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12 Aug

FROM GANG MEMBER TO CHURCH MEMBER

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Nathan Cranson – Montrose, Colorado … Eric Cervantes, a former gang member, was baptized at the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church in Montrose, Colorado, July 20.

“This summer, I had the privilege of baptizing Eric Cervantes and welcoming him into membership at the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church,” remarked Nathan Cranson, lead pastor at the Montrose Church.

Cervantes grew up in a Catholic family but explains that he doesn’t ever remember going to church. In his teen years, he joined a local gang. He did leave the gang some years later. Cervantes commented that most of his friends in the gang were not so fortunate and either ended up in prison or were killed.

Since then, Cervantes has been married and had two daughters. His wife returned to Mexico leaving him to parent alone for the last 15 years.

Cervantes explains that it was like his spirit awakened in 2020, and, for the first time, he wanted to know about God. One of his close friends had been listening to Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) radio and had attended Montrose Church a few times. His friend invited Cervantes to attend with him. He was apprehensive since he had never stepped foot in a church before, but he gathered courage knowing his friend would be there with him.

After church, Cervantes’s friend explained that he was going to be out of town the following Sabbath but that he should still attend. Cervantes said that he would just wait for him to come back and join him next time, but his friend insisted, explaining that it wasn’t about his friend it was about God.

The next week, Cervantes was sitting in his truck in the church parking lot deciding what to do: do I do what is comfortable and drive home, or do I do what I believe God wants me to do and walk into church? “By the grace of God, Eric walked into church that day and has seldom missed a Sabbath since,” reminisced Cranson. “His friend attended with him until his work began to occupy his Sabbaths. Now it is Eric who is encouraging his friend to come back to church. Please pray that God’s grace will prevail once more.”

Cervantes started attending a Bible study led by retired former pastor Fritz Krieger on Sunday nights. Cervantes also started bringing his younger daughter to church and Bible study. He then began to study with Cranson for baptism.

“It was purely by the grace of God that the former gang member has now become beloved member of the Adventist family of God,” Cranson commented. “What a glorious Sabbath morning it was to see Eric’s friend with his two kids, both Eric’s daughters, one of their boyfriend’s, and his mom, all there to witness Eric dedicating his life to Christ. God’s Spirit is truly still at work.”

—Nathan Cranson is the lead pastor for the Montrose, Gunnison, and Paonia Seventh-day Adventist Churches. Photos supplied.

12 Aug

YOUTH RUSH STUDENTS ON FIRE FOR JESUS AFTER SUMMER OF DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

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Campion Academy News – Loveland, Colorado … The students in Youth Rush, the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Literature Ministry summer program, have been growing their faith while ministering to community members door-to-door. They spent their summer canvassing in several cities in Colorado and Wyoming and wrapped up by working at the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming.

A few students on the team from Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado, explained how Youth Rush impacted them spiritually and shared a memorable experience from the summer.

“Working at Youth Rush has grown my spiritual life because it has made me realize how important prayer is,” commented Toby Q., an RMC Youth Rush participant. “Without prayer and being in constant contact with God, I would not have been able to make it through this summer or impact people’s lives and bring them closer to God.”

“There was a deaf lady checking out of a hotel I had gone to canvas at, so she could only communicate with sign language. My sister is currently learning sign language in college, so she taught me some. I was able to help this lady and was also able to connect with the lady who worked at the hotel’s front desk. She told me she only went to church during some of her life because she was in foster homes, and she got some devotional books. None of this would have been able to happen if anyone else had walked into the hotel because no one else on my team knew sign language. It’s crazy how God works.”

Liz M., also a participant, remarked, “Youth Rush helped me grow a lot with God. I had a lot of questions coming into the program. Every day we pray a lot, and I can see God working in people’s lives and it’s amazing to see how God is always there with us even if it doesn’t always feel like it. It’s amazing to see how God has been helping me.”

“At one door, a lady answered, and I showed her our healthy cooking book, but she wasn’t interested. So, I showed her our devotional books and suddenly she started crying,” she continued. “She told me that earlier that morning she had prayed to God to show her a sign that he was still there and that he was still working in her life. She was planning to kill herself on Saturday that week. She told me how crazy it was that I showed up that evening, and it showed her that God was still there and how he was working harder than ever. After sharing her story, she said, ‘Thank you for saving my life.’ I said, ‘Don’t thank me, thank God.’”

Keon P. commented, “Before Youth Rush, I knew God, but not on a personal level. And now, I have a fuller understanding of God and how he is my father. I met a chemical engineer at a door, and he was not Christian and never believed in the faith. He bought one of the books and told me that he usually never gets anything from people that come to his door. But he said he wanted to try it out and got two Bible books for his kids.”

“I was born in an atheist family, and I converted when I was eight years old. I have never been so close to the Bible and with God as I have this summer,” remarked Nicollas R. “Youth Rush has been such a blessing for my spiritual life. And it’s been good to see how God works when we are knocking on doors.”

He continued, “I met a woman while I was canvassing, and I told her I was from Brazil. She was shocked because she had lived in Brazil for seven years. We started to speak Portuguese, and I showed her our health and devotional books. She got a little bit mad because she said she didn’t believe in God or the Bible. She told me she did not want a book, but she wanted to donate. I left and went to the next street. But surprisingly, the lady came out to find me and told me she wanted to try new things, and she bought the devotional sets.”

Marc W. commented, “Working Youth Rush was a really great experience. I actually wanted to come to this program to get to know God better. Being here with all my leaders and all my friends who have the same beliefs as I do has really opened my eyes to what God has in store for me, and what my true identity is through him.”

“I met this really nice lady from Ukraine,” he remarked. “I showed her our health book and she really liked it. Then I showed her our spiritual books and I asked her what her spiritual background was. She started crying. She told me she used to be a very strong Christian, but she wasn’t anymore. She told me with the war and all the pain and suffering going on in her country, she couldn’t believe in God. She told me, ‘I want to help you. I am giving you a donation, but I don’t want any books.’ I left her with some books, and she ended up accepting the books.”

—Campion Academy News. Republished with permission from the Campion Academy weekly e-Newsletter. Photo supplied.

12 Aug

Mid-America Union Responds to False Reports of Accident Involving Pathfinders within the RMC

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The Mid-America Union (MAUC) has been made aware of circulating social media posts, specifically on Facebook, alleging that there has been an accident involving Pathfinders from a club within the Rocky Mountain Conference. After thorough investigation and verification with the North American Division, the Rocky Mountain Conference, and the Wyoming and Colorado state police, we can confirm that no such accident has occurred in our territory at this time.

We understand the concern and alarm that such reports can cause, especially within our Pathfinder community and among the families of those involved. It is important to note that the safety and well-being of our Pathfinders is our utmost priority, and any reports of incidents are taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

We urge the public to refrain from sharing unverified information on social media platforms, as doing so can lead to unnecessary panic and distress.

We appreciate the prompt response from the North American Division, the Rocky Mountain Conference, and the state police in confirming that no such accident as described on social media has taken place.

The Mid-America Union remains committed to transparency and will continue to provide accurate information to our community. We encourage everyone to stay connected to our official channels for updates and verified information.

—Hugh Davis is the associate director of communication for the Mid-America Union Conference. Republished with permission from MAUC.

07 Aug

SEVERE STORMS COULD NOT DAMPEN THE CAMPOREE SPIRIT

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RMCNews – Gillette, Wyoming … A severe thunderstorm tore through the Gillette area in Wyoming last night, August 6, putting activities at the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee to a halt. Around 6:00 p.m. (MT), a severe storm watch was put into effect, and Camporee leadership took all precautions to keep people safe by moving them from the camp sites into CAM-PLEX facilities buildings as the storm passed through the area.

All activities have been suspended until noon, August 7, for clubs to rebuild their campsites and obtain new supplies and gear. No injuries from the storm have been reported as of now.

“The storm has passed, praise the Lord. Thank you for all your prayers! And we even have a rainbow here reminding us that God will take care of us,” commented Hugh Davis, Mid-America Union Conference associate director of communication.

Many Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Pathfinder club camp sites sustained damage from strong wind gusts and flooding. Brent Learned, RMC Youth assistant director and RMC Camporee operations manager, reported the camp site for the Cheyenne Seventh-day Adventist Church Pathfinders Club from Cheyenne, Wyoming, was completely flooded out with 4 inches of standing water. The Casper Seventh-day Adventist Church Pathfinders Club from Casper, Wyoming, had most of their tents collapse from tent poles snapping and had to return to Casper for the evening to regroup.

The Cody Seventh-day Adventist Church Pathfinders Club from Cody, Wyoming, and the Brixton Jays Pathfinder Club, an international club from the U.K. sponsored by the Denver South Seventh-day Adventist Church Pathfinders Club from Denver, Colorado, were also flooded and were moved to the Gillette Seventh-day Adventist Church, the local church in Gillette, Wyoming, while their gear dries out and equipment replacements acquired.

“Cody, Denver South, and Cheyenne got it the worst,” remarked Learned. “It’s dried up a lot. They dug a trench to drain it, but it was, at one point, almost halfway up to the knee.” He wanted those affected by the storm to remember that the same God that saw us through the storm is going to help us rebuild what we lost.

Other local churches in Gillette opened their doors to house Pathfinder clubs displaced by the storms. Extra attention has been given to the international clubs as they do not have the option to head home early. In an article released by the NAD, “Storms Interrupts International Pathfinders Camporee, Displaces Some Campers,” it was also reported that a Gillette resident drove to the CAM-PLEX with a car full of sleeping bags, blankets, and camping supplies.

“Well, it is a mess,” reported Daniele Fantoni, lead pastor at the Alamosa Seventh-day Adventist Church in Alamosa, Colorado. “We will manage, [and] we will rearrange everything because we still have the canopy and the trailers. We also brought enough extra things, so we were pretty good. Other clubs are in a worse situation than us for sure. Someone came here asking for 20 sleeping bags, and some others drove two hours from here to get everything that was needed. Praise the Lord that we had big buildings that we could use.”

While this information has not been confirmed, several participant sources at Camporee did comment that the local Walmart in Gillette was cleaned out of supplies necessary to replace what was lost in the storm. It was reported that people were driving a few hours to other towns for supplies.

“Overall, for the spirit at Camporee is a plus,” remarked Eli Gonzales, co-executive coordinator of the RMC Club Ministries. “We’ve been blessed with the leadership that we have here at the Rocky Mountain Conference. Pastor Mic [Thurber] and his team provided us with transportation and buying some supplies from Walmart to take to the local church where some clubs were moved to.”

“It’s been rough after that storm. It damaged a lot of our tents and our belongings. But the spirit is really positive. We have never seen so many people come together to help each other,” Gonzales continued.

Mic Thurber, RMC president, has been at Camporee since before the event welcomed the first Pathfinder club. He commented, “I saw lots of smiling, happy faces as RMC’s ‘tent city’ was set up on Monday. After a night of a powerful storm in our path on Tuesday night, I wondered what I would see today on their faces. Guess what?! The same smiles and sense of joy!” 

“Our Pathfinders and their leaders are the best, and our youth leadership are beyond incredible,” Thurber continued. “Their leadership in the aftermath of the storm was wonderful! And it was great to see the Gillette community rally to help our kids in so many ways! God is surely working here in Gillette. Please pray that every soul here will be touched for eternity.” 

—RMCNews. Photos by Rajmund Dabrowski and Ryan McCoy.

Photo by Ryan McCoy
01 Aug

GILLETTE TO WELCOME 60,000 PATHFINDERS

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RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … There will be 60,000 people traveling to Gillette, Wyoming, for next week’s 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee, August 5-11. The Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) will be represented by over 900 people from Colorado, Wyoming, and a part of New Mexico including 34 local clubs.

The mission of International Camporees is to celebrate the importance and spiritual influence of the Pathfinder ministry. This will be the ninth gathering of the fraternity of Pathfinders. It all started in 1985 where over 16,000 filled up the mountainous valley at Camp Hale in Colorado. The program included BMX biking, rock climbing, and archery among other activities.

The 2024 Camporee theme is “Believe the Promise.” An evening production will feature the promise God had Moses repeat to the nation of Israel before the exodus. This promise was the promise of freedom from slavery. The attendees will be charged with believing God and His promise that Jesus would help to achieve quality of life for each of us.

The current activity program is larger than before with plans to beat world records in several activities including backpack packing with schools supplies for students in need, postcard collecting, tent set-up, and Lego Great Ball Contraption. There are over 50 community service projects in Gillette planned to be completed during the event. It is expected that a few new honors will be unveiled at this year’s event to expand Pathfinder skillsets.

A cooking competition will involve clubs vying for the top chef award. A few fun runs and a 5K race will also be held along with daily rodeos and MX Power Team motorcycle demos. Jade Teal, RMC Youth assistant director, will lead a rock-climbing event on Devils Tower National Monument for youth in the Teen Leadership Training (TLT) program.

What is of most importance is that we are all invited to pray for the safe travel of these Seventh-day Adventist Pathfinders, leaders, guardians, families, and fellow church members from over 100 countries.

As the CAM-PLEX facilities are being prepared to welcome thousands of participants and visitors to Camporee, Brandon Westgate, RMC Youth director, commented, “A group of RMC summer camp staff, a dedicated bunch of hard-working individuals, are currently working on an incredible number of projects in preparation for the 60,000 participants at Gillette 2024.”

“This group, referred to as the A-team, has been laboring long hours in the hot sun with smiles on their faces to ensure that the participants will enjoy a safe and meaningful experience. It’s incredible. It is inspiring to behold the accomplishments of a bunch of motivated young people. God is already doing great things here; we can’t wait to see how the Spirit moves once this epic event officially kicks off,” he continued.

Around 1,075 attendees have registered to be baptized at Camporee. This is regarded as an important spiritual journey present at every Camporee. “The water will not be still. We are going to have to make some waves,” says Camporee baptism coordinator Craig Carr, Ministerial Director for the Mid-America Union Conference.

The organizers are hoping that the Pathfinders’ presence will make a difference to the over 33,000 (2022) hosting residents of Gillette.

—RMCNews. Photo supplied.

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