Over the last four years, the annual Leadership Fellows retreats have always been a great experience for fellowship and learning, and the recent longer trip that we took to Alaska was no different. Throughout my college experience, I have always been able to draw on my time with HELM in order to find guidance, strength, and to simply reflect on fond memories. I know I will be able to carry the experiences I’ve had in Alaska into life after college as well, most specifically learning about the history of Alaska and its indigenous people. Obviously, I had always known that the land that the United States was built on was stolen, but I realized on this trip just how naive I was to the impacts that it has had on the entire history of the nation and the indigenous peoples. I realize now just how powerful it can be to just acknowledge who came on the land before us. However, it is clear that more must be done, and I will try and become more involved back home by delving into the history of who lived before me and by attempting to contact local tribes and find out more about their history if I am welcomed to. Naturally, this trip has also brought me closer to God as well by witnessing all the natural splendor that God has created. I have also gained increased respect for the Disciples of Christ community at large, which has happened throughout my time in the Leadership Fellows Program. To know that we have members all the way up in Anchorage is inspiring, but it also reminds me of how much we must help some of our more isolated churches and continue to strengthen the bond that we share. Overall, I am just extremely thankful for all the experiences I’ve had with HELM, especially this trip to Alaska, and I hope that I in turn can pay it forward by helping the larger Disciples community.