Believe The Promise

Stories of Adventist endurance in the great outdoors.

• "Winning Streak" - Krista was a nurse with two young children who felt like her life was on fire. On December 31, 2019, she decided to do something about it. What resulted was not what she expected. (7 minutes)
• "Believe The Promise" - After two decades as an Adventist, including 13 years as a pastor, there was one church tradition Aren had still never tried. Then came 2024. He takes us along for a week unlike any he's ever experienced. (31 minutes)

To learn more, including guest profiles and episode transcripts, visit our website adventiststories.buzzsprout.com, or follow us on Instagram @AdventistStories. Thank you to Blue Dot Sessions, Stellwagon Symphonette, the Pacific Union Conference, and Growing Young Leaders. Please subscribe to our show and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people. We appreciate your support.

Transcript

“Winning Streak” 

The date was December 31st, 2019. The problem was that Krista felt like her life was spinning out of control.

Krista My name's Krista Jett. I am a nurse here in California up in the Bay Area, and I went to Pacific Union College for four years and studied nursing there. 

Krista’s husband is also a nurse, they met at PUC. They have two young kids, and live in the coastal community of Santa Cruz. On the outside things look ideal. But on that day in 2019, Krista knew they weren’t.

Krista I had an 18-month-old and a three-and-a-half year old, and I felt like my life was just kind of on fire. I was just really in the thick of having young children. And it was tough because I think a lot of mothers could attest to this that you really give up a lot of yourself and sometimes a lot of your identity. And so I just felt like I didn't really have anything that was mine in my life and that was just for me, that I wasn't doing for someone else, that I wasn't doing for my marriage, that I wasn't doing for my kids. I didn't have anything for me. And that was why I decided to start running.

Krista says that day she went on a run, just to do something that was for her. And then the next day, January 1st, she ran again. And then again on January 2nd. On January 3rd. And on January 4th.

Krista Yeah, so I run every day and I have been running every day since December 31st, 2019. And I actually, I should have done a day count because I actually don't count the days on a daily basis. I mostly go by years.

Aren So I actually did do that daily calculation before our interview. I first have to ask, have you run today?

Krista I did, yeah.

Aren Okay. So if my math is correct, as of the day we're recording this, today is the 2,046th day in a row that you have gone for a run. 

Krista That sounds like it should be about right. 

Krista did run some while in college, in the trails behind PUC. But, like many of us, her relationship to the sport was hot and cold. On again, off again.

But then, years later, when things were at their lowest, she came across an article about a woman who ran every day for a month.

Krista And they were like, “This was really impactful in my life.” And I was like, “Oh, well I wonder if I could run for an entire year. And I wonder if that would be impactful for me.” 

Within the first two months, Krista could already feel the difference. Like she was gaining her self back, one lap at a time. And then, March of 2020.

Krista The pandemic hit and then life fell apart. And I like really was like, oh my goodness, well these 10 minutes of outside time by myself are everything to me now. That run, that daily run was what was really getting me through the day. 

And then when I completed the year, then I was like, “Well, I worked so hard.” Like I can't just wake up tomorrow and not run. Like I've gotta keep going at this point. And now five years down the way, that's exactly what I keep feeling like, I've come this far, I can't just stop now. [LAUGHS]

Aren Um, do you not get sick? 

Krista: I just, I am that, it sounds so ludicrous when say it out loud, but I just run sick. Like I ran with COVID. There have been a couple of times when like I've had the stomach flu and I've had my husband get me Zofran. And I'll take my Zofran and some Motrin and then I go run.

And like he's fully invested now too. 'Cause sometimes I'm just like, oh, I feel so sick today. And he's like, “It's okay. You figured it out before, we're gonna figure it out this time. Like, take your Zofran, rest it up, and then just go do a slow mile.” And I just do, on the days when I'm sick, I just do a really slow mile in the shade.

Krista says she’s run with injuries before. Minor ones, nothing serious. She’s also hired babysitters for one hour so she could go on a run.

And then there was the day when a lightning storm caused the largest wildfire in Santa Cruz county history.

[LOCAL NEWS JINGLE]

News Anchor …in the South Bay, it has been a night of frantic evacuations. We’re talking about 20,000 homes in the Santa Cruz mountains…

Krista And so we got evacuated from our home and there was just horrible smoke.

News Anchor …the extent of the devastation there at this point because firefighters…

After packing the car, they drove two-plus hours to Sacramento, where Krista’s mom lives, and checked into a hotel. With the day nearly over, she tucked her kids into bed–and then ran laps in the hotel hallways.

I asked Krista if running can become unhealthy or addictive. She said it can. It’s important to always listen to your body and not push beyond your limits. Which is why her daily runs now are typically around two miles. Just enough to get some fresh air and provide balance in her life. 

Krista And so for me, I live to be outside. If I could be outside every day for many hours a day, I would be so happy. And I just try and find time to be outside all the time. And I don't know, for me, I just find that it's like, I feel like it helps bring me a lot closer to the Creator. Because I feel like anytime I'm outside there's just so many examples of Him and His work and what He's done. 

Krista’s also built an online following during the streak. She shares videos from her runs, from sunsets to wildflowers to tidepools. One post of her favorite local hiking trail has more than half a million views.

[INSTAGRAM VIDEO]

Krista Unfortunately, I think this is just the price I have to pay for looking for creatures after my runs.

But if you ask this caregiver what she’s learned over these past 2,046 days, and what she wants to share with others, her message is clear.

Krista Do something for yourself. Like it's really important to invest in yourself and to invest in things that like matter to you and make you happy and keep you grounded. And so if you can find something that like you're excited or fulfilled by every day, then I would say it's worth committing to that thing because it's not just a commitment to that thing, it's a commitment to yourself too. And especially because if it is something you know that's beneficial to your health or like beneficial to your mental wellbeing, then it's like everyone else in your life is also gonna benefit from you making that initial investment in yourself.

Aren Yeah, it's, I imagine your runs help you show up better as a nurse, as a mother, as a wife, as a person.

Krist: I’d like to think so. Hopefully my children would say the same. [LAUGHS]

For the record, her kids are now at the age where they are reminding her to keep the streak going. Sometimes, they even run with her.

Aren So Krista…

Krista Mhmm.

Aren At this point, what’s the plan?

Krista You know, just I think run until it doesn't make sense anymore. Like I feel like I'm at a point in my life where. I made it to my five-year mark.

I feel like if something happened and I had to stop running, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It would be fine, but my intent is to keep running until I no longer can. Until something stops me from running I’m just going to keep doing it and keep planning on it because since the run streak, my entire life has changed. Like I just feel like the positive outlook that it gave me on myself, it was just like, it was a big confidence builder because I felt like I'm doing something positive. It might just be for me, and it might be small, but I'm doing something.

Krista Jett lives and works between Central and Northern California. By the way, I was able to check-in with Krista this week and can confirm her streak is still going strong. She’s now gone for a run 2,330 consecutive days. And, just a reminder that May is Mental Health Awareness month, so make sure to prioritize your own self-care, however that looks for you.

Coming up, my own outdoor adventure I never imagined taking, and what it taught me about who we are as a Church. That’s right after this, on Adventist Stories.

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“Believe The Promise”

Welcome back to Adventist Stories, episode 3. You know, there’s this funny thing about Adventism. We’re a global denomination with over 20 million members worldwide. And yet, it can still feel like we all belong to a small town. Or that we’re part of one big extended family, with favorite meals, celebrated ancestors, and family traditions. Like, we clean on Friday, and go to church on Saturday. We bring sparkling cider to parties, but we do not dance at them...usually

And there’s this other tradition you may have heard about, it’s kind of a big one. Which is that every five years our family goes camping.

The International Pathfinder Camporee started as a national event in Colorado in 1985. Four years later they gathered again, but this time from across the globe. They haven’t stopped since.

For those unfamiliar, Pathfinders is a program for Adventist youth that teaches camping and leadership skills. It’s been around for about 100 years, and churches across the world now have clubs. And the International Camporee is the big event every five years when these clubs all descend upon one place to camp together for a week.

Starting in 1999, that place became an airfield in Wisconsin. Twenty years alter, the event had exploded to over 55,000 Pathfinders from 105 countries, making that Camporee, called “Chosen,” one of the largest Adventist youth events ever.

“Chosen” Video ... With God’s support, and the dedication of Pathfinder leaders, it will continue to make a lasting difference in the lives of youth and in their communities.

After 13 years as a youth pastor and conference youth director–this was still one family tradition I had never joined. Until 2024.

That Camporee—called "Believe the Promise," it was based on the story of Moses—it was expected to be the biggest one yet. And, for the first time this century, it would be in a new location: A sprawling, thousand acre venue in the rolling plains of Northeast Wyoming, in a town called Gillette. Population: 33,000. The expected Camporee attendance was almost double that. 

And so, I bought my ticket, booked a tiny camper trailer, and recorded my first experience at the International Pathfinder Camporee. And, et me just say, I had no idea what was waiting for me there.

Today on the show: My unexpected weeklong journey spent wandering in the wilderness.

Airport PA Flight 5108, service to Gillette…

Gillette is a small town, but thankfully it’s big enough for an airport. My plane lands Sunday night, and we make the 20-minute drive to the venue, called Cam-Plex.

GPS System Turn left onto Indian Paint Brush Drive..

The next morning would be check-in day. The Pacific Union expected over 7,000 Pathfinders to arrive. My conference would count for about 2,800 of them. That’s a lot of people to welcome—most of which had been on the road for the past week.

And just to give you an idea of the logistics involved, each conference had to closely map out the camp sites for their clubs, based on the land allotted to them. Some would be close to the bathrooms, but far from the showers. Others would be near the road, but nowhere near the trash bins.

We also had to help our clubs get all of their stuff to Gillette. For us, this looked like arranging two large semi-trucks to transport stoves, canopies, tables, and then get those pallets to the correct camp site by the time they arrived. It was like we were building a small city from scratch—and now, the residents were ready to move in.

[PATHFINDER CLUB CHANTING]

Aren Alright, so we made it to Gillette. And we’re at registration. Let me see if I can help greet them.

Good morning, Pathfinders! Welcome to Gillette, you made it! Thank you for being here and going through our registration process. Give it up for our registration team! So we’re getting y’all checked in, just wanted to say welcome, we’re so glad you made it. Let’s have a great week, what do you say? Thank you!

I don’t know if they liked that.

There isn’t a lot for me to share from Day 1, except to say that the next 12 hours were a blur. Like a storm of logistics and problems and solutions. I don’t think I ate until dinner time. It was also hot, which didn’t help, but we were eventually gifted a breeze and some clouds. Wyoming really is a lovely place.

Interviewer …I’m with Pastor Aren, he is the youth director. Tell us what you do, how long was your commute to get here, tell us about your conference.

Aren Yeah, we’re so happy to be here. So, my commute was not too long, I flew into Gillette. A little bougie. But many of our clubs have come all the way from Southern California, which is… 

By evening, our small city was filled with rows of tents and the hum of generators. Everyone had arrived safely. The next day the program and activities would begin, but for now, there was a calm over Camporee.

Aren I am so tired. [LAUGHS] This event is unlike anything I’ve been a part of in scale. It’s massive. But it’s for the kids. And that makes it worth it. Day 1 complete.

Aren Day 2 of Camporee. And we were informed just this morning by a man from the National Weather Service that they believe we may get hit with a heavy storm tonight. Hail and 65 mile per hour winds. Which doesn’t work great for 50,000 people camping in tents and trailers. So we’ll see.

With uncertainty looming over the evening, the Pathfinders needed something to take their minds off the forecast. Some activity that would not only entertain but break through cultural barriers to bond and unite them as followers of Christ under one spirit of fellowship. And, uh yeah, they found that thing.

[PIN TRADING MONTAGE]

So each year, unions, conferences, and clubs all make their own pins. There are now thousands in the free market, and Camporee is the time to get them. As I walked around that first morning, I would see Pathfinders huddled together, sometimes in large groups, other times just two people who had never met before negotiating a deal.

Like this moment, when one Pathfinder who seemed more confident and experienced in trading, had his sights set on a pin from another kid, who seemed newer to this.

Boy 1 These two for this one.

He says “two pins for this one.” The newer kid struggles with the decision. You can tell he doesn’t want to lose this pin. The first kid pushes harder.

Boy 1 And yours is Chosen, so it's worth less. And these are this year. These are this here and yours is Chosen, come on.

After a few more seconds, he says no.

Boy 2 I’m gonna have to pass.

Boy 1 It's two for one. Come on!

Boy 2 I’m so sorry.

Aren Why didn't you do the trade?

Boy 2 I just feel like it deserves more. Like, if you're gonna offer something–that was pretty cool.

But just when he thinks he’s escaped, he’s cornered again.

Boy 1 OK, I'm back. I need, I need them. OK.  This one and Japan. This is Filipino and this is real gold, actually.

The experienced boy is throwing out everything: This is Japan! This is the Philippines! This one has gold in it! A third kid tries to offer two Wisconsin pins at the same time, but that’s not going anywhere. The first kid persists.

Boy 1 Two for one. And both of these are this year! Both of these are this year.

Boy 2 This is hard.

Boy 1 And this is last year. Come on that's no that's. These are both this year. Come on.

Boy 2 You’ve got yourself a deal.

They shake on it. I follow the more experienced kid this time to ask him about it.

Aren You like what you got?

Boy 1 Yeah, I wanted to get rid of that Japan one for a while.

You know those hypothetical questions about whether you would protect an animal from an approaching predator, or just let nature unfold in front of you? Now I know my answer.

Later, I spotted a large group crowded around one kid as he flipped through his binders. As I made my way to the middle, everybody else just stood around in awe.

Aren How many pins do you have?

Boy Ooh, that’s a good question, I have no clue.

Aren What’s your best guess, you got over one hundred?

Boy Probably around 2-250, yeah.

Aren What’s your favorite one?

Bystander Haha, good question!

Boy Probably these ones in the front. Hold on. These ones in the front are probably my favorite.

Aren What do they say?

Boy “Chosen.” They spell out “Chosen” from the year. I’m still missing the third one. So there’s sets of sets. There’s a silver, a gold, and a colored one.

Aren Are you going to be able to find that last set?

Boy I found somebody yesterday, they didn’t want to trade it though.

Aren They didn’t trade it? What did you offer them?

Boy A lot. [LAUGHS]

Aren Who has Pathfinder Jesus?

Girl I have Pathfinder Jesus!

Aren Let me see. Are you gonna trade that one?

Girl Yeah!

Aren You are?

Girl Uh huh. It’s our club pin.

Aren Ohh. That's beautiful.

Girl You wanna trade it?

Aren I don't have any pins.

Girl Ahh.

Aren Thank you.

Girl You can have it. I have too many.

Aren Really?

Girl Yeah.

Aren Thank you so much. What's your name?

Girl I'm Justine.

Aren Thank you, Justine.

I had officially gained my first pin: Pathfinder Jesus.

Security Truck …Vehicles, trailers, or the building. The buildings have been opened as evacuation sites. But it is time to seek shelter. Incoming storm. The evening program has been cancelled. I repeat, the evening program has been cancelled.

[HEAVY RAIN]

Aren So we are all sheltering in place as this storm rolls through our campground. The rain is very heavy. There's thunder and lightning pretty close by. And the winds are supposed to pick up too. So the storm is here.

 [LIGHTNING STRIKE]

Pastor Isaac That was close!

Aren Wow. That was very close to our trailer.

Aren Hey, guys. Just checking to make sure everybody's okay in there so far? You're all good? Okay, okay. Thank you.

As I checked on each club, I was happy to see most were in good spirits. It was wet, and some had been scared–one person even told me they’d be billing the conference for their therapy sessions–but most everyone was relieved and grateful.

We did discover that one of our clubs witnessed their canopy get struck by lightning. Thankfully, no kids were nearby.

[LIGHTNING STRIKE]

Woman Oh!

Man I think it just hit something. Like, that E-Z Up?

Aren You guys doing okay?

Director Yes, we’re fine.

Aren Everybody doing okay so far?

Pathfinders Yeah, we’re doing great.

Aren Doing all right?

Pathfinders Look at the rainbow behind you.

Aren There’s not a rainbow behind me.

Pathfinders Yes!

Aren There’s no way.

Pathfinders Look up there.

Aren Oooh!

Pathfinders Pastor! Can we take a picture with you?

Aren Let's do it! Come on.

Pathfinders 1, 2, 3! Camporee yeeaaahh.

Aren Alright.

Pathfinders Thank you, Pastor.

Aren Alright guys, stay safe, stay safe.

Aren It seems like the storm has subsided. And after checking on our conference’s clubs, everybody seems to be doing well. I can look out down the road and see thousands of Pathfinders migrating out of the buildings that they were sheltering in back to their camps. There's an air of excitement, maybe some relief. But for now, the storm is over.

At the next day’s morning meeting, the aftermath of the storm was laid bare. Drenched tents. Flooded campsites. We heard reports of leaders desperately shopping for sleeping bags throughout the night. In response, community members began collecting supplies like blankets and pillows to donate. There were even local churches who offered to open up their doors as shelter.

There was also concern over the number of usable toilets. Some speculated it was due to the placement or debris, or that there may be more attendees than expected, possibly over 60,000. Whatever the cause, Camporee leaders and city officials came together to prioritize finding a solution. As one leader put it, “Let’s not pray for a hole while we’re leaning on a shovel.”

Aren So it's Camporee Day 3, Wednesday morning and there are some challenges brought about by the storm and just the size of this event. And those include trash and toilets and activities and scheduling and water and flooding and medical needs and all these things. So there are a lot of conversations right now about how to fix some of these.

Pastor Meshach Clean slate. Let’s all start to monitor our kids, make sure the curfew is good. If there is a kid over there…

Aren It is late morning now of Day 3, and the decision was made to postpone the morning activities to the afternoon. Which has allowed us to mobilize our clubs to begin cleanup of the Camp. Right now I’m looking at a group of Pathfinders in the back of their leader’s pickup truck, going around to collect trash. There is another group hauling mangled canopies from the storm to the dumpster. And there are others going around asking groups for spare food or sleeping bags. It’s pretty remarkable to see the spirit of these kids all coming together to help. And, best of all, we’ve been seeing more toilets periodically dropped off and placed, which is like our version of manna falling from heaven.

That afternoon, the activities opened up. I was also due to put in a shift at our conference’s food booth.

Aren Tater tots?

Later I made my way to the exhibit hall. Our conference was one of 80 exhibitors displaying booths full of anything Adventist you can imagine. And right in the middle was the biggest booth of all, it almost looked like a convenience store, run by one person who goes by the name the Pin King.

Aren Looking for the Pin King.

Helper We got Channel 8!

Pin Queen Hey!

Aren How are you?

Pin Queen I'm good. How are you?

Aren Are you the Pin King?

Pin Queen I'm the Pin Queen. [LAUGHS]

Aren You're the Pin Queen. Can you tell me about what this is?

Pin Queen Well. Our pastor infected my husband with the pin disease. [LAUGHS]

Aren And is this the Pin King right here?

Pin Queen This is the Pin King.

Aren Wow. Hello, Mr. Pin King!

So his real name is Mark. He’s a business man from Texas. And for the past 25 years he’s designed and sold pins at every Camporee. He now estimates his pinventory is over 50,000.

Aren What is it about pin trading that hooked to you? What do you love about it?

Mark It crosses all language barriers. You can walk up to someone that maybe on the other side of the world, they don't speak a bit of English, you don't speak a bit of their language or whatever. But you can point, you can, they can see by your face you like a certain pin and then they can look at you. So yeah, it's just, it's so fun to see the kids seeing them trade pins and the excitement they get out of a new pin and trade. It’s a lot of fun. I really enjoy it.

Aren Blessings on this week guys. Thanks!

Aren Alright, it is almost the end of Day 3. And for the first time we are walking towards the evening program. There's a lot of excitement for it. I'm quite far away and yet I can still see the stage. It's quite massive with big LED screens and lights and, yeah, I don't know how they're gonna fit everyone, but looks like a big production. So we're marching with 50,000 of my best friends.

[CAMPOREE THEME SONG]

MC Good evening, Pathfinders! And Mabuhay to Camporee 2024!

[THEME SONG CONTINUES]

Pastor Chandler And the crazy thing is Moses had no idea that he was in danger. Moses had no idea that his mother was concocting a plan. And just like Moses, many of us have no idea that we’re in danger. But we also have no idea that the God we serve is concocting a plan to save our lives.         

Servant What is it?

Pharaoh’s Daughter A baby.

Servant What?

Pharaoh’s Daughter You are precious. Look at him. The most beautiful baby. He shall be named Moses.

[THEME SONG ENDS]

Coming up, the second half of my week, including a parade, sightings of Adventist Royalty, and warnings of another storm on the way. Right after this.

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Ad 4: Summer Camp

 

Aren International Pathfinder Camporee Day 4. We are now walking from our morning meeting back to camp. It seems like some problems have been solved and some problems persist. But hopefully we'll have good weather today. It's going to be a cold one, the coldest day yet. But hopefully no rain. Out here you never know. So we are continuing our march through the wilderness. And hopefully everybody's staying healthy. Yeah?

Friend Where is the program?

Aren Which part of the program?

Friend Well, I was thinking that this is the program, a copy.

Aren Ohh, no, this is just a newspaper. Yeah, yeah. OK. Thank you. 

[DRUM CORPS]       

Aren Okay, for the first time, we are out here at the Pathfinder Parade. I’m looking and all I can see are thousands of pathfinders lined up, in uniform, marching and performing. They look amazing. And it’s cold and cloudy but I don’t think that’s going to stop things today. So, pathfinders look good. They sound great. This is what Camporee’s all about. So I’m just going to enjoy the show.

[DRUM CORPS FINISHES]

[APPLAUSE]

Aren I’m at the staff lunch right now and Ted Wilson, the president, just walked in and there are pathfinders surrounding him to take photos. So, we have a celebrity with us.

Aren Hi, Mr. President. I don't need a pin, but I'll just say hello.

Ted Yeah, great to see you.

Aren How are you?

Ted I'm doing well.

Aren Good. Thanks for being here.

Ted Thanks so much.

Aren Right now I am in one of the buildings offering honors, which is when the pathfinders learn skills and information. I see a knot tying honor, I see nutrition, I see painting. I even see one on artificial intelligence. And I know there's another massive building like this one that has more honors and activities for kids. One of the really cool things Pathfinders does is offer activities and education for these kids to engage with and learn, and there's a lot of them here.

With Day 4, Thursday, almost complete, rumors began picking up of another storm on the way. It was expected to hit Saturday afternoon or evening, which could severely impact not only the closing program, but pack-up and departure for everyone. And after getting a taste of a Wyoming thunderstorm two days earlier, we weren’t too excited for another round. 

[CAMPOREE THEME SONG]

 Moses Mother would tell us all these stories so we remember that God is always with us.

[BUSH BEGINS TO BURN]

Moses What? What is it? Oh! Oh my, what in the world? There’s a fire but it’s not burning up!

Pastor Chandler And I want you to repeat after me. God, thank you for calling my name. Thank you for searching for me. Thank you for finding me. My heart is Yours. My life is Yours. Take it, God. I’m yours forever. And you are mine.

Aren It is Friday morning, Day 5 and quite a lot has happened. It was announced late last night at the end of the program that after the Friday night program, that will be the closing event for Camporee due to another storm expected on Saturday afternoon. So that's a big change. We just had the morning meeting and then we met with our club directors and discussed options and plans. Some will be leaving today, Friday, some will be leaving tomorrow morning on Sabbath. And our goal as conference leadership is just to make sure that everybody is able to leave before the storm.

Aren It's hard not to let this week be defined by the inclement weather and some of the logistical challenges, and that's how it's going to end as well. But maybe that rainbow will shine again at the end of it.    

[CLIPS OF PIN TRADING]

Aren Two corn dogs! Did you say you needed a side of jalapeños?

Aren So I’m at our exhibit booth for our Growing Together Sabbath School curriculum that our conference produces, and Doug Bachelor is now at the booth next to us. So there is a long line of people waiting for their chance at a photo, and I've already seen some autographs too, so. Yeah, we're enjoying being amongst so many passionate Adventists and if they want to see Doug Bachelor, well, they can also learn about Growing Together.

Aren You guys know about Growing Together? You're here to see Doug? Okay. 

Aren Well we just finished our activities on Day 5, and I'm walking towards the evening program. And I'm looking out at a truly stunning sunset. It's been an interesting week, a difficult week at times. And there may be another storm coming tomorrow. But for now there's a beautiful sunset over Gillette, Wyoming. Which, it turns out, will be the sunset over Camporee of 2024.

That night, at the closing program, over 1100 Pathfinders were baptized. Another 200 said they were going to prepare for baptism back home. Following the final sermon and drama performance, the theme for the 2029 Camporee was announced: “Stand Strong,” based on the story of Elijah. Over 1,000 tickets have already been sold.

Pastor Meshach “I’m grateful to see a lot of smiling faces still. Thank you leaders for all that you’re doing. And today is just a little something that we can wrap the entire Campore experience up…”

[SINGING “Trust in God” by Elevation Worship]

Aren What’s been your favorite part of this week? The best part.

Kid 1 Pin trading.

Kid 2 Did you see how excited people were after they announced the name for the next Camporee? It was like an explosion.

Aren Do you think you guys are going to come to the next Camporee?

Kid 1 Yes.

Kid 2 I hope. Are you allowed to go only to one?

Kid 1 You can go until like any age.

Kid 2 I hope so.

Aren What’s been the best part so far about Camporee for you?

Kid 3 Um, I like the program.

Kid 4 Yeah.

Kid 5 The plays, they were like really good. They were next level.

Kid 3 The flags.

Kid 5 Because you get to meet new people too. Yeah, it kind of makes you come out of your shell a little bit.

Aren So even though it’s been a little cold and rainy are you guys still been able to have fun?

Kid 5 Yeah, it’s actually been so good.

Kid 3 I’m glad it’s not hot. I’d rather have it be cold than hot.

Aren That’s awesome. Well I’m glad you guys are having fun, okay.

[GROUP SINGING PATHFINDER THEME SONG]

A message to tell to the world, a truth that will set us free. King Jesus the Savior is coming back for you and me!

Episode Outro

[“Me” by Tad Worku]

Adventist Stories is a production of the Pacific Union Conference and Growing Young Leaders. It is hosted and edited by me, Aren Rennacker, with the support of many. Cover art designed by Taji Saleem. Music provided by Blue Dot Sessions, Stellwagon Symphonette, and Tad Worku. This is Tad’s single “Me.” You can find the music video on YouTube, as well as the story CBS News did on Tad’s journey as both a professional musician and an ER nurse during the pandemic. And if you like Tad’s music, you can find more of it on Apple Music and Spotify. And if you want to follow Krista’s run streak that we heard about at the beginning of the show, you can do so on Instagram @exploradora_jett.

To learn more about the show, visit our website, adventiststories.buzzsprout.com, where you can now find episode transcripts, or follow us on Instagram, @AdventistStories. Thank you to all those who have followed and subscribed, if you haven’t yet, please do so on your podcast platform of choice. And consider giving us a rating and review, we really appreciate it.

Lastly, a big thank you to our Union president, Bradford Newton, and his support of this show. Just this week, I saw Brad in the office lunch room, eating his favorite Adventist meal as always: FriChik and a cup of Postum. And so I asked him, how many days in a row has that been your lunch? And he said,

Krista I actually don't count the days on a daily basis. I mostly go by years.

Thank you all so much for listening. We will be back next week with a new episode, and we hope you join us then for more Adventist Stories.

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