Approximately 10,000 Pathfinders and Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church leaders will gather at the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium for the fifth Inter-American Division (IAD) Pathfinders Camporee.

The multinational, multilingual event scheduled for April 4-8, 2023 will have campers from other Caribbean islands, Latin America, the United States, Canada, Tanzania, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Peru, Spain, Italy, Laos, and the Netherlands.

“There’s a lot of wonderful things awaiting Pathfinders soon,” a release from the SDA quoted Pastor Al Powell, youth ministries director of the IAD. “We are very excited because of the impact the Camporee will have on young people, the impressions they will grasp , and the opportunities it will provide for a transforming of their mindset for mission.”

He explained that logistics are being finalised for electricity, water, shelter, food and security.

“We thank the hundreds of persons on the ground in Jamaica who have been implementing logistics, and the Government [which has helped] through assistance with visa permits and other critical areas,” Powell said.

The Government, through the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, has given support to the Camporee.

“I am so honoured and happy to be assisting the Seventh-day Adventist movement in its camporee,” said Olivia “Babsy” Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport. “It’s an excellent programme that will involve hundreds of young people from the region, and it can be a life-changing experience for them. The Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium facility is a perfect home for such an event, and I am committed to working along with the local organisers and those who are from overseas to make sure that everything is in place and it’s a successful camporee.”

Themed ‘Pathfinders in Mission’, the camporee’s entire programme, activities, and messages will be focused on creating a space where young people can open their hearts to engaging in service to their communities and the harder-to-reach places where they live, explained Powell. “It’s about growing in the faith of Christ and the fulfilment of His mission.”

The event will highlight the life of Gideon, a young man hand-picked by God for a special mission.

“While Gideon doubted his mission, he sought God’s guidance through a test,” said Powell. “It’s important that young people understand they have been selected by God to be part of His mission, to experience faith and trust in Him to lead lives, to share the gospel and serve in their communities.”

Drama performances each evening will motivate Pathfinders for service while dozens of honour classes will teach them new skills, organisers said. There are 25 English honour classes, 22 in Spanish, and 19 in French that will be running throughout the five-day event. In addition, sports, races, and march competitions, as well as daily community impact activities are scheduled.

The opening night on Tuesday, April 4 will include a parade of nations, music and drama performances, and messages from government, local and overseas church leaders.