August 7, 2024|Gillette, Wyoming| Seventh-Day adventist church- Quebec Conference| Sara Therlonge
Gillette Camporee, 2024
“Believe the Promise!” That’s the theme of the 2024 Camporee, taking place this time at the Camp-Plex in Gillette, Wyoming. Since Saturday, August 3rd, hundreds of Pathfinders from the province of Quebec have joined tens of thousands of campers in the United States for this international gathering. From the very first day, our young people have had the chance to “believe in the promise.” This imperative went from a simple theme to a mindset, becoming, in a way, a rallying cry. What else can we do, indeed, in the face of life’s uncertainties and storms?
It all started even before the Pathfinders arrived at the campgrounds. The fleet of buses scheduled to pick the participants up never showed. A troubling sense of uncertainty and apprehension spread among the groups and their families. But the Lord kept His promise. Eleven new buses were found, and the departure took place that same evening at the Fairview Shopping Centre.
The journey was far from easy. In addition to the 36-hour drive, the drivers and their passengers had to deal with two flat tires, an air conditioning issue, and a mechanical breakdown. Enough to dampen anyone’s spirits! But thanks to God, the faith that moves mountains sustained the Pathfinders’ hope. Despite all the challenges, “The Lord watched over their departure and their arrival.”
Arriving at the Camporee the following Monday was another challenge. The weather did not cooperate, and from the first night, rain poured down on the campsites. Once again, God’s hand was at work. Very few of our tents were affected, and most of our equipment was spared.
The next day, nature struck again: a severe storm warning forced all Camporee Pathfinders to leave their tents and seek shelter in the brick buildings on site. For nearly an hour, the buildings were packed while wind, rain, and thunder battered the campgrounds. Some waited in prayer, others in praise, all believing in the promise that God is in control of all things. Their faith was indeed well-placed. Upon leaving their refuge, the Pathfinders witnessed God’s promise in the form of a rainbow. Some campsites were certainly more affected than others, but the Quebec Conference considers itself blessed to have avoided the worst.
The stay at the Camporee is far from over, but it already promises to be unforgettable! The Pathfinders will surely have plenty to share with you upon their return. They continue to believe in the promise! They can add their testimonies to those of the Pathfinders from other conferences. Pastor Lucson Bernard, Youth Director of the Guadeloupe Conference in the French Antilles, has already given them an opportunity to do so by saying, “We didn’t think we would be able to enter the campsite,” he said, recounting his arrival on the site on the night of the storm, “but finally, when we entered, we saw the rainbows.” And more than anything, that’s what we hope our young people will remember: those moments when God manifested Himself powerfully and visibly.
