Adventurers Experience God’s Love Across Cultures

By Anita Lebold

Upper Columbia Conference Adventurers Head Coordinator

At the Upper Columbia Conference Adventurer Awards Day we celebrated a number of firsts: first in-person Conference Adventurer event since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, first Conference Adventurer event hosted in Wenatchee, and first Conference Adventurer event hosted by a Hispanic church.

Steffany Pacheco, the director of Wenatchee Soldaditos de Jesus Adventurer Club presented the idea of having an event to teach about countries. At the Wenatchee Spanish Adventist Church there are people from many different countries. The club has a very culture-rich experience and wanted to give all the Adventurers a glimpse of Jesus through different life experiences. The Upper Columbia Conference Adventurer coordinators were excited to team with Steffany to implement the idea. The event was planned initially for fall of 2020 but was postponed for the safety of all involved.

The event was able to take place this year with face covering and sanitizing protocols in place, which allowed participants to attend safely. Approximately 70 members and parents from as far away as St. Maries, Idaho, attended the event. Pastor Marco Larumbe and the members of Wenatchee Hispanic Church were very supportive and hospitable, offering the full church and church yard for the event. They provided juice and pre-packaged snacks for attendees to enjoy while others were registering.

The event started with a short worship time and welcome. The newest Adventurer Club in the Conference, Spokane Spanish Warriors of Jesus, led the recitation of the pledges and the law and helped the Soldaditos de Jesus club lead the song service. The program continued with a series of awards, one for each class level.

The awards presented were: 

·      Little Lambs – Bible Friends taught by Rachelle Lebold

·      Curious Cubs/Eager Beavers – Recycling taught by Leonie Goertzen

·      Busy Bees, Sunbeams – Music Maker taught by Leticia Bartha

·      Builders – Olympics taught by Linda Schaffer

·      Helping Hands – Geologist taught by Jennifer Watson

After the first set of classes, the Soldaditos de Jesus and members of the congregation served a lunch made up of foods from different countries. Things like papusas, enchiladas and empanadas were included in the offerings and kicked off the afternoon.

Following lunch, the Adventurers learned about five different countries: Argentina, presented by Andrea Larumbe; El Salvador, presented by Steffany Pacheco; Mexico, presented by Tony and Teresita Guerrero; Nicaragua, presented by Martha Reyes; and Sweden, presented by Pastor Marco Larumbe.

Jesus traveled to different countries and cultures sharing the gospel with all people and has commissioned us to do the same. Pastor Larumbe shared that he had always dreamed of visiting Sweden. God opened the door for him and his family to spend time working at a Spanish Adventist church in Sweden, and that opportunity helped him love that country and the people there even more.

Experiences like this special Awards Day help inspire the Adventurers and parents to do as Jesus did, love all kinds of people and “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15, King James Version)