Inter-America

Inter-America's largest Pathfinder camporee concludes with challenge to "conquer giants"

Dominican Republic to host next division-wide youth event in 2017

Mexico City, Mexico | Libna Stevens/IAD/ANN

The Seventh-day Adventist Church's 3rd Pathfinder camporee in the Inter-American Division (IAD) marked the division's largest territory-wide youth event.

More than 20,000 Pathfinders, leaders and chaperons from 21 regions participated in community outreach projects, activities, classes, competitions, musical presentations and drama performances during the five-day event.

During a closing program, Benjamin Carballo, director of Youth Ministries for the church in Inter-America, reminded Pathfinders to remain faithful to God. His message echoed the camporee's theme, "Conquering Giants," based on the Old Testament story of David's victory against Goliath.

Division President Israel Leito challenged the young people, saying, "This camporee was the platform to launch a new life with more dedication, more prayer [and] more conviction that there is nothing impossible for Jesus to overcome as you conquer the giants in your life."

In the future, a territory-wide camporee is expected to be held every five years, Leito said. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is slated to host the next youth event in 2017.

The five-day event received local media coverage, and camporee programs were streamed live over the Web. Thousands of young people followed the event on Facebook and Twitter.

"This was the best week of my life," said Yisseth Jimenez Peralta, 17, of Oaxaca, Mexico. "To get to meet other pathfinders from different countries that I will never get to visit was so fantastic. And to be reminded that we need to have more faith in our lives touched my heart."

Peralta was among thousands of pathfinders who participated in marches, honors and sports activities throughout the week. Her club came in second in the march competitions as well as second in a swim competition. She said she didn't mind the rainy cold nights or the 13-hour bus drive.

The camporee was Jaxiry Villalobos' first opportunity to travel outside his country of Costa Rica.

"The theme of conquering giants is what I loved the most," he said. "For God nothing is impossible and to be a pathfinder means to help people and draw closer to God to accept his calling."

The camporee was also a learning experience for Rose Celecburt, a Pathfinder from Haiti.

"I really enjoyed my visit in Mexico and the spiritual messages were my favorite," said Celecburt. "I know that in order to be a Pathfinder I need to learn and teach others what I've learned."

Facebook user Sheena Godoy posted that the camporee was "an awesome experience. Mexico is really a beautiful country although it was cold. The camporee was an enriching experience!"

Organizers and church leaders hope that spirit will endure as pathfinders travel back to their countries and resume their daily lives.

"We hope every Pathfinder will be inspired to commit their lives to Jesus, armed with all the resources to conquer every giant that they face in their life," said Carballo, the division Youth director. "We want them to cherish the wonderful memories of the Christian fellowship in this multi-cultural, multi-lingual environment they experienced."

Carballo added that the pathfinders will share what they have learned with the more than 1 million young people throughout the IAD territory.

"Our main concern is for our young people to be assured of God's power as they face their giants," explained Carballo. "They have giants such as low self-esteem, divorce, drugs, sex, pornography, music and other things that represent great challenges. We want our youth to foster true faith in Jesus, keep a song in their hearts and be anointed by the Holy Spirit so that they can say, as David did, 'In the name of God, I will conquer giants."

The program concluded with over 1,000 investitures, a parade of nations, prayer revival sessions, a folkloric performance, fireworks and more than 260 baptisms.

--additional reporting by Fabiola Quinto

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