Haiti Pathfinders Mark World Pathfinder Day with Street Service, Baptisms

Despite the country’s ongoing crises, youth turn out for Scarf Week, clean-ups, aid distribution, and public witness.

September 30, 2025 | Carrefour, Haiti | Jean Carmy Félixon

Amid Haiti’s continuing instability, Seventh-day Adventist Pathfinders filled streets and neighborhoods across Haiti for World Pathfinder Day on Sabbath, Sept. 20, pairing celebration with community service. The world-wide pathfinder Scarf Week mobilized clubs with daily, targeted challenges—clean-ups, neighborhood services, and distribution of school supplies and food kits.

“The goal is to involve Pathfinders tangibly in the church’s mission and show love for others by example,” said Pastor Gérald Jean, youth ministries director of the Haitian Union. He added that hands-on service deepens young people’s sense of calling and connection to their congregations.

Celebrations culminated with more than 50 baptisms on Sabbath, while thousands marched through city streets carrying messages of hope. The Haitian Union also hosted the field’s Bible Connection final the same day, reinforcing Scripture study as a core of Pathfinder life.

At the Hermon Adventist Church in Carrefour, leaders premiered a short film portraying Pathfinders facing current challenges with faith and service. Director Kelly Leconte said the project aims to leave a lasting impression that witness must be lived—through love, hospitality, faith, and kindness—not only spoken.

Pierre Caporal, former president of the Haitian Union and now executive secretary of the Inter-American Division, noted that the turnout underscored the resilience of Haiti’s young people. He said the willingness of Pathfinders to don their scarves, organize service projects, and march publicly—even now—speaks to steady faith and a constructive presence in their communities.

Leaders across the union expect the momentum to continue—reviving club spirit, fueling small-group evangelism, and keeping congregations closely engaged with their neighborhoods in the weeks ahead, they said.

Follow-up activities include additional community service days, continued Bible study for new believers, and club mentoring to keep youth safely active and growing.