Bogota, Colombia…[Jose Rojano, Libna Stevens/IAD]
Master Guides and youth leaders gathered for the first-ever camporee in Colombia April 6-8. There were more than 2,000 young people attending the event, held in Bogota’s Parque La Florida (La Florida Park).
“It was exciting to see how all the young people were able to come together during easter week for the first time,” says Pastor Bernardo Rodriguez, youth director for the church in Inter-America, who was the guest speaker. He says that due to the political situation in Colombia, a national gathering had not been possible before. But after different church region offices planned the logistics of the gathering, everything was in place to make the event a success.
The camporee was packed with many activities, one of them being something the Inter-American Division’s youth department calls Activities of Salvation and Service, consisting of performing acts of kindness for people.
Dressed in green t-shirts, the young people took to the streets and passed out water, sheltered city dwellers from the sun with umbrellas, gave out candy, shined shoes for free, and passed out balloons to small children. They also distributed small cards which listed three reasons why it is good to do acts of kindness.
The event concluded on Sabbath with a march, reports on youth ministries from the different regions in the country, and a message by Pastor Rodriguez who encouraged the young people to move forward with the work God expects them to do.
