and depending on who you were either catching up or procrastinating on English homework.
After 12 hours of driving, JCA arrived at a Seventh Day Adventist Church and their home for the night in El Paso, Texas.
The overall verdict of the so-called “Wild West,” was that it was decidedly lacking in Hollywood’s typical Western portrayal.
“Has anyone seen a cowboy, cowgirl, or horses?” English teacher, Vanessa Kerr, cried out in disappointment.
The next day the school drove through New Mexico into Mesa, Arizona. The local Tongan community fed and housed the school, providing some much-needed rest for students weary of traveling.
While in Mesa, the music program put on two full-length performances with their choir, brass band and bell choir.
Alto singer, Siunipa Telefoni said, “This is what makes the choir the best. It’s fun getting to travel so often.”
On Sunday afternoon, the vans reached their final pitstop in Riverside, California. Students quickly washed up and prepared for a concert that was set for later that evening.
As the choir finished their last song for the night, a church leader came to the front of the room and congratulated JCA on teaching young people to, “musically spread the Gospel.”
The vans were packed for the last time on Tuesday morning, to make the remaining four-hour drive to Fresno.
After grabbing pizza for dinner, they finally arrived at Wonder Valley Ranch and collapsed onto their bunk beds.
“My favorite part was looking out the window because I was able to see so many new places,” answered sophomore, Divine Usea, when asked about how she enjoyed the ride.