Winter I 1999 y name is Viorel, and I'm from an Eastern European M country. I am 12 years old, and although I'm a boy I cry easily. Some boys laugh at me, but my mother says I ha,-e a good heart. After all, wouldn't you cry in my place? I am at a boardin a school in Resita, Christmas at Home miles away from my home town of 3 Iasi. This was the onh· school in the country that would accept me where Royal Rangers I could learn a craft. I'm training to National Competition make musical instruments such as 4 violins, mandolins, and flu tes. My best fri end is Florin. He's an Powder Plunge orphan. One day h e told me, "I've never 6 seen inside a house. I ah,·ays wanted A Happy Millennium to see one." "What do you mean?" I as ked. 8 "I have n e,·er once left this Rascal Rangers boarding school. I ha,-e spent almost 13 years within the e aates." 10 "Don't you ha,-e anyone?" I asked. Darby Jones Florin shook his head. I cried a lot for the next 2 days. 12 I would soon be aoina home for How To Get To Hell Christmas vacation. Ho,,- could I leave Florin here? 14 "I will see if I can take you home with me for Christmas," I told Florin. Comedy Corner He looked at me 1\·ith a ray of hope 15 in his eyes. I ,,-ent to the director and asked him, "Sir, can Florin come home with me for Christmas?" "Impossible," said the tall, strong man who had a mustache and metal HIGH ADVENTURE-Volume 29, Number 3 ISSN (0190-3802) published teeth. "Th ese are the president's quarterly by Royal Rangers; 1445 Boonville Avenue; Springfield MO 65802- children. Yo u will have to ask 1894. Subscription rates: (High Adventure Leader only) single subscription $9 .95 a year; bundle (minimum of five subscriptions, all mailed to one permission from him!" address) $9.00 a year, $13.95 (foreign mailing address). With my cap in my hands, I bowed © 1999 General Council of the Assemblies of God, Inc. , and made a quick exit. He might have Gospel Publishing House. Printed in USA. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, Mo. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to thought he was finished with me, but High Adventure; 1445 Boonville; Springfield, MO 65802-1894. he was wrong. RICHARD MARIOTT, Publicntions Manager I went to the dormitory leader and MARSHALL BRUNER, Editor-in-chief made the same request. BROTHER JONES ARTWORKS, Design "Foolish thought," he said. "Don't JAMES ERDMAN , Technical Editor SHIRLEY SPEER, Technical Proofer LAURA MARTINEZ, Special Assistant 2 HIGH ADVENTURE by Genovieva Sfatcu Beattie bother me. He is the property of the a secretary came and typed all sorts of government." papers, which all had to be stamped and Suddenly I remembered how my older signed. It took ages. brother would get away with anything "He can take Florin and go," I heard. with the help of a doctor. I couldn't believe my ears. So I knocked at the doctor's office door. I rushed into the dormitory, and soon "Please," I told her with the two of us were on the tears in my eyes, "can you train to Iasi. give Florin a note that he When we arrived at my needs to see a specialist? I home, my two sisters, want to take him home for brother, and parents we re all Christmas. You see, my city excited to have Florin. We has the best medical school in sh owed him around the the country." house, and he looked for a "Well," the doctor said, long time at the Christmas "Florin is indeed a sick boy. tree in the corner. He has terminal cirrhosis of .,. we sat around th e table "Do you like it?" the liver. I could do that, but with the smell of freshly "It's nice in your home," bakec;J cakes and all sorts of it's very complicated." good things on th e table. he said as we sat around the My mother, a Christian, table with the smell of freshly had taught me always to pray, baked cakes and all sorts of which I did right then. good things on the table. Then I heard the doctor talking on the Perhaps this Christmas you will never phone. My heart was beating fast as she again take for granted the important talked with all sorts of people. One things in life: a home to live in, loved moment I was full of hope, and the next ones who care for you, and most moment I thought it was in vain. Then importantly the Christ who came to earth she talked with my mother. After a while, to live and die for you. + Hi! I'm Jeremy Hahn. l.n 1998 one o f my life-long goals was fulfill ed : I won the title National Royal Ranger EIGHT of the Year for the Gulf Region. This article is all about helping to answer som e of your questio ns about competing in the Ranger of ROYAL RANGERS the Year program. Becoming a Nati o nal Ranger of the Year is WIN NATIONAL not easy. The task requires a lot of h ard work, determination, and knowledge to win ... or even to compete. Over the years o f competing COMPETITION for Ranger of the Year, I learned so much about Rangers, the outdoors, h ow to work by Marshall Bruner, lllinistrie.1 ond pu!Jiimtitm .T.. >r.liu.uor with others, and most important why knowing Jesus is both necessary a nd exciting. allowing months of competition, eiuht finalis ts surfaced in When I first began competing as a July to earn the title "1999 ational Rm·a] Ra nuers of the Pioneer, I was excited just to meet Year. " The winners were presented special a1ra rds in competitors from the other churches. I never F Springfield, Missouri, .Jul y 19, 1999, during an executiw luncheon rea ll y imagined that I would someday achieve at the General Council Headquarters. General Superintendent Natio nal Ranger of the Year. When I was Thomas Trask, newly appointed National Commander Richard younger I looked at the National Rangers of Mariott, and Ministries Coordinator Marshall Bruner presented the the Year as nearly perfect; but what I know Rangers their national awa rds. n ow is that it does n ot take a perfect person The Na ti onal Rangers of the Year are as foll 011·s: Dustin Hunter, but a committed o ne. Great Lakes Region; Stan Smith, Gulf Region; Caleb :\ance, North Central Region; Na than Denni s, Northeast Region; Jake Garrison, Today many people tell m e they are Northwest Region; Timothy Inwood, South Central Region; jason afraid for my generation because the youth Cowan, Southeast Region; Sergio Gonzalez, South11·est Region. The winners had begun competition the year before in their outposts then we nt on to area, sectional, di strict, and regional com­ petitions. Thi s tradition bega n in 19 78 with the a11·arding of the first National Royal Ran ge r of the Year. From 1978 to 1989 the award was presented to only one national winner among the eight regional finalists. In 1990 the decision was implemented to awa rd the national title to each of the eight regional finalists, so all could share the title and represent their regions as l\ational Rangers of today are so rebelli o us and d estructive. But I the Year. don't worry. I simply see a greater divide This recognition, whi ch only 92 young men have ea rned, is between those committed to evil and those one of the highest and most prestigious awarded in the Rangers committed to righteou sness. ministry. The honor will afford the winners special recognition dur­ When I m et with the other seven ing 1999: They will serve as honorary members of the :\ational Natio nal Rangers o f the Year, I found that Roya l Rangers Council, serve as national staff members, and be hon­ those young m en were not just into the ored as guest speakers at va ri ous Royal Rangers fun ctions. Rangers program, but they were into Jesus. "Few things are worthy of a 'Lifetime of Recognition,"' states They were, and still are, committed to National Co mmander Ri chard Mariott. "Bei ng se lected as a Na ti onal Ran ge r of the Year recipient is such an accomplishment. ri ghteousness and h o liness. When the eight This achievement is a highlight for these nati onal winners and an of us gathered to pray for the evening services attribution to the quality of boys participating in Royal Rangers. at the 1998 Natio nal Camporama, God's During ou r Honor Luncheon, General Superintendent Thomas Trask presence was strong because we h ad all made cha llenged these young men to be men of God, to find God 's will God's presence strong in us. I feel like this is for their lives, and to follow that design for their lives. Our thanks what Rangers is about-not if one wins the to Brother Trask for this cha ll enge toward integ rity and to reverends competition or even earns the Gold Medal, Crabtree, Bridges, and Wood for being our guests at the Honor but if he "achieves" Jesus. This is winning the Luncheon with these young men." greatest award ever.