A Powerful Partnership

SULPHUR SPRINGS, ARK. – The Bentonville Beavers Pathfinder Club chose to spend their annual mission trip this summer in nearby Sulphur Springs, Ark., and have made a year-long commitment to partner with the Sulphur Springs Seventh-day Adventist Church to specifically focus on children’s ministries and outreach. Twice a month on Sabbath afternoon for the next year, the Pathfinders will help facilitate a free “kid’s day” for neighborhood children. They will provide Bible stories, crafts, games, snacks, and friendship to community children. Their goal is to help the church become visible in the community and to provide consistent activities for community children.

The Pathfinders’ week-long stay in Sulphur Springs this summer included extensive community service projects in the town’s park. The Pathfinders rebuilt and repainted the town’s historic gazebo; completed several landscaping projects; refurbished and repaired the volleyball pit and tennis courts; rebuilt and painted the 16 horseshoe pits; mulched and weeded the children’s play area and sandbox, and repainted part of a community building. They also repainted, reorganized and redecorated some rooms at the Sulphur Springs Church so they could be used for children’s ministries, and performed other repair work at the church.

The Pathfinders also hosted a week-long Vacation Bible School during the evenings. The Pathfinders led out in all aspects of the program. They presented Bible lessons, taught memory verses, assisted kids with crafts and explained how to play games. The gentle and kind manner in which they interacted with the kids helped to build relationships with each child.

God’s blessings were abundant throughout the project, from a free place to stay for the Pathfinders, to tremendous generosity and donations to the cause. This mission trip was a rare opportunity because when the week was over, the mission project wasn’t over! Pathfinders will be back twice a month and be able to continue to interact with the children they met and ministered to at VBS. Pathfinders also plan to continue community service and church repair projects. When we partner with each other and God, great things can happen!

By Audra Kohltfarber