This Pathfinder's the Prime Minister of Antigua

Source: Adventist News Network

Imagine this: As you sit down for church service during a Pathfinder camporee, you find the president or prime minister of your country in a Pathfinder uniform!

This was the reality for Pathfinders attending a camporee in Antigua last week. Antigua Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer is now a second-year honorary Pathfinder. The prime minister stayed throughout the 5-day event, as well as through the entire church service.

3,000 Pathfinders attended the event from around the Caribbean from August 14-18, 2008. The camporee included a parade of over 8,000 people on Saturday. They marched through St. John's calling for people to rejecting drugs and violence, while asking people to commit to Christ.

You can read more about the camporee and of the prime minister's visit, at Adventist News Network.

With nearly 2 million members around the world, Pathfinders is a coed service organization for youth ages 10-16 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Sacramento Adventist Academy Graduate wins Gold at the Olympics

Sacramento Adventist Academy graduate Mary Whipple won Gold with her team last Sunday at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Mary is the coxswain on the women's eight rowing team for the United States. The coxswain is the person who sits in the back of the boat, facing the rowers. As coxswain, Mary steers the boat, coordinates the tempo and energy of the rowers, and motivates the team all at the same time. [More...]

Have you noticed that the people rowing seem to be sitting backwards? If something were to block the path, the rowers wouldn't know about it unless the coxswain tells them. Good thing there's a Coxswain* in life Who'll always guide you in the right direction if you'll let Him!

*PS It's Jesus! :-D

The G5 Video Contest by Insight Magazine

Insight Magazine's all new video competition, G5, has arrived!

Send in either an animation or live-action video referencing 1 or more of the Fruits of Spirit, and you could win an iPod Touch (or $300)! Be sure to send in your video before midnight of October 15, 2008 for your video to be accepted into the contest. If you need to freshen up on your Fruits of the Spirit, turn in the Bible to Galatians 5:22-23.

So grab a video camera, and start yelling "Action!"

For more details click here.

Squeaky Clean

So we were playing with my favorite soccer ball in a nearby parking lot. We were running and scoring, having a great time! But with every bounce, roll, and kick, my soccer ball naturally got really dirty. Soon, black streaks covered the ball thanks to the fact we were playing on asphalt. No longer did the ball look squeaky clean and brand new. In fact, it looked more like it had survived some sort of war! After a while, the black streaks started bothering me, so I decided it needed to be cleaned.

This reminded me of God and His awesome grace. We all tend to stain ourselves with sin. Unfortunately, that's our sinful nature. But the good news is that we can always go to Jesus, asking Him to forgive us for our sins.

Here's the most important part: There's no way my soccer ball can clean itself and neither can we. Thankfully, God can make us like new again. He's the only One that makes us clean.... all we have to do is be willing.