The International Pathfinder Camporee is the perfect place to meet people from around the world. With 60,000 people on campus, nearly 100 countries are represented. Minnesota represents approximately 1,000 of the 60,000, and several clubs hosted international guests. The Flaming Lights club from the Light of Christ Seventh-day Adventist Church was more than happy to accommodate part of a group in attendance from Zambia.
According to club director, Elder Andrew, the Flaming Lights club learned they would be hosting visitors from Zambia at the last minute. They were delighted to host the five visitors, with the remaining 20 people from Zambia staying in either the International Village or with a club from the Caribbean. The few staying with Flaming Lights were provided with bedding, tents food and other items. The unexpected cool weather created additional challenges, but even in those moments the Pathfinders pulled together to ensure proper provisions were shared.
For some of their visitors, the trip to Gillette took far longer than expected, with one person delayed over 28 hours due to canceled flights. Almost everyone struggled to find appropriate transportation from the Denver airport to Gillette, with unplanned expenses cropping up in unexpected places. Despite the challenges, the visitors have experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in the people with whom they’ve been interacting.
Pastor Angel from the Northern Zambian Union says, “The best experience is the spirit of fellowship from all different walks of life – people from across America, Israel, Africa. Seeing people from across the globe is a foretaste of what we are going to experience in heaven. This is the most enjoyable experience.” Pastor Angel has been serving for seven years as the youth director for the union, with prior experience as a district pastor. The group traveling with him has around 25 people.
One of the club counselors from Zambia, Pamela, states, “It’s amazing here! You see children playing, interacting, seeing people come together as one—Adventurers through Master Guides.”
Fourteen-year-old Zambian Alinaswe, whose name means “God is with us,” has had a wonderful experience. “Getting here was a good experience. I didn’t have any jet lag, but they did lose our luggage,” he says. Thankfully, they weren’t completely stranded as they had their hand luggage with them. It’s his first time in America, and he said it’s mostly been as he expected it to be. “The food portions are bigger here, as expected, but it’s not as green as I expected. It’s also different getting to know people here. The accent is different. The way they socialize is different. It feels like they’re more open. We may laugh at different things, but it’s just as easy to make friends here as it is back home.”
Alinaswe has really enjoyed pin trading and earning honors. He says it’s easier to get the honors at camporee, because once completed, the actual patches and certificates are given out right away. He was delighted to take part in the aviation honor specifically, as he hopes to eventually study avionics and aeronautics engineering. “I’m looking forward to coming to MIT! I’m currently 14, so I’m planning to go when I’m 18.”
Chilubi, another international club member, didn’t know anyone from the Flaming Lights Club. “For me, I would’ve preferred to have stayed with someone I knew, so before I left, I would have been able to connect and feel less lost. We are very grateful we have a hosting team, and now we have friends to connect with next time.”
Andrew says that this year was a learning experience for their club, as they hadn’t hosted before and didn’t know they were hosting until the last minute. “We know for sure next time how to do it better, and how it can be a great experience for everyone.”
