Singing in the Rain: KYTN Campers Believe God’s Promise at the International Pathfinder Camporee

More than 60,000 Pathfinders from across the globe traveled to Gillette, Wyoming, from August 6 to 10 for the "Believe the Promise" International Camporee. Among them were 27 clubs and 725 Pathfinders and leaders from the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference (KYTN) who, despite the storms and challenges, cherished the event's many blessings and lasting impact.

The Road to Gillette

Getting to Gillette was no small feat. Pathfinder clubs across KYTN engaged in various fundraising activities to cover the costs of attending the camporee. For some, like the Pioneros de Memphis, this meant hosting monthly soccer games where they sold food. For others, like the Lexington Warhorses, it meant church members making "pacts of gratitude,” with each family committing to donate $400.

The Bluegrass Connection Wildcats in Lexington turned to social media for fundraising, pledging that they would only attend if all 11 of their Pathfinders had enough funds to make the trip.

“We understood it as ‘faith-raising’ instead of fundraising,” said Dwayne Duncombe, one of the club’s leaders. “We prayed a lot about it, made posts on social media and set the goal to $15,000. At the end, we raised more money than we needed.”

The Franklin Knights in Tennessee faced a particularly challenging situation. The same weekend they completed their fundraising efforts and secured the necessary funds, they discovered that Camporee tickets had sold out.

“We started praying but our prayer wasn’t being answered. It was becoming discouraging,” said John Sorrell, club director. “Then finally, God’s powers came through when a friend offered to give us his tickets, allowing us to join the thousands of others on the journey to Gillette.”

Singing in the Rain

The International Pathfinder Camporee offered many activities, including honor classes, pin trading, and powerful evening programs. However, for many pathfinders the biggest lessons came from the intense storm that swept through the area on Tuesday, August 6. The storm was so severe that it forced the cancellation of the opening night program and sent thousands of Pathfinders to seek shelter.

Many Pathfinders, including Emily Bajo from the Pioneros de Memphis, took shelter in their tents with adults holding up the roof to keep it from collapsing.

“It was very scary, and it happened so suddenly,” Bajo said. “But we prayed, and we sang, and God kept us safe.”

Ashlyn Kennedy, from the Woodbury Pathfinder Club in Tennessee, shared a similar experience. She and her club also sought refuge in their tent, but rather than turning to fear, they turned to singing.

“[The storm] wasn’t very fun. It wasn't supposed to rain like that,” Kennedy said. “I think the devil was trying to keep us from worshiping God. So, we kept singing and pushing through because God gave us a happy heart.”

Weathering the Storm

After the storms subsided, the extent of the damage became evident. Numerous tents had collapsed or flooded, leaving many Pathfinders with soaked belongings. Despite these setbacks, Pathfinders maintained a positive attitude. In the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference, many Pathfinders, like Daniel Leite from the Franklin Knights Club, went out to assist other conferences in need of help.

“Our tents were fine, but when we saw other camp sites, we realized they needed help,” Leite said. “So, we went around, walked around everywhere, and helped put tents back up and move things away. It was nice.”

Believing the Promise

Many Pathfinders shared that the most beautiful memory they are taking away from camporee is the double rainbow that appeared in the sky after the storm. 

“It reminded me of Noah's ark, like a promise, like the theme [of camporee],” Bajo said. “When I believe in the promise, then He will do miracles for me. Even if He doesn't do the miracle I want, He can still help me out in difficult situations.”

Some added that it will be a camporee that will be remembered for years to come.  

“We’ll look back at this in a couple of years and be so happy that we were part of the ‘Rain Camporee,’ or the ‘Washed Out Camp’ – whatever term they give it,” Sorrell said. “We participated in a [camporee] that will go down in history.”

Yesenia Lopez, club director for the Warhorses Pathfinder Club in Lexington, says she is excited to hear her pathfinders want to return to Gillette. To her, Pathfinder ministry is an opportunity to guide the next generation, who will in turn teach the generations to come.

“The rainbow was a promise from God,” Lopez said. “After the storm, comes the calm.  I believe that God is always with us, and [this camporee] was a reminder to our children to never lose faith. My wish is that our children can continue to lead other people to Jesus. First us, then them. We do this so the new generations can be better than ours.”