A number of firsts were celebrated at Upper Columbia Conference's Adventurer Awards Day event.
- First in-person Conference Adventurer event since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic
- First Conference Adventurer event hosted in Wenatchee
- First Conference Adventurer event hosted by a Hispanic church
Steffany Pacheco, Wenatchee Soldaditos de Jesus Adventurer Club director, had an idea to hold an event to teach about different countries. At the Wenatchee Spanish Church there are people from many countries and the club is made up of families representing many cultures. Club leaders were excited to partner with Steffany to implement the idea. The event was planned initially for fall of 2020, but was postponed for pandemic safety.
With face coverings and sanitizing protocols, the event was able to take place this year with participants attending safely. Approximately 70 members and parents from as far away as St. Maries, Idaho, attended the event. Marco Larumbe, Wenatchee Hispanic Church pastor and members of his congregation, were very supportive and hospitable, offering the full church building and yard for the event. They also provided juice and pre-packaged snacks for attendees to enjoy during registration.
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:
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Little Lambs, Bible Friends taught by Rachelle Lebold
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Curious Cubs and Eager Beavers, Recycling taught by Leonie Goertzen
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Busy Bees and Sunbeams, Music Maker taught by Leticia Bartha
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Builders, Olympics taught by Linda Schaffer
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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. Foods like papusas, enchiladas and empanadas were served, kicking off the afternoon activities.
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 Larumbe.
Jesus traveled to different countries and cultures sharing the gospel with all people. He has commissioned us to do the same. 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. That opportunity helped him love that country and the people there even more.
Experiences like this special Awards Day help inspire the Adventurers and their parents to do as Jesus did — to love all kinds of people and “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15, KJV).
The host club, Wenatchee Soldaditos de Jesus, assisted church members with serving lunch.
