A Safe Space: Youth Ministering to Youth

By Becky St. Clair

Freelance writer

By Jay Wintermeyer

North Pacific Union assistant to the president for communication and Gleaner editor

Quite literally, Emma Busto grew up in Pathfinders. She unofficially became part of her first club at five years old, when her mother started helping out at their local church. Now, at 18, she is the youngest Pathfinder director in the Northwest.

"When we got to the Osburn Church, I asked about Pathfinders," Busto said. "No one wanted to direct, so I said I would."

It wasn't a stretch for her to take over a Pathfinder leadership position. With 13 years of experience in clubs, Busto has countless honors of her own, and has begun the five-year process of becoming a Master Guide. She led her first Pathfinder meeting in September, and it was an "awkward success," Busto said with a laugh.

The club is still going strong, though she admits they can't do all the things she wants to yet, due to lack of supplies. For example, the camping honor is top on her list, but they don't have tents. For now, they're working on the honors that don't require a long list of supplies, such as health, nutrition, fitness and origami.

Busto plans to take the club out to the community later in the year to do leaf-raking, snow-shoveling and other tasks to serve their neighbors. She also wants to make sure the young people themselves are ministered to.

"I was bullied a lot as a kid, and Pathfinders got me through it," she said. "Pathfinders was safe, and I knew I could be myself there. I had a voice. It's really important to me to provide that for these kids, too. They matter here, and they matter to God. It's my job to make sure they see that.

Women in leadership, like Emma, are being used by God to bring people from all across the Northwest into His kingdom. This is good news indeed!

Emma is just one example of what so many are doing for God. Northwest women from all walks of life are answering Jesus' call to willingly and prayerfully follow in His footsteps. Their combined passion, energy and dedication can and do fuel thousands of efforts for Christ at home, in the courtroom, among refugees, in a hospital, from the podium, doing financial counseling, speaking on TV, providing health education or myriad other situations.

If you are feeling God's call to ministry, at any level, take courage from these women who said yes when Jesus said, "Follow me." Step forward in faith and minister to a world longing for our Savior's love.

This story was adapted from an article that appeared in the March/April 2022 issue of the Gleaner. For the full article, see nwadventists.com/feature/answering-his-call-northwest-women-leading-ministry.