September 15, 2010 – Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD
Church leaders throughout the Inter-American Division (IAD) are working hard to prepare for the largest Pathfinder camporee ever held in the territory. Youth Ministries directors from the 20 IAD regions met recently at the IAD headquarters in Miami, Florida, to plan for the event which will take place in April 2011 at the Sports City Complex in Mexico City. As many as 20,000 pathfinders are expected to attend.
“We had not been able to meet and discuss together as youth leaders the coming event since early May,” says Pastor Benjamin Carballo, Youth Ministries director for the church in Inter-America. “These two days gave us that new push to solidify the program and activities of the five-day camp-out event.”
The upcoming camporee will become the third such division-wide event. The previous one took place in Puerto Rico in 1998, where 3,000 Pathfinders were in attendance, another in the early 1980s in Mexico.
According to Carballo, 15,000 Pathfinders will attend from Mexico, and the other 5,000 from throughout the remaining IAD regions. So far, 14,000 young people have already registered. Registration is still open until November 30. Pathfinder clubs from outside the IAD territory are welcome to register and attend.
“We are very excited that our youth will be able to make an impact in Mexico City, the largest city and the least evangelized city in our division,” says Carballo. He said Pathfinders will participate in community service projects, distribution of literature, and other missionary activities.
Themed “Conquering Giants”, the 2011 camporee will not only seek to impact Mexico City through community outreach but Carballo says that the main objective of the event is to inspire each pathfinder to conquer their own giants much like King David conquered the great giant of Biblical times.
“We want to ensure that our pathfinders grasp that God prepares them to conquer giants as they perform the simple tasks in life in obedience, as they offer their talents in God’s service-the King of kings, that God sets them aside with a special purpose, that He enlists them in His Army and that God gives them the victory in their life,” emphasizes Carballo.
The event will also include investitures, honors, baptisms, athletic events, a Bible bowl competition on the book of Samuel, marches, and other activities.
Plans are underway for special live internet coverage during the five-day event in Spanish, English, and French.
“There is still much to coordinate for the event,” explains Carballo. Youth ministries leaders from throughout the Division will meet early in December in Mexico City to deal with final logistics.
To register for the 2011 IAD Youth Camporee, go to camporee.interamerica.org
