More than 250 Pathfinders from the Bisiatabu District marked the 76th anniversary of World Pathfinder Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, by conducting a literature evangelism outreach across the Sogeri urban communities.
Putting the worldwide theme, "Speak Lord," into action, the Pathfinders joined forces with youths, ambassadors, and adventurers early the Sabbath morning. The groups distributed more than 450 spiritual books to members of the general public, students at the Sogeri National School of Excellence, and communities along the highway to Rouna Two PNG Power residence.
For many of the young participants, the initiative provided a firsthand experience with frontline missionary work. "We cannot preach like adults, and we were scared too, but we have our leaders and God behind us," some of the children said. "We just say 'hi' and 'God loves you,' hand them the books, and walk away."
An instructor noted that the outreach offered valuable life lessons in resilience and faith for the young participants. "Some gladly received them, while others openly rejected them," the instructor said. "Yet, through this experience, they came to understand the challenges of the mission and their need for God's comfort and strength."
The core objective of the activity was to show the children that age is not a barrier to serving God, by drawing a biblical parallel to the calling of the boy Samuel and the mentorship of Eli the priest.
Pathfinder Coordinator Walter Toina expressed faith in the participants and emphasized the lasting impact of literature-based ministry over traditional speech."You cannot preach like a book can," Toina said. "Preaching has its limits; it can only survive for an hour or less. But a book can easily become a permanent possession of the reader."
Looking ahead, Toina expressed a desire to expand the scope of future literature drives."I wish we had brought more books to give away today," Toina added. "If we do this again, we will take it one step further. We will bring more books—and with more books, we can have more souls led to Jesus, and plenty stars on our crowns too."
