Abril 21, 2011, Mexico City, Mexico… Raul Lozano/IAD
Luis Alberto Pérez, from San Cristobal, in the highlands of Chiapas, is member of the Sirio Pathfinder club. Luis comes from a very needy family, and still wanted to participate in the Inter-American Division Pathfinders Camporee. After months of work and savings, Luis was able to pay his tuition and transportation to the camporee. He was left only with some 20 dollars to spend while at the event.
Then, Perez had an idea. He would buy some souvenirs and resell them later. In Veracruz, one of the stops his bus made on the way, Luis bought a bag of nice seashells and a Sharpie pen. Carefully, he wrote on the shells the words Chiapas, Mexico, and upon arriving to the campground, Luis began to sell his shells. Now Perez is happy as he has enough money to spend and enjoy the camporee.
This is the spirit of the South Mexico Pathfinders-the largest delegation participating in the camporee with 6,613 pathfinders from 198 clubs representing 10 conferences and missions. The union’s territory includes five states in the southeastern region of the country.
Within this delegation, the largest group comes from Central Chiapas, which numbers 1,097.
Pastor Jeremías Morales, youth ministries director for the church in South Mexico, explains this number.
“This is the result of a strategy the field is carrying out,” says Morales. “They challenged each club to help create a new club. The strategy is working not only with Pathfinders, but with all youth organizations in the field.”
“One of the things the kids have liked the most,” says Ursula Sors, who assists the youth ministries director, “is the musical drama about David, which has been highly appreciated.”
Pathfinders from Mérida, Yucatán, have liked the team spirit each club is showing and the unity and friendship among Pathfinders, even from other countries.
Brandon Morales, from the Cosmos Pathfinder Club in Pichucalco, Chiapas, says he has great regard for the preaching of Pastor Jose Rojas.
“I have also liked the cool weather here; my home town is so hot,” exclaims Abdiel Hernández, from the same club. There have been challenges, though.
“To bathe has been a giant,” says Carlos Lozano, from Mérida, Yucatán. “The water is so cold that you actually experience pain when it falls on you.”
The Pathfinder delegation from South Mexico brings high expectations to the camporee. Two competitions on which they foresee good results are drills and the Bible bowl.
“Our youth leaders are convinced that the Pathfinders club is a redeeming organization, which means that the club’s activities deserve our 100 percent commitment,” says Morales. “Our motto is, ‘the least required from us is excellence.'”
The union’s representative in the Bible bowl is a Pathfinder from Uman, Yucatan. His name is Juan de Dios. De Dios, a sixth grader, was selected after becoming the winner in the district, conference, and union level Bible contests. Nobody has beaten him because he has committed to memory the entire Book of 1 Samuel-the book to be tested on.
“I have been helped by my parents for a whole year,” says de Dios. “My father read the book himself and made questions which I had to answer.”
The Bible bowl on 1 Samuel will be held tomorrow.
