Oh, We Are the Pathfinder Strong! - Genoa, Italy
Genoa, Italy
Happy 16th Birthday to my nephew, Justin! I can't believe it's been 16 years. May you continue to grow in God's grace. We are always praying for you:) We love you!
The Pathfinder Club is a worldwide program organized and directed by the Youth Department of the General Conference of the Seventh day Adventist church. It offers a wide range of learning experiences for young people from the ages of 10 years old and is operated by the international Seventh-day Adventist church under the direction and control of the local conference youth director. There are 1 million Pathfinders throughout the world. Pathfinder Activities include but not limited to community service, camping, crafts, vocational skills, recreational skills, wilderness, arts, field trips, marching, Bible study, Seventh-day Adventist Church history, and leadership training. Participants are children and teenagers aged 10–18, progressing through different ranks called class levels each year. The Master Guide level is the highest level that a Pathfinder can attain. A Master Guide is trained in Youth leadership and club organization. Most Pathfinder Club directors are Master Guide though they don’t have to. Yearly they attend a conference wide leadership training. They can also obtain Pathfinder Leadership Award and also The Pathfinder Instructor Award through their local conference.
Oh we are the Pathfinder Strong
The servants of God are we
Faithful as we march along
In kindness, truth and purity
The message to tell to the world
The truth that will set us free
King Jesus my Savior’s coming back for you and me
I have been a Pathfinder since I was 10 years old. This is one of the first songs I learned in Elementary in the adventist school. In my little young mind, Pathfindering was fun and my little friends and I were there to do the crafts and honor patches and learn about Jesus. My dad was also a volunteer, he was our instructor and counselor. Jewel Brassington was our director. She was amazing! And I do believe that the work that I do now for the church is actually influenced by this woman and her family. As a teen ager the General Conference were trying out a new program for teens called Teen Leadership Program. Along with our Director, Heather and I signed up to this pilot program. We learned how to be leaders in our church, school and community. Now, my own teen age children are in this program, learning to be servant leaders.
When I was an upper classmen in high school I volunteered as an Instructor with my dad, my little sister was the Pathfinder then. I did that until my freshman year in college. Then I moved away for college and got married. When I moved to LA I got involved in Pathfindering again as a counselor. Our director Lowen Recalde and his sister Resa, encouraged me to be a Master Guide. Ever since then, for seventeen years, I have worked in the Pathfinder Ministry, taking kids off the street and bringing them to Jesus. I have inducted my own children in the Pathfinder club, and my two oldest are helping me in various activities as they are also now being trained as TLT’s (Teen Leadership Training).
When my children were young I volunteered under Warren Dale to be a director for the Little Lambs. That program at that time was really new. Only 2 clubs exists in the entire world, Florida and Glendale. I was the director in the Glendale chapter. Now there are Little Lambs program all over the world. Little children are earning their patches and being trained to know God. I love working with kids, thank goodness because I have 5 of my own. The Pathfinder program is so extensive and it covers the training of a person from 3 to 110 years old. The oldest Master Guide to attend the International Pathfinder Camporee was 93 years old and she was still taking honor patches classes.
Today I am a Pathfinder Director for the North Star Pathfinder Club sponsored by the Hollydale SDA Church in South Gate, California. This work is not easy and my admiration and respect goes to the other Directors that unselfishly volunteer their time, finance, and abilities in trusting God by answering His call. As Pathfinder Directors we are trained to be servant leaders. It is not an easy job being a director because we have to be a liaison between the church and the local conference. At the same we have to represent the club in the local church board. At times we also help with the relationship between the parents and the kids. We represent the Pathfinder club to the communities in various ways. Then there is the job of running the local meetings and teaching some of the classes. It is an exhausting job, but the most rewarding. Every year, all over the world, Pathfinder directors bring their hearts and their work to God, because that is the only way that we can succeed. We are but instruments, it is not our ministry but God’s ministry to help finish the work, so that we could go Home already and receive the gift and the joy that God has in stored for us. Every child is important in the eyes of God. Pathfinder directors, staff, parents, and church board members work together to give that child, through the club, experiences that they can bank on. These experiences they can go back to when things gets tough or when life’s hardship comes their way. I am honored to be in the ranks of God loving, God fearing, and passionate directors of our denomination. Other than raising my children and homeschooling them this the is the passion and the joy of my heart.
Pathfinder Pledge:
By the Grace of God
I will be pure kind and true
I will keep the Pathfinder law
I will be a servant of God and a friend to men.
The Pathfinder Law:
The Pathfinder law is for me to
Keep the morning watch
Do my honest part
Care for my body
Keep a level eye
Be courteous and obedient
Walk softly in the sanctuary
Keep a song in my heart
Go on God’s errands.
IN GENOA:
My first morning on the ship, I woke up with such delight. We will be in the port of Genoa, it is an old port with amazing history. Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa. I know that there will be many things to see and do in this amazing city. But, my heart was set on going to Portofino. It is an old resort town. It is quiet and less crowded. A month ago while planning for this trip I realized that i will be in Genoa on a Sabbath. I wanted to keep that as I do at home, but I know that it’s difficult because I am traveling. My last Sabbath I spent among God’s creation in Switzerland. I was hoping to have an experience that I will not forget. I saw Portofino on the list of excursion on the ship, but when I went to sign up for it, it was not available. I was really sad. So, I signed up to the Historical and city center excursion, still praying that God will direct me on my activity for this day. Auntie Gremar suggested excursion.com, because my cousin Lora’s friend who went on a Mediterranean cruise signed up with them and they were very happy with the service. I checked it out and sure you know it, they have an excursion to Portofino and it was cheaper than the cruise ship. I paid for it, I have my confirmation and ready for my excursion to Portofino.
I went through my morning routine and devotional. I had breakfast at the buffet and said goodbye to my parents and family and out I went through the gangplank, giving this day to God. I reached the Genoa ground port, I looked and waited but there was no name card with my name on it. To make a long story short, they cancelled the excursion, though they gave me notice I was already in Europe and didn’t get it. (The truth I would definitely still sign up with excursion.com because they totally have a good reputation from the other people I know. This was not their mistake, it just so happened that I didn’t get the message because I was already in Europe.) It was too late for me to sign up with anything with my family. I had two choices, one I could go to the city center on my own and plot my own tour or I could go back to the ship and enjoy the amenities there. It was too hard of a decision, I was fixed on Portofino. Then I decided I would let God decide, this is His day with me and I know that He will figure out something amazing for both of us to do. After saying Amen, I have the impression that says, “Why don’t you go to church?” I didn’t know how to say Seventh day adventist Church in Italian, but I figured out to go to church in Genoa. The Adventist church is called Chiesa Cristiana Avventista del Settimo Giorno. So, I paid my 1.70e to take two bus rides to the church. I was so excited to be there. I met our Italian Genoan brethrens. It was an amazing experience. It totally topped off Portofino.
We sang my favorite hymn, How Great Thou Art in Italian. I met people from all over the world, Scotland, Ireland, Ghana, Uganda, Brazil, Honduras, and Pakistan. Their church service is the same as in the US. I felt at home there, except for the language barrier. But, I met Gabrielle who translated the whole sermon and service to me in English. I met Pol, it was his birthday and we sang to him in three languages during potluck. I met Betti and she wanted so much to talk to me but she only spoke Italian. But, we somehow did and we said to it’s each other, “Lo vi vedro di nuovo, se non sulla terra ti vedro in paradiso sotto l’albero della vita.” (I will see you again, if not on earth I will see you in heaven under the tree of life.)
After lunch I met the Pathfinders. They sang the Pathfinder song in Italian. They said their Italian creed and pledge. they stood in two rows representing Pathfinders and Genoa. I think it was translated this way:
“ Who are you? We are Genoa.
Who are you? We are the Pathfinders.
What do you do? Genoa, we carry the light of Jesus in the dark places. Where there is sadness and pain, we give you the message of hope.”
That is the Aim and Motto of the Pathfinders:
Aim: The Advent Message to all the world in this generation
Motto: The love Christ constraineth us
Thank You, Lord for giving me the opportunity to be a servant leader for you. Thank you for equipping me for the work that you have called me to do. I am so happy to see that I am not alone in this work. In the far away land of Genoa there is a Pathfinder club that believes and does the same things that I do. Their members are just like my own kids at home, their teens are like my own TLT’s, we are all doing the same thing. Training children to love others as Jesus love them. Pathfinder members off the street and instead giving back to their community through community service and serving their own church with the talents that you have given them. Lord, I see that even in Europe your love is felt by these kids and through these kids. Thank you for not leaving us on our own. Your goodness and love are felt by many. Please be with those that do not have families, that are hurting, those that are alone, those are in pain. May love be felt by them as well. Use the Pathfinders to be the hands and feet to touch the world around us.
P.S. As I was writing this, a friend of mine and her children were driving down the highway 20 in Angwin. They met a tragic accident. She and her children perished in this said accident. Her children Dara and Gem were adventurers in the North Star Pathfinder club. Archie and her husband were Master Guide Candidates, meaning they were working to earn their Master Guide, and to be invested at the International Pathfinder Jamboree at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 2014. Archie and George served as staff, instructor, and counselor at different times in the club. Archie you may not have been invested here on earth, but we will have a great Jubilee in heaven. And Jesus our MASTER GUIDE, the investiture master will invest you with the honors that He has in store for you - a crown of life. Rest in peace in Jesus, Archie, Dara and Gem. We love you! We will meet again in Resurrection morning!