Pathfinders Comes to Nepal

The First Official Pathfinder Club is established in Nepal

As Mrs. Lavona plays the music in the keyboard, about 48 young people of Pathfinder Club and the Master Guides along with the instructors carrying the flags of Nepal, Pathfinder and the Adventist Youth march through the hall way of a school building hall located in the Scheer Memorial Hospital, Banepa, Nepal. The beautiful national anthem in which Nepal is made of bouquet of many flowers was song by the club, the whole audience stood reverently.

The energetic Cardona family that constitutes Dr. Fernando, his wife Sonia and musical daughter Madeline from Puerto Rico came to Nepal about a year ago. Seeing the young people who need to find the right path to God, made them restless till they wanted to find rest in God through the young people. As a result, several young people ranging from 9 years old to over 15 were inducted to Pathfinder club on April 18, 2009 amidst the solemn ceremony. "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth" from Eccl 12:1 echoed throughout the program. Stating the vision of the Pathfinder Club by Pr. AM Puri opened the program by welcoming the participants as well as the audience in which friends and relatives were present. He invoked the Lord to bless the sacred task of orienting the mind, body, and soul of the young people to serve God and the community. Expressing the joy of having the privilege of being in the initiation of the Pathfinder Club for the first time in Nepal and defining the Pathfinder, the Bagmati Zone Church Pastor Umesh Kumar Pokherel called the young people to find the right path to God through this Pathfinder Club, raise the standard of Jesus Christ and utilize the God given life to serve Him and the community. Led by Madeline Cardona, the Pathfinder Club gave the special music. The young preacher from the senior Pathfinder Club, Paul Dangal, preached sermon focusing on Jesus Christ challenging the young people to be like Jesus who was humble enough to be humiliated for our sake. Then there were unit presentations by Smiling girls, Bible warriors, Jazmines, Annapurnas, Angels and Orions- the various age group that constituted the Pathfinder Club. A special message to remain faithful to God was given by Pr. Charles Shultz the newly appointed secretary/treasurer of Nepal Field. He and Pr. Umesh initiated the Pathfinder Club by presenting scarf to the club members. Dr. Prameed, Dr. Fernando, Yoonne Gray, and other Masteguides along with the instructors helped the initiation ceremony. Each participant lit the candles and sang the song, "Shine Jesus shine" that invited the Lord's presence. Beaming with joy, the Master of Ceremony, Sonia Cardona, praised God for giving the opportunity to bring the young people to the awareness of His presence and their duty, commended the Pathfinder young people and the leaders for their willingness to pursuit the goal with their hard work, and thanked the audience for giving their moral support by their presence. The ceremony was adjourned after her prayer.

According to Rakesh Lamichane, who is one of the leader, the groups that constitutes both Adventist and non-Adventists, meet two Saturdays and two Sundays in a month.

Like the song, "If any little word of mine, may make the dark life brighter", the young preacher and the captain of senior unit, Paul Dangal, a local boy, told this reporter that because of Sonia, he was encouraged to bring himself closer to the Lord and invest his energy to let the young people pursue the happiness by focusing on soon coming Jesus. He is 11th grade student of the local Nepali school.

"I love it said' the 9 years old Usha.

Living in the days when there is no king and everyone did what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25) and people are driven into darkness because instead of focusing their life on God but to themselves or earth (Isaiah 8:22), Sonia, Dr. Fernando, their daughter Madeline, Master Guides and the instructors are to be highly commended for their effort to start this Pathfinder Club. We hope this club will not only be the shining light among the restless local youth but also be a daring example for the rest of the Adventist Churches in Nepal to follow.

An eyewitness account by Bhaju Ram Shrestha-bhajupurna@gmail.com
NAN-Nepal Adventist News.