Nearly 2,600 Trans-European Division Pathfinders Meet in Hungary for International Camporee

The two boys couldn’t have been more than ten years of age, but they gave each other the warmest, tightest hug ever. It was tough to determine who they were or from where they came, but it was obvious they knew each other and hadn’t seen each other for a very long time. They jumped up and down, still embraced in that hug, smiled, and cheered as other friends quickly moved in to create a huge group hug, not wanting to miss out on the joy. Many Pathfinders had experienced a day or more of long travel from their homes across Europe.

They were not the only happy, excited Pathfinders to arrive at the 2023 Trans-European Division (TED) Camporee, located just outside the beautiful, historic city of Sopron, Hungary. With 2,600 campers from across the TED territory and beyond, including Israel, Mongolia, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America—enough evidence if ever needed that the Pathfinder movement is global.

As weary travelers arrived to set up their tents, the host leadership team of Kristóf Palotás (Hungarian Union Conference Youth director) and Sean Mena (HUC Scout/Pathfinder leader) breathed a sigh of relief that this day had finally arrived! If the apostle Paul were to write to the 21st-century church about spiritual gifts, he would need to recognize the gift of logistics as essential for Youth and Pathfinder directors.

Logistics is a matter Dejan Stojkovic has lived and breathed, not just for the last few months but for the last few years, in his role as TED Youth and Pathfinder director. He knows what is needed and what it takes to organize a camporee that creates a discipleship experience for each child and is outstandingly memorable and joy-filled.

Immediately, as he talked with tedNEWS, Stojkovic was full of the Opening Ceremony highlights, delighted at the “amazing involvement and engagement of Pathfinders. Even though tired after their long journey to Sopron, the Pathfinders sang and worshiped with as much enthusiasm as if they’d already been here for a week!”

What does this mean for Stojkovic and the leadership team of union Youth and Pathfinder directors, Judy Plaatjes-Mckie (personal assistant for the TED Youth and Pathfinder Department), volunteer staff, and, in particular, the work of the Hungarian hosts? “It is to recognize that God has been with us in the planning, is present with us now, and through the Holy Spirit, Camporee is already a life-changing experience for so many Pathfinders, causing us to stop for a moment and even shed a tear of joy,” Stojkovic reflected.

With the Camporee theme of “Count Me In,” Stojkovic explained that for the life and health of this church, “there is a significant need for young people to be involved,” expressing the wish of youth to be “counted in” on the various ministries of the church, planning committees, and church boards. At the same time, youth are saying, “God can count on us to be full participants in His movement—this beautiful global family—being ready for His second coming.”

The original version of this story was posted on the Trans-European Division website.