On Sabbath March 20, the Southern California Conference (SCC) Youth Ministries department presented an Adventurer virtual nature rally on Facebook. Every March, the Youth Ministries department has conducted an Adventurer rally at the White Memorial church. But because of COVID-19, an in-person rally in 2021 was not possible.

The theme of the Adventurer virtual nature rally was “God’s Animals,” and it included a video presentation from The Gentle Barn, an animal rescue sanctuary located in Santa Clarita, and from the Los Angeles Zoo. The rally also included a song service led by the White Memorial Adventurer leadership team. Opening exercises were presented by La Voz Sylmar church, and special music was presented by the Glendora Spanish and Sylmar clubs. The rally concluded with an award recognition for the bronze, silver, and gold Adventurer Clubs of the Year.

Following the rally, Adventurers could attend one of four Adventurer awards classes on Zoom. The classes taught were God’s Universe, Dogs, Sign Language, and Family Helper.

“I liked meeting the different animals at The Gentle Barn and learning about them,” R.J. Torres, White Memorial Adventurer, said. “It was nice to know how the foundation takes care of the animals and they become part of their family.” 

“My favorite was the Zoom animal chat with Ricky the Raccoon and Monty the Frog,” C.J. Torres, White Memorial Adventurer, said. “They are so much fun!”

“I believe the Adventurer rally was truly a great blessing to all of us,” Rosa Chavez, SCC Adventurer coordinator, said. “And while it is not the same as meeting in person, at the rally, we saw all Adventurers enjoy watching the animals from The Gentle Barn and the zoo. At the awards, they were able to ask a lot of questions, make crafts, see their friends, and other Adventurers from different clubs and cities; we even had people from other countries been able to join. May all honor and glory always be to our Lord and Savior. May He continue inspiring us to guide and teach Adventurers to see His wonderful creation through nature and have a beautiful experience while having fun.”

A virtual Adventurer family camp was also held in mid-May.