Pastor Nick Kross, youth director for the South Pacific region, is now a veteran of three camporees in three weeks.
His journey began in Vanuatu on December 19, where more than 2000 Pathfinders camped at the Blue Water Resort, Port Vila. Clubs from around the Pacific came together, with the biggest representations from Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The smallest country represented was one Pathfinder and their Youth leader from Kiribati and 25 from Tuvalu. As the camporee was held by the ocean, most of the activities were water and swimming based.
During the camporee, the Pathfinders had the opportunity to live out the theme, “Courage to Tell” by marching through the town, and also cleaning up the entire town zone. On the Sabbath afternoon, 142 Pathfinders and older young people were baptised.
The Cook Islands hosted the next camporee with 900 Pathfinders at the Papaaroa Adventist Primary School from December 28 to January 2. The Cook Islands prime minister attended the opening ceremony, where he recited the pledge and law he had learned as a Pathfinder.
Then . . . —well, you know what happened next in “sunny” Toowoomba with 2600 Pathfinders from across Australia.
“It has been fantastic to get an overview of Pathfinder ministry across the South Pacific,” says Pastor Kross. “Three places in three weeks has been frantic but we’ve learnt some great things we’d like to apply to the next camporee.”
