Throughout 2026 I have been exploring early Sabbatarian Adventists in the states that now comprise the Mid-America Union. There is no way to know who the first Millerite or Adventist was in each state. Instead, I have attempted to feature the first people to write to the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald (forerunner of the Adventist Review) from the territories or states in what is now the Mid-America Union. However, the first Adventists to visit Wyoming, were merely traveling through. There are hints that small groups and isolated Adventist families lived in Wyoming before anyone wrote to the Review in the 1890s. The first Adventists to visit Wyoming were those traveling through on the Union Pacific Railroad, headed to destinations on the West Coast. It must have felt like an empty country. In 1870, the Federal Census counted less than 10,000 residents (excluding Native Americans living on reservations who were not counted). James White mentioned passing through Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, several times on the Whites’ transcontinental travels. In 1873 as James and Ellen White left Colorado, Cheyenne was the site of their decision to return to Battle Creek for the General Conference session instead of continuing on to California as originally planned (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald). Others also mentioned passing through Cheyenne on the railroad, but none of them indicated making contact with residents or even leaving literature. However, some Adventists must have made their way to Wyoming to stay, because the General Conference reported seventy church members in the Wyoming Mission in November 1879 (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald). Scouring the pages of the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald suggests the potential identity of only one of these seventy church members: In 1881 Mary T. Joynson of Rawlins, Wyoming Territory submitted a classified seeking the location of Eugene Fowler, probably her oldest son, Alfred E. Fowler. Mary Joynson joined the Adventist Church in Minnesota in 1862 with her first husband Stephen T. Fowler (1827-1875). After his death she married Samuel Joynson, and by 1880 they lived in Rawlins, Wyoming. By 1880, Wyoming’s counted population had doubled to 20,789. Based on growth between 1880 and 1890, there were 33,000-40,000 people in Wyoming in 1883 when the General Conference assigned Wyoming Territory to the Colorado Conference. It then became the responsibility of Adventists in Colorado to begin outreach. Work began with the Wyoming Tract and Missionary Society. That same year, extracts of letters from a Baptist lady in Wyoming Territory, who converted after reading Adventist literature and whose name was not shared with readers, were printed in the Review. It was obvious that she was both reading and sharing with others a quantity of Adventist literature (Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald). First Wyoming Tract and Missionary Society Agent According to the Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, Jacob Thornton Trees was the first agent in Wyoming for the Tract and Missionary Society, appointed in 1885, or perhaps even 1884. He held the office until at least 1886, possibly as long as 1888 (Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1885). Jacob Thornton Trees* was born February 13, 1853, in Illinois. He was the youngest of six children, and his father, Jacob W. Trees, apparently died before Jacob Thornton was seven years old. By then the family had returned to Jackson County, Indiana—his mother Eliza Robertson Trees’ home. Eliza raised her children in Indiana. Several of the children married in Indiana before the siblings began a staggered migration to Albany County, Wyoming. Their mother eventually joined them as well. Where Jacob Thornton Trees met and married Mary Jane Brown (1861-1946, born in Arkansas) is unknown, but it seems likely they met in Colorado or Wyoming, or at least on their way west. In 1880, the couple was living in Dale Creek, Albany County, Wyoming (about 20 miles southwest of Laramie), with their three-month-old daughter and two of Jacob’s siblings. Despite the proximity to Laramie, the family floated between Dale Creek and northern Colorado. In 1883 their second daughter was born Colorado. Shortly after, probably in 1884, they joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church likely in Fort Collins, although that is not certain (Mary Jane Trees obituary). As Tract and Missionary Society agent, Jacob’s post office was in Tie Siding, Albany County, Wyoming, south of Laramie and about six miles west of Dale Creek. This had likely been the Trees’ post office all along. Tie Siding was established in the 1860s by the Union Pacific Railroad, and earned its name from being the storage location for railroad ties as the Union Pacific expanded across Wyoming. It was also located along the Overland Trail (now highway U.S. 287) between Laramie and Fort Collins. Jacob’s work as Tract and Missionary Society agent was short-lived, and aside from his name in the Yearbook, there is no record of his work, no orders reported in the Review. Two more children born to them during these years at Tie Siding. He soon moved his family to the St. Cloud Mining District in Colorado around 1889, and then Diamond Peak, also in Colorado, where he worked in carpentry. Five more children were born them during these final years in Colorado. Between 1900 and 1910, Jacob and Mary finally settled in a permanent home in Burley, Idaho, where they remained lifelong Adventists. The only hint of what Jacob Trees may have accomplished in Tie Siding appeared in a report of George O. States, minister from Colorado on a visit to Wyoming in 1896. States spent “spent one Sabbath with the little company at Tie Siding, holding several meetings, which they seemed to appreciate” (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald). Were any of these people  members of Jacob’s family who continued to live in Wyoming? There is no evidence that any of Jacob and Mary extended family accepted the Adventist message, but neither is there evidence that they did not. Wyoming was a difficult territory to enter. Even after Adventist work in Wyoming began in earnest in the 1890s—coinciding with the territory’s admission to statehood and the end of the western <a class="cat-post-excerpt-more" href="https://outlookmag.org/in-search-of-adventists-in-wyoming-territory/" title="Continue reading In Search of Adventists in Wyoming Territory Adventists were few and far between in a sparsely populated territory“>Read more…

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Northern Lights Camp is a beloved asset of the Dakota Conference, and it is the site of many cherished memories for a growing number of people. This past August, it became the home of a new set of memories for the young adults of the Dakota Territory at the first ever young adult camp! The staff team prayerfully planned the weekend together and had a unified desire to disciple our young adults and model an attractive friendship with Jesus. Part of this friendship with the Lord is demonstrating and facilitating that Jesus is Lord of our fun and recreation, and memorable play is part of a healthy relationship with Him! So, we planned camp activities such as archery, and the obvious—jet-skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing, which everyone seemed to love—but we also made kayaks and canoes available, as well as informal lawn games like Giant Jenga and Connect 4. A critical element was team challenges and interactive activities that reveal profound truths to the participants in an engaging and memorable way. Some of these activities function like interactive parables.  Participants were given an opportunity to learn new skills, such as wakeboarding and jet ski driving. Getting up on a wakeboard can require remarkable tenacity for some people, and the same is true for driving jet skis. These things are not intuitive for everyone. Each evening, worship was around a modest campfire, which enticed the group into close interaction. Each worship led into a time of interactive questions and dialogue. Our young adults asked some probing questions which evoked long, lingering conversations in a reflective and unrushed context. What can I do to connect with God through trials when He seems so far away? If God knows the end from the beginning and is all-powerful, why did He allow for the possibility of evil? Answers to such questions may seem obvious to some, but each person must reckon with their own faith and resolve these questions for themselves. Morning worships happened in creative settings. One morning, worship was in the boats on the lake; one morning it was in the loft of the girls’ chalet, which had been tastefully decorated to make it more inviting. By the end of the weekend, participants were begging for assurance that this event would happen again next year and that it could be scheduled earlier in the summer, before the first weekend of college, so more people could come. Almost every person communicated how much they enjoyed the food, and the worship engagement spoke for itself. God blessed this event richly. It was a success in every regard—Jesus was honored through play and devotion, and everyone said they would do it again! It is moments like these that strengthen the fabric of our church fellowship and stage the passing of the torch of leadership to the next generation.  Pastor Nathan James serves the Custer/Hot Springs church district in South Dakota.

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Messiah’s Mansion drew approximately 3,517 guests to McPherson, Kansas, last July and prompted 242 people to request ongoing Bible studies. Hosted by the McPherson Church, the exhibit introduced visitors to the Bible’s sanctuary message and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The response reached beyond the host community. Wichita accounted for 74 Bible study requests, followed by McPherson with 53, Salina with 38 and Hutchinson with 21. Others came from surrounding communities and six states outside Kansas. The church’s follow-up plan calls for contacting each person and connecting them with a local congregation whenever possible. For Pastor Eli Fuentes, those results followed months of prayer by a congregation that began with about $1,000 available for evangelism. Hosting the exhibit would require approximately $18,000 and at least 40 people to help with setup. “To be honest, I thought it was impossible,” Fuentes wrote in his account of the project. Head elder Engel Yoder first proposed bringing Messiah’s Mansion to McPherson early in 2025. Members began studying Steps to Personal Revival that March, then spent 40 days in prayer and fasting during the summer. They prayed specifically about whether to host the exhibit. Yoder was battling cancer when he proposed the project. During the 40 days of prayer, he told the congregation he had been declared cancer-free. Fuentes, who had prayed for Yoder’s healing as a sign to move forward, saw the news as confirmation to pursue the outreach. The church voted that September to invite Messiah’s Mansion. Members continued praying for the money and volunteers they would need. After Yoder requested prayer for the project during a Christmas musical, someone approached him at the potluck and shared that he had made a significant donation. Another contribution came while Yoder was visiting family in Enterprise. The church secured a park across the street from their church building for the exhibit, and also lodging for its staff. The lodging owner offered a 30 percent discount after learning why the group was coming. Conference support arrived in February 2026. Members also expanded their plans for sharing the Bible’s message. Instead of waiting until the following week to hold an evangelistic series, they planned meetings each evening after the exhibit presentations. Another 40 days of prayer began in May as the congregation prepared for the July outreach. Volunteers remained a concern as setup began on July 12. Only about eight people were there at the start. Around 10 a.m., approximately 10 community members arrived to help. A family of four drove about two hours from Kiowa, Kansas, to join them. The following day, approximately 15 community members helped with the work. With their assistance, setup finished a day ahead of schedule. Reflecting on the preparations, Fuentes wrote, “We met together again and again—not simply to plan, but to praise God for the way He was leading us.” The focus on prayer and praise continues during the follow-up calls to each person and efforts to connect them with a local congregations.

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For Christina Lee, 2026 brought a whirlwind of emotions, challenges and unexpected changes. After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis at a younger age, she found herself navigating chemotherapy, hair loss, unemployment and an uncertain future—all at once.  So when Lee was invited to Beautiful You—a special event hosted by AdventHealth Parker earlier this fall for patients battling cancer—she welcomed the chance to step away from treatment for a little while and simply focus on herself.  The event offered patients a day of pampering and encouragement, including complimentary makeovers provided by students from the Paul Mitchell School of Denver. Participants also had the opportunity to try on wigs, learn how to style and wear them and choose wigs to take home at no cost.  For Lee, that support carried special meaning. Just two days after receiving her breast cancer diagnosis, she lost her job along with the security of health insurance and a steady income.  “Cancer and treatment can make you feel like so much of your life is centered around doctors, medications and feeling terrible,” Lee said. “Taking a moment to be cared for in a way that focuses on making me feel beautiful and confident is incredibly meaningful.”  Her hair began falling out after starting chemotherapy, something she says was emotionally difficult. “Losing my hair has been devastating to me,” Lee shared during the event. “I’m excited to try on wigs and figure out what my new normal will look like.”  Having access to wigs she could take home was more than a fun part of the event—it was a meaningful gift during a time when purchasing one herself may not have been financially possible.  Beautiful You also gave Lee an opportunity to connect with others experiencing something similar. “As much support as I’ve received from friends and family, sometimes only someone going through the same thing can really understand,” she said.  Throughout her journey, Lee has been learning to redefine what beauty and confidence mean. Cancer has changed her appearance, her daily routine and the way she experiences her body, but it has not changed who she is.  “Confidence isn’t about looking perfect or pretending that everything is OK,” she said. “For me, it has become about showing up even when I don’t look or feel my best.”  She said she hopes other young women facing a breast cancer diagnosis will remember that they do not have to have everything figured out. “You can be scared, angry, sad or completely overwhelmed,” Lee said. “You can also laugh and have moments of joy. There is no ‘right way’ to be a cancer patient.”  For Lee, Beautiful You offered one of those moments of joy—a chance to laugh, connect, feel cared for and remember that even in the middle of a difficult journey, she is still herself and she can still feel beautiful. 

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