The first moments of the Pathfinders’ Camporee 2023 are filled with joy and relief - joy for being in the camp and relief that the rain was not as much as expected. The nature that surrounds Friedensau invites attendees to deepen the relationship with Jesus and the moments of praise increase the feeling of belonging to a group that is united by faith, the will to follow Jesus and the action of sharing the purpose of changing the world.
The theme #FollowMe: Share your story, which runs through all the initiatives and activities of the Camporee, refers to these two goals - relationship with Jesus and personal testimony. The keynote speaker is Jonatan Contero, who enthusiastically emphasises: "The central character of this meeting is Jesus! He is the one we all want to be with. Now and always."
Jonatan was born in Valencia, Spain, 39 years ago. He is married to Abigail, who shares his dedication to mission and is directly involved in the devotional moments at the Camporee. He has studied in Spain, France, and England, and his main focus is sharing faith in a secular, contemporary environment. He works for the Centre for Secular and Postmodern Studies for Global Mission of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and is responsible for Iglesia Cero in Madrid.
The lives of many of these young people will change at this Camporee. They will feel the call of Jesus to surrender their most important decisions to Him. And they will be channels of His love and message, touching the hearts of many others.
The witness of the Camporee, in fact, has already begun. The quiet community of Mockern in the centre of Germany has been bustling in recent days with the arrival of dozens of buses, the chatter of thousands of young people, and the music from the main stage every morning and evening.
The mayor of the municipality, Mrs. Doreen Kruger, was present at the opening and greeted the young people and the participating leaders. Some media organisations have scheduled news reports and interviews about the camp. In Germany, a country where religious freedom is widespread but where society does not practice religion very much, the Pathfinders were in the news and the message was publicised.
The Regional MDR Video Report (1)
The Regional MDR Video Report (2)
As Gianna, the host for the Camp meeting states to the regional TV, ‘the rain does not stop Pathfinders’. Neither do any other obstacles. Not in camp activities and never in mission.
The Church owes much and is grateful to its Pathfinders.
Photos: © Ângelo Bártolo, Mariana Bártolo, Simão de Abreu
