Friends of the Jae Foundation, Last week, I wrote about our trip to Hutchinson to follow the College of Southern Idaho Men’s Basketball team. There was one moment from that trip I really wanted to share. We had two meals in Yoder—one breakfast and one dinner. Yoder is an Amish community, and something interesting happens when you pull into town… Our phones stop working. No service. No internet. No distractions. At first, it felt inconvenient. Then it felt… freeing. We sat down to eat, and as I looked around the room, I noticed something you don’t see much anymore. No one was on their phone. No one had an iPad out. No one was half-present. People were just… there. Talking. Laughing. Looking each other in the eye. Being present with their family, with the waitress, with the moment. It reiterated something I think about often— We’ve created a world where we are constantly connected… yet increasingly disconnected. Research tells us that some of the greatest protectors of mental health are actually pretty simple: Connection. Belonging. Face-to-face conversation. A sense of purpose. And in a small place like Yoder, you see all of it—everywhere you look. It’s not about going backwards or living without technology. But it is a reminder… That maybe the most important things in life don’t require a signal. They require presence. As we continue to walk with people through the work of the Jae Foundation, we’re reminded that what we’re building is not just awareness… It’s connection. Real, human, look-you-in-the-eye connection. Because at the end of the day— Hope is often found in being seen. And that can’t happen without presence. It’s Boot-Check Time.