Eternal Buddy System: Adult Mission Story for December 14, 2024

By Andrew McChesney

Being a camp counselor to boys at a summer camp in Alaska sounded exciting to Micah.

He was 11 years old and living in Oregon. His Sabbath School teacher had read a mission story from Camp Polaris, a Seventh-day Adventist summer camp in Alaska. The story was about Alaska Native boys who were scared of ghosts until they learned that Jesus was more powerful.

The story fascinated Micah. He had never thought that there were children living in the United States who were afraid of ghosts and didn’t know Jesus. When Thirteenth Sabbath arrived, he happily gave an offering to help the children at Camp Polaris.

Little did Micah know that six years later he would work at Camp Polaris. Little did he know that he would have his own opportunity to share Jesus with Alaska Native boys who didn’t know Him.

But that is exactly what happened.

Micah, as a 17-year-old student from Oklahoma Academy, went to Alaska to work for a summer as a camp counselor.

At Camp Polaris, he was placed in charge of six boys aged 10–15 in one of the cabins built with the help of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering that he had given as a child. He prayed every day for a chance to share Jesus.

One evening, Micah opened his Bible to Romans 8:38 for the cabin worship. He read, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NKJV).

Looking up, Micah said, “What do you think of that? God is always with us and is our Friend.”

The boys pondered the idea for a moment. Then one boy piped up, “Jesus is our eternal buddy system.”

The other boys smiled. Camp Polaris operates under a “buddy system” in which no child goes anywhere alone. If a boy wants to go somewhere, he has to go with another boy. That means that if he wants to go to the bathroom, he has to go with a buddy. If he wants to fill his water bottle from the outdoor tap, he has to go with a buddy. If he wants to go back to his cabin for something he forgot, he has to go with a buddy. The boys only practiced the buddy system at camp. But the Bible verse suggested to them that Jesus was their Eternal Buddy who went with them everywhere.

“That’s right!” Micah exclaimed. “Jesus is our eternal buddy system. No matter what we do, Jesus is always with us. We sometimes forget a friend in the bathroom, but we don’t have to worry about Jesus forgetting us.”

The boys’ smiles grew broader. They liked the idea of Jesus being their Eternal Buddy.

Micah asked if a boy would like to pray. Silence. Then a boy spoke up.

“I used to pray,” he said, shyly. “But I haven’t for a while. I forgot how.”

Micah said, “We can pray together now. I can help you pray. Just repeat after me.”

Micah bowed his head and prayed, “Dear God, thank You for the day.”

“Dear God, thank You for the day,” the
boy repeated.

“Keep us safe tonight.”

“Keep us safe tonight.”

“Thank You for everything You have done for us.”

“Thank You for everything You have done for us.”

“And thanks for all the fun we had today.”

“And thanks for all the fun we had today.”

“Amen.”

“Amen.”

Later, when all the boys were snug in their sleeping bags on their bunk beds, Micah went over to the boy who had prayed. “You just talk to Jesus like a friend,” he whispered. “Tell Him what happened during the day.”

The boy nodded his head.

Micah beamed with joy as he headed to bed. He felt awesome! He had been praying every day for a chance to share Jesus. It had been an awesome evening.

Thank you for a 2015 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering that helped improve Camp Polaris with new cabins and real showers and toilets. You also can share the love with Jesus with Alaska Native children this quarter by giving to a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering that will go to Bethel, Alaska. Thank you for planning a generous offering on December 28.