More than 120 teenagers learned about radically transforming their lives during the annual Pathfinder Teen Retreat.
“Our theme was Extreme Makeover—Heart Edition, where we’re talking about changing our lives from the inside out,” explained Walter Turner, weekend speaker and Auburn Adventist Academy Bible teacher.
After an early church service, Pathfinders fanned out into surrounding communities to make an impact through acts of service. The Pathfinders escorted customers to their cars in a Wal-Mart parking lot, sang to residents at nursing homes, and collected cans for local food banks, among other activities.
Brittany Pugh, Puyallup Pioneers Pathfinder, enjoyed knocking on doors and asking for food-bank donations. “Pathfinders is a great opportunity to meet people and make a difference in the community,” she said.
Fellow Puyallup Pioneer Felirose Johnson, a Nelson Crane Adventist School eighth-grader, sees the community service projects as preparation for bigger service projects. “I definitely plan to go on a mission trip when I’m in high school,” she said.
According to David Yeagley, Washington Conference youth director, service is an essential element of the Pathinder experience. “Young people are looking for ways to transform their faith into something that is real,” he said. “This retreat gave them hands-on experience to start that process.”
Pathfinders escorted Wal-Mart customers to their cars, helped unload carts, and returned carts to the store as a community service project during the Pathfinder Teen Retreat. (Heidi Martella)
Pathfinder leaders, including Kelvin Wallin, assisted the Pathfinders in outreach activities such as collecting food for a local food bank. (Heidi Martella)
