International Friendships

OSHKOSH, WIS. – For many years the Oklahoma Conference has been building a strong relationship with the Korean Union of Seventh-day Adventists and its conferences. This has been done under the leadership of South Korean native Apple Park, who is also the Oklahoma Conference executive secretary.

One of the opportunities that arose as a result of this relationship was hosting Korean Pathfinders during the Pathfinder International Camporee in Oshkosh this past August. Through this program, the conferences of the Southwestern Union hosted 294 international Pathfinders and staff during the international camporee. Ninety-six of them were hosted by Oklahoma Pathfinder clubs. Korean groups were assigned to the various clubs and this opened the opportunity for Oklahoma Pathfinders and Korean Pathfinders to mingle and get to know each other.

The Korean Pathfinders had a chance to experience a little bit of American culture (and vice-versa) as they camped side-by-side for almost a week. They traded games, pins, songs and even funny stories as best they could considering the language barrier.

Even though the camporee included Pathfinders from all corners of the world, there was nothing like having them as part of our clubs and learning about each other's differences and similarities.

The Oklahoma Pathfinders are grateful for the new memories and friendships made.

By Daniel Ortega, Communication Director