"Overcoming the Odds” was the theme of this year’s Washington Conference Pathfinder teen retreat. More than 140 Pathfinders and staff from across the state gathered at Sunset Lake Camp on Feb. 4–6 to experience what it means to be an overcomer. Glen Milam, Mt. Aetna Camp and Retreat Center manager from Maryland, was the keynote speaker for the weekend. The retreat also featured the mime ministry of Wesley Brainard of Charakter Ministry of the Arts.
Throughout the weekend, the Pathfinders were challenged to be overcomers in all areas of their lives. The general sessions explored the biblical basis for overcoming through drama and preaching. Each meeting featured a testimony by someone who had overcome physical or emotional challenges in their lives. The “Overcomers Café” on Saturday night featured a spaghetti dinner, which was eaten while being handicapped with one or more simulated disabilities. The weekend concluded with a challenge by David Yeagley, the new Washington Conference youth director, for teens to be spiritual overcomers through the power of Christ.
The recreational opportunities for the weekend also centered on the theme of overcoming. Sabbath afternoon featured a compass and GPS course as well as an all-camp activity that required the Pathfinders to work together and meet the needs of others. On Sunday morning, the teens rotated through a wide variety of challenge games and activities that confronted them with a variety of physical obstacles.
Despite cold weather and a dusting of snow, the Pathfinder teen retreat made an impact on all who attended. One teen said, “I’ve been coming to this retreat for several years, and this one was the best ever.”
More than 140 Pathfinders from around the Washington Conference enjoyed a retreat at Sunset Lake Camp.
Eating spaghetti with simulated handicaps taught Pathfinders what it is like to face the world with a disability.
