Can you believe that we are on month number nine? Did you see the other eight fly by? During the last eight months we have seen many things cancel, but yet many new opportunities for ministry to spring forward. We have seen some things stop, but we have also been able to accomplish things that we would have never been able to accomplish had we not had down time. However, no matter what you have or haven’t done, I hope that at the end of each day you can look back and see how the Lord has opened new doors for you, brought new people for you to reach, and strengthened your walk with Him!

This summer we had to step out of our comfort zone and take camp on the road. This at first was a big scary task, however, through every step of the process the Lord kept building our confidence and making our vision clearer. We saw over a hundred young people, visited six churches, impacted 16, and even saw many older adults coming to volunteer and spend time with young people that they may have never had the opportunity to. Wakonda On Wheels was at one time just an idea and now it is a ministry that I hope the Lord allows us to continue. For more information, don’t hesitate to contact me. I would love to see how we can team up with your church to bring it in 2021!

This last week we just had our first event of the new school year, Pathfinder Camporee! This year we were blessed to be able to stay at a privately owned piece of land with lots of trees, space, and a beautiful knee high stream running through it. We had roughly 40 people in attendance and enjoyed a great weekend of spiritually refreshing messages, where we were challenged to live “Boldly” for Jesus!

COVID has been a great hindrance on many things, but the Lord is still using his people to bring others to Him! We had one young lady from the Hylandale church baptized on Sabbath, which also happened to be her birthday as well! The newly baptized young lady not only gets to celebrate one more year of life, but also starts a new life in Jesus! This weekend also brought several new faces that have never been involved in Pathfinders or even church, but by the encouragement of their neighbors and the Holy Spirit leading them to partake in a literature Bible school, we were blessed to be able to spend the weekend with them in nature, God’s greatest textbook!

While it is true that it seems many things are changing, being canceled and shutting down, it is encouraging to me to see God still moving, God overcoming a virus, and God not forgetting about us, His children!

If you wish to get involved in youth ministry in your local church contact us today! Let’s see how the Lord can use you to reach not just the church of tomorrow, but the church of today!!

-Pastor Eric Chavez, Youth Director
echavez@wi.adventist.org