It started with a vision. After listening to her church pastor preach about the sanctuary, Jeri Hicks was inspired. She shared this with her husband, Wayne Hicks, UCC Pathfinder director, and together with Richie Brower, JoySpring pastor in Spokane, something different began to take shape for the 2007 Pathfinder Fair.
Hicks remembered a verse from her junior high Bible class: "And let them build me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them" Exodus 25:8. With that text in mind, they thought how great it would be to have Pathfinder clubs teach the Sanctuary honor to the Pathfinders during the year and then have the Pathfinder Fair speaker talk about the Sanctuary.
Wouldn't it be great to build a sanctuary like the Hebrews and camp around it? Isn't that what God wants, to live in and among us? They could see the benefits not only for Pathfinders but for the entire Walla Walla Valley community. So by faith they decided to build a sanctuary.
Perhaps it was because they purposed to do this that our Lord showed them that they didn't have to build a sanctuary. He had a ministry who had already built a sanctuary, Messiah's Mansion. Not only did He show them this ministry through the efforts of June Cross, but He also moved on the hearts of church members in the Walla Walla and Stateline community along with friends from Coffey Communications and Mike Lambert, Stateline Church pastor, to donate the funds and provide the volunteer personnel to help bring the sanctuary to the grounds of Walla Walla Valley Academy.
On a bright sunny Friday in May, those Pathfinder clubs who had been willing and wise-hearted brought to the grounds sanctuary furniture and tribal banners to use as stage decorations so that Pastor Richie, dressed as a high priest, could explain to Pathfinders more of God's interest in their knowing more about His Son and His plan of salvation. On Sabbath afternoon Pathfinders toured the Sanctuary or attended workshops. Volunteers Jim John of Coffey Communications, Myla Bruseke of the Blue Mountain Eagles club, Todd Titus of the Yakima Braves club, and Cindy Johnson of the Mattawa Lions club, led out in workshops designed to broaden Pathfinder interest in the Sanctuary.
Truly this was a God-ordained event. God blessed the desire to inspire Pathfinders. His blessings increased everyone's knowledge of Him. Our fair? It was all about Jesus!
The requirements for the Sanctuary Honor may be found at www.pathfindersonline.org.
