The SAIL Pathfinders carried out a can collection drive on Halloween to support the local food pantry. On sabbath, we handed out bags through the neighborhood, letting people know about the food pantry and the Pathfinder Club. On Wednesday night, we Picked up the donations, and one of the Church members hosted a small party for the Club. We would like to thank the generous neighbors who donated some 140 cans and jars, 30 boxes and bags of rice, beans, and pasta, plus a few dozen assorted food items, including baby food, and other items, including toiletries. These items have been donated to the food pantry, hosted by the Austin South Seventh-day Adventist Church in cooperation with the Capital Area Food Bank.
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The SAIL Pathfinders were out in force this past Sunday, taking part in the 18th annual Lake Travis Underwater Cleanup, along with more than 1000 other volunteers. The SAIL Pathfinders or their parent club, the Austin Knights, have taken part in the lake cleanup for nearly a decade, only missing last year when the Senior Unit was out helping with the collection, organization and distribution of supplies as part of the relief effort for the Bastrop fires. This was the first time in three years the SAIL club was back out on the boats for the clean-up, and we worked Starnes Island both above and below the shoreline. More than two dozen SAIL Pathfinders and staff worked their way over the island, picking up a years worth of trash and leaving the natural environment much the better for it. Below the water, two other staff members made their way along the bottom of the lake, collecting cans, bottles, cups, sun glasses, and the hood off a riding mower (the rest the mower was stuck too deep in the muck to budge). We concluded the cleanup with a dip in the lake, and a lunch and raffle for all the volunteers. This was another successful service project, and a good opportunity for the members of the club to work together. Thank you to all who participated (and to the parents who had to get up so early to bring their youth to the meeting points). Psalms 24:1 reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” We are here on a planet created by God, a home made for us by God. It is our privilege to live here, and thus our responsibility to care for the earth around us. One of the commitments of the SAIL Pathfinder Club is a commitment to service; to “be a servant of God and a friend to man.” Service is a part of what it means to be a Pathfinder, and service to God relates to more than traditional outreach and mission work (in which the SAIL Club also participates), but also the respect and care of God’s creation, from the earth around us to our own minds and bodies. “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31) This past Wednesday we voted on the new captains (Logan for the Junior Unit, Gabi for Senior Unit) and scribes (Bella for the Junior Unit, Alia for Senior Unit), as well as new unit names: the Tiger Sharks (Junior Unit) and the Auroras (Senior Unit). We also had a competition to see which unit could set up a tent faster, and which could strike and stow the tent faster. The Tiger Sharks beat out the Auroras in both competitions (though to be fair, the Auroras did find a broken tent pole that we had to quickly replace). We also worked on drill ahead of the Southwestern Union Camporee, and continued our exploration of the book of Acts. This Sunday (bright and early), we will head out to Lake Travis for the annual Underwater Cleanup, our first major service project of the year. The weather looks like it will be bright and sunny, so don’t forget your hat and sunblock. Next Sabbath is our Induction program, with Texas Conference President Carlos Craig as our special guest speaker. The first weekend in October is the Camporee, and the World pathfinder Director, Jonatan Tejel, will be one of our speakers. This has been a rather busy beginning to the Pathfinder, but things should settle down soon. Just a final note, the new field uniform may not be what we voted on, there are some stock problems, so we are making some adjustments, but the new shirts should still be ready in time for Camporee. |
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