For the past few years, since it was announced that the 2024 “Believe the Promise” International Pathfinder Camporee was moving west to Gillette, Wyoming, United States, the event has generated significant community interest and curiosity. After all, it’s not every day that a city of about 34,000 sees 60,000 young people from 100 countries transform its CAM-PLEX Multi-Event Facilities into a tent and RV city.
Camporee leaders thus decided to host “Night at the Camporee,” held August 4 at CAM-PLEX Park, to showcase the week’s nightly events and thank Gillette for welcoming them. A rapt audience of more than 1,000 guests — mostly community members — enjoyed a short praise set, ending in the camporee theme song. Then, they witnessed a premiere presentation of night one of the camporee’s theatrical production based on the story of Old Testament character Moses.
Attendees were transported to another world through historical costumes, memorable songs, and relatable performances. The production depicted the unique events of Moses’ birth and early childhood, setting the stage for his eventual calling to lead Israel out of captivity in Egypt. A repeated theme was that no matter the challenge, “our God will make a way.”
In his welcome, Ron Whitehead, camporee organizer and Center for Youth Evangelism director, noted that while camporee attendees had enjoyed Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the past 20 years, Gillette had won them over. “We heard about Gillette; how special it is. And the more we saw, the more we fell in love with your community. So tonight’s for you!” he said.
The audience cheered in appreciation as the final curtain closed, and Whitehead shared that they had just seen a world premiere. He was then joined by artist Victor Issa, who unveiled a sculpture he had created for the 2024 camporee. Titled “Moses: A Life of Miracles,” its centerpiece is a dying Moses on Mount Nebo, longing to see God’s face directly, surrounded by key scenes from his life, including the baby in the basket and the burning bush. Whitehead later noted the sculpture would remain in Gillette’s beloved Mount Pisgah cemetery post-camporee. Coincidentally, Mount Pisgah is another name for Mount Nebo.
Whitehead then welcomed Mayor Shay Lundvall and other civic and business leaders, accompanied by Pathfinders, to the nearly completed stage to thank them for their support. They each received a miniature of Issa’s sculpture, representing excellence in leadership.
Lundvall, who plans to attend the nightly programs in person, later expressed, “My first thought [of the production] was, its scalability is unbelievable. We’re blessed to have camporee here. We think it’s great. My perspective is that, in terms of the world, we need more positivity like this. I’m excited you guys chose Gillette, and I look forward to meeting as many people as I possibly can.”
As the evening wound down, Whitehead shared a few facts about Pathfinders, including that it started in the 1940s; it’s a faith-based “Boy Scout/Girl Scout-type organization,” and, just like Coca-Cola, “Pathfinders are everywhere.” He added that while the Seventh-day Adventist Church sponsors Pathfinders, children from all faith backgrounds, or even no religious background, can and do join.
Whitehead extended an invitation to watch the program's live stream from Tuesday to Saturday night, August 6 to 11, on camporee.org. When asked how they found the night, some community guests shared that they were highly impressed and planned to tune in every evening.
He then prayed for the “five-star community” and the camporee, emphasizing the theme’s significance. “We believe the promise. We believe You love us unconditionally and look forward to Your return. And all the people said, amen. Have a great evening!”
The original article was published on the North American Division website.
