Indigenous Tribe’s Pathfinder Club Travels to Their First Brazil Camporee

A Pathfinder club in Brazil is evidence that the challenges of sharing the gospel “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” may be closer than we sometimes think, regional Seventh-day Adventist church leaders said. The Gigantes do Araguaia club, most of whose members belong to an indigenous tribe, recently traveled to a regional camporee in Brazil that drew 19,000 Pathfinders.

The club was born two years ago in Inam Carajá, in the northern city of Luciára, Matto Grosso. Many indigenous residents in the village have become Seventh-day Adventists since 1975, but the community has strived to preserve its culture, language, and customs.

“My father was the first indigenous person baptized in the Fontoura village, almost 50 years ago. After he got to know the Bible, he shared what he learned with us and the whole tribe decided to be baptized,” Xirkeru Kuadi said. “We have spent the past few years bringing hope to other tribes, along with the help of the Tori [white man], but we hadn’t heard about this program especially designed for our children and adolescents,” he said, referencing the Pathfinder experience.

For leader José Roberto dos Santos, Pathfinder clubs are special. “When I arrived in Luciára, there was already a club there. When we discovered the existence of the tribe, we were moved to introduce the indigenous people to Pathfinders, since they are also part of our community and should not be excluded,” dos Santos said. He and his family offered to help the indigenous people found a club, which they gladly accepted.

“Right away, we noticed their love for us and our children,” Kuadi said.

A Language Barrier

“Working with children is only challenging if you are not willing to play with them,” dos Santos said. He explained that implementing some of the club’s main activities was not difficult. “We taught them the basics, and they liked it a lot,” he said. “But the problem arose when it was time for them to read and write.”

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), as of 2010, Brazil had 274 indigenous languages. For dos Santos, the lack of Christian resources in native languages is one of the great barriers to a full understanding of the gospel.

“They understand the essence, but many still can’t read our language … so it’s difficult [for them] to read the materials and fill out their booklets.” He added, “They have a very rich and complex culture, with an extensive vocabulary to represent what they want to say. Thus, it is also a great challenge for us to learn their language.”

Harvesting Fruit in Your Backyard

Despite the challenges, after two years, dos Santos’s hard work is producing results. Presently, the Gigantes do Araguaia club includes 22 indigenous people. “We felt very happy when, recently, a Pathfinder member came to us asking to be baptized,” he shared.

“He belongs to a different tribe but became friends with our Pathfinders, started participating in our activities, and now also attends the church in our village,” Kuadi said.

Luid Gomes is 13, and, despite his shyness, he manages to share about his decision to follow Jesus. “My friends invited me to become a Pathfinder,” Gomes said. “I really liked the club and decided to join. Now I want to be baptized.” According to club leaders, the baptismal ceremony will take place soon.

“A Pathfinder Club means multiplication for the church,” dos Santos said. “This is harvesting fruit right in our backyard.”

Going to Camporee

Recently, the Gigantes do Araguaia club traveled to a regional camporee in Brazil for the first time. “We faced lots of challenges to go to camporee,” Kuadi said. “We requested donations to register and borrowed suitcases and bags. But it was worth it, because what we experienced was unforgettable.”

On its fourth day, “The Secret” Pathfinder Camporee was marked by many baptisms and inspiring testimonies. One of them was the Guardians of Israel club, from Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. The baptism of Lucas Zacarias de Oliveira was the result of the work of André Luiz Marinho Rodrigues, a counselor who recently died of cancer. Even as he was dying, Marinho remained involved in the activities of the Pathfinder club.

On that same day at the camporee, a mega-baptism took hundreds of Pathfinders to the waters.

During the event, a group of volunteers from Brazil who are serving in India shared their experience. They shared how they are helping to renovate a school and a church and refurbishing an outreach center. “This type of partnership benefits both territories,” Aline Piologro, regional Institute of Missions director, said. “It inspires those served and those who serve.”

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division news site.