It’s Tough Being Married to Pharaoh

If you think it is tough being Pharaoh, try being Pharaoh’s wife! That was the role Melissa Myklebust assumed for the second of her talks to the 4,000 Pathfinders attending the Trans-European Division (TED) camporee at the South of England Showground in Ardingly, West Sussex on Wednesday, July 31, 2019.

Carefully leading the campers through the various plagues of Egypt in her role as Pharaoh’s wife, and using visual aids, Myklebust argued with Pharaoh that he should listen to Moses and let the Israelites go. However, the more she argued, the more stubborn Pharaoh became, right until the moment they lost their first-born son.

Her visualization of the Bible story is what makes it understandable to children, Myklebust said. “I think back to what I remembered of sermons and talks when I was a ten-year-old at such events,” she commented. “I try to use visual aids so they will remember something.” She sees this as even more important because, for many campers attending the event, English is their second language.

Myklebust leads a ministry for teens in Norway, and she believes this has helped her in preparation. She said that she prays her preparation pays off. “I hope they are going to go home and think God is cool,” she said. Even more important, “that God cares for His people whoever they are and whatever they are going through, and that Jesus can save them.”

Language was no barrier for the singing and for the exchange of “country beads” in a friendship game that captivated youth during the afternoon, and in spontaneous soccer matches and other activities across the site. Pioneering also progressed apace as various clubs constructed tables, seating areas, and other creative structures using pine poles and rope lashings.

Pathfinders also united in a significant Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) project, committing themselves to join in the fight for education for Every Child. Everywhere. In School. ADRA Europe’s Maja Ahac pointed out to the campers that 262 million children across the world miss out on education due to war, famine, early marriage, or poverty. 

As the camporee progressed, Pathfinders were adding their signatures to a petition that will help pressure governments to take more decisive action. Organizers explained that even though the camporee may be a fun school-holiday experience for young people, the camp also aims to develop their social awareness. The active ADRA presence is an important part of the strategy, they said.

The original version of this story was posted on the Trans-European Division news site.