Dear Friends and Family,

As you may have heard, I have been accepted to the Joshua Wilderness Institute for the 2026-2027 year! This is a 9-month discipleship program located in the Sequoia National Forest at Hume Christian Camps. JWI exists to disciple young adults toward loving God and His Word to set a foundation for a life worthy of the gospel. The program includes practiced acts of service, missions trips and evangelism, Bible classes through Biola University, hearing from guest speakers, and partaking in a countercultural fast.

I am most looking forward to growing in a Christ-centered community. This world has felt broken and lonely to me, and it is not every day you get to experience an environment of like-minded friendships aligned within your values and faith. That connection alone would be transformational for me.

We take five trips throughout the program, three domestic and two international. We will serve domestically at Hume SoCal and Inner-City LA. Internationally, we work alongside missionaries to share the gospel in communities of Guatemala, and finish the year with a two-week geography and study/bible tour of Turkey (Ephesians)!

There are a few ways I’d love to invite you to help send me as I follow the Lord in this way. First, I invite you to please pray for me. Please pray for my financial support, for clarity in these next steps, and that God will prepare my heart for all He wants to teach me this year. Your prayers mean the world to me and I am thankful for your partnership in this way.

Second, I invite you to help send me financially. This incredible program costs $25,000. I have already secured my spot with a $500 deposit and competed my first payment of $5,000. The next payments due are $2,500 in September as well as an average of $2,000 on the 1st of every month. This includes all my classes, room and board, travel, and trips. Would you consider helping me financially?

If you would like to contribute by credit card, instead, please call (559) 305-7788. If you would like to contribute by check, cash, or money order, please make checks out to Hume Lake Christian Camps with my name in the memo.

Please mail all checks to:

JWI Registration

64144 Hume Lake Rd. Hume, CA 93628

I am deeply grateful for your prayers and your support. I cannot wait to share how the Lord uses this next season in my life.

In Christ,

Natalie Ortega