More than 60 Pathfinders were baptised on the last day of the Eastern Highlands Simbu Mission (EHSM) Pathfinder Camporee held in Mohuveto, Bena district, Papua New Guinea, from June 23 to 29.
The event gathered more than 12,000 Pathfinders from the Simbu and Eastern Highlands provinces. Thousands of visitors from the 1000 organised churches in EHSM, including new members baptised at this year’s PNG for Christ campaign, also attended throughout the week.
According to EHSM youth director Pastor Onori Wagi, the theme of the event, Growing in Christ, aimed to enrich the young people’s lives by introducing them to the word of God and encouraging them to “be rooted in Jesus”.
“Our initial goal is to firmly establish these young people in Jesus. ‘Retention’ is our primary purpose. Beyond the conventional methods of evangelism and preaching, we want them to see Jesus in a loving and enjoyable way,” said Pastor Wagi.
The Pathfinders took part in a variety of activities, including mud crawling, rope climbing, obstacle courses and marching exercises. The week was jam-packed with entertaining events and activities. Guest speaker Pastor Benjamin Kiaera and EHSM secretary Pastor James Kiangua presented the message in the mornings and evenings.
For senior Pathfinder Joel, the messages were “encouraging, inspiring and elevating; reminding us to be steadfast, keep our faith strong in Jesus and be his disciples wherever we are.”
“We were so blessed and inspired by the activities,” he added.
The highlight of the camporee was the Sabbath program, which featured young Pathfinders giving their lives to Jesus. Sixty-six Pathfinders were escorted down to the river for baptism, which was witnessed by thousands of people, including the Pathfinders’ family members.
