FRESH Start OCTOBER 2024

O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 , I S S U E 6
FRESH Start
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PORT CHARLOTTE SDA CHURCH

BY JED LORENZO MYR B. TOBOSO
Ten Pathfinders, five Adventurers, and
nine chaperones headed to Gillette,
Wyoming to join over 55,000 plus
Pathfinders from 100 countries around
the world. The “Believe the Promise”
Camporee was based on the story of
Moses. Camporee is all about the
honors, the pins, the atmosphere, the
fun that you get to have at camporee,
and the ups and downs of being in
camporee.
Pathfinder honors are one of the
reasons that many Pathfinders go to
camporee. And when doing honors you
get to meet people who probably have
the same passions as you. The place
where honors were earned was the
Wyoming Center. The second time I
went to the center the place was

was bustling with activity and
excitement. Honors of all kind and
activities were in the center. It also
included a Pathfinder museum in the
back of Wyoming center in the middle of
the campground. I, along with two other
Pathfinders, did aviation in which we
learned how to fly a plane and the
history of planes. And there were also
new honors like the toy boat honor. And
upstairs there were more awards based
mostly on theology and crafts like silk
screen painting and semaphore.
AdventHealth hosted a couple of honors
like health and healing and CPR.

The bumps that we, as a group, ran into were storms,
damaged tents, and wet clothes and cots. The trouble started
early Tuesday morning at around 3:00 am when the rain
became heavier and a couple voices woke us up from the
next tent over. Also, on Wednesday evening the weather
turned from bad to worse and Mrs. Nancy quickly got all of
the Pathfinders out of their tents and into the RV. Then after
a couple of minutes a very happy surprise was discovered: a
very stunning, double rainbow that proved that God always
keeps His promises to Noah that He would never flood the
earth again with water. I am thankful that God helped us
survive the problems we went through.

The atmosphere of the 2024 camporee
was very energizing with many
Pathfinder groups walking around and
lots of energy going around. There
were many rowdy voices that were
around you and it was very exciting. In
the mornings, it was often peaceful and
not that many people were up. And
soon after everyone had awoken then
that's when your hunger instantly hit
you due to the pleasant aroma that was
either in your campground or around
you in other campgrounds. And then
when you went to the Wyoming center
where all the honors were held it was
thrilling and nerve-wracking because of
the enormous crowd that surrounded
the building and also because of the
possibility of getting distracted and

then separated from the group. Overall the atmosphere was
friendly, energizing, and bustling with activity.
Besides the honors and the atmosphere the one thing that
made camporee fun was the activities. The activities were
placed all around the camp and some of them were
extremely fun like the BMX course, the zipline, the cave
mazes, the wall climbing, and the Guinness Book of Records
activities like marble mazes and block building. I really
enjoyed, along with a couple Pathfinders, the cave mazes,
which were fun and scary. These mazes were based on the
caves that can be found in Oregon. I also enjoyed the BMX
which I found to be rather difficult and not as enjoyable due
to the fact that I kept on falling off the ramps. The activities in
the end were especially fun and exciting.
The next exciting thing about this camporee was the pins and
pin trading. All over camporee you could see and run into
multiple pin traders and pin sellers. Some pins like the
Southern Tidings pin and the Advent Health pin set were
given when you were doing an honor like CPR, Health and
Healing, and a special NASCAR pit stop car where you are
timed on your unscrewing and screwing bolts of the tires.
And, also, pin trading is a great way to meet people. Mainly
the pin trading was enjoyable and brought together a lot of
people.

The Pathfinder camporee 2024 was one of the best
experiences that I have ever had in my life. As far back as I
can remember, when I was an Eager Beaver, I wanted to go
to camporee. I am very grateful to the church members who
gave money in order to help support me and my fellow
Pathfinders to go to camporee. Thank you for giving me and
my fellow Pathfinders the chance to go to camporee 2024
“Believe the Promise” in Gillete, Wyoming.
Jed Lorenzo Myr B. Toboso
is a ninth-grade homeschool
student and Pathfinder.
Photo credits: Ted Stringer, Gary Rustad, Aixa Molina, Jed Toboso

Join Us for a FULL Day
of Special Events This
?
Sabbath! ?
This Sabbath, we're celebrating our international,
global church with a day full of exciting events!
Here's what's happening:
- **Early Sabbath School** to kick off the day (so
arrive early!).
- **Worship Service at 11:00 AM**—a powerful
time together in faith.
- **International Food Potluck** during our
fellowship dinner in the Grand Hall. Bring your
favorite international dish to share with everyone!
- **Parade of Nations**—a beautiful pageant
showcasing countries from around the world. ?
Invite your friends and family to this special day of
worship, culture, and community. We can't wait to
see you there!

BY LAURA DANCEK
On August 18, we were delighted to host a special event to
celebrate the more than seventy individuals who joined our
church in the past year. These new members were invited to a
pizza party in the grand hall, where we enjoyed some time of
fellowship and fun. As they arrived, each guest received a
complementary church t-shirt as a warm welcome.
The gathering was filled with joy and laughter as we played the
“Who Am I?” game, which allowed everyone to learn interesting
facts about one another. While enjoying a beautiful cake, made in
celebration of these new additions to our church family,
members had the chance to get better acquainted and start
building new friendships.
During the event, Pastor Ben took the opportunity to introduce
the church staff, explaining the important roles each plays in the
church’s daily functions. This introduction helped our new
members feel more connected and informed about the different
ministries and services within the church.
Photo credits: Laura Dancek

During the event, Pastor Ben took the opportunity to introduce
the church staff, explaining the important roles each plays in the
church’s functions. This introduction helped our new members
feel more connected and informed about the different ministries
and services within the church.
One of the key ways we are committed to supporting our new
members is through the New Member Sabbath School class, led
by Brent Sedgwick. This class provides an excellent opportunity
for new members to develop long-term relationships, which are
vital to feeling a true sense of belonging. Additionally, it is
designed to help those new to our faith grow deeper in their
understanding of Adventist beliefs, laying a strong foundation for
their spiritual journey.
We are thankful for the opportunity to welcome these new
members and look forward to growing together in Christ as a
church family.

BY DON BYARD
Monica Vernon was welcomed into
the PCSDA Church on August 3, 2024.
She felt guided to our fellowship
after prayerful reflection. She also
finds it convenient since she lives
close to the church.
Monica spends a lot of time in her
garden when she is not reading,
writing, or traveling.
Kay Flower moved here with her son
and daughter-in-law. She retired as a
legal secretary. In her 55+ years as a
Seventh-day Adventist, she has
served in almost every church office.
We were pleased to welcome her
into membership on 8/03/24.
Lady Joy Jensen and her daughter,
Samantha Jensen, transferred their
membership from California on
8/03/24. Samantha attends 8th grade
at our church school on campus
(PCAS), along with her brother James
who is in 5th grade. Besides being a
mother, LadyJoy enjoys working at
PCAS wherever needed. Samantha
enjoys singing and reading.

Meet Our
New Teachers
The Lord has answered our prayers by blessing us with SIX
wonderful teachers who are new to our school this year. We
are excited to have them as part of our community and hope
you will take the time to get to know them personally. Let’s
work together to make them feel welcome and at home in
both our congregation and the community.
Teacher Dedication August 24, 2024
Photo credit: Ted Stringer

Meet Leisa Mullings
Grade 1
Leisa worked at West Coast Christian
Academy as a resource teacher while living
in the Tampa area. In her 29 years of
experience, she has taught pre-K to 8th
grade. She was also a preschool director in
Illinois, and at one time was a
principal/teacher in Florida.
Photo credits: Laura Dancek
Her daughter is a 1st grade teacher in
Tampa and her son is a welder in Ohio. Her
mother lives here with Leisa. She loves to
sing and share her talents. Her hobbies
include painting, walking, reading, talking
and cooking. She says, “ I love to help in
anything I can. I'm just a servant of God.”

Meet Dorothy Herrod
Grades 2
Dorothy comes to us with over twenty
years of teaching experience in the
Adventist church, in large and small
schools. She also homeschooled her two
daughters. She and her daughter,
Savannah, moved here from Ooltewah, TN
with their family, to both teach at our
school.
She loves to spend time with grandson,
Dalton, read, sew and be with family. She
and her husband have been married for
over 40 years.
Photo credits: Laura Dancek

Meet Savannah Maize
Kindergarten
Savannah was teaching at Lester Coon
Adventist School and living in Charleston, TN
before taking the call to our school. She has
been teaching for six years, and is currently
working on a masters degree in education.
While serving as a student missionary in OK
she fell in love with teaching as a teacher’s
aide and children’s ministry leader. She also
used to coach gymnastics.
Savannah says, “I always tell my kids they
are smart, kind, and important. Jesus loves
them and so does Mrs. Maize.”
Photo credits: Laura Dancek
She and her husband, Jesse, are raising their
son, Dalton. They have been married for six
years.

Meet Chris Laracuente
Grades 5-6
Chris and his wife, Melanie Mercado, were
living in Ft. Myers. They began attending
our church in the spring of this year.
This is Chris’ first teaching job. He has
been employed by AdventHealth as a
Registered Respiratory Therapist. His
passion for teaching kids about Jesus and
how to grow their faith is why he is
making this life change.
Chris said, “I love PCSDA and would not
trade it for any other church!”
Photo credits: Laura Dancek

Meet Nada Moore
Grades 3-4
Meet Ana Irrizary
Photo credits: Laura Dancek
Grades 9-10

CAP TAL
Campa gn
FM 107.3
107.3
You are invited to be a part of
something extraordinary through
the Capital Campaign. Together,
let's reach our community, one
heartfelt donation at a time.
DONATE
$12,000

O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4
I S S U E 6
941-629-1333
2036 Loveland Blvd.
Pt. Charlotte, FL 33952
www.pcsda.net
Holiday Recipe Special Edition –
We Need Your Recipes!
We’re excited to announce that our next issue will be
a special Holiday Edition combining Thanksgiving
and Christmas! This is your chance to share your
favorite holiday recipes with our church family.
To make this edition happen, we need at least 12
recipes from our readers. We know the holidays are
a busy time, but we truly appreciate your
participation. Please take a moment to send your
best holiday recipes to us by November 1.
Email your submissions to:
pcsdacommunication@gmail.com
Thank you for helping make this special holiday
edition one to remember!
FRESH Start Team:
Photographers:
Laura Dancek
Ted Stringer
Niquecoy Webb
Wave Williams
Writers:
Don Byard
Laura Dancek
Jed Lorenzo Myr B. Toboso
Editor:
Laura Dancek
Contact us at:
pcsdacommunication@gmail.com