First Heroes Tournament Gathers Hundreds at Regional Pathfinder Camporee in Portugal

From March 28th to 31st, 2024, in Praia de Mira, Portugal, the National JA 2024 Camporee took place. This event is the third, and the largest, national camporee in the history of the Adventist youth in Portugal. There were over 3,300 participants of all ages, from the youngest -- or "Rebentos" as they are called there -- to the oldest.

In a partnership between Heroes, the region's Adventist Youth department, and the Portuguese Communication Department, the region organized its first official Heroes tournament during a Pathfinder camporee.

The event's central figure was the biblical hero David. As a result, the game received an exclusive customization which was made available only to event participants. This initiative opens doors for creative adaptations at future events around the world.

How much do you know about the stories of the Bible? How many questions about King David can you answer in 2 minutes?

Adventist leaders developed Heroes with the purpose of testing biblical knowledge in an engaging and educational way.

Themed "David, an Unlikely Leader," the Heroes tournament focused exclusively on King David. Over 200 people of various ages accepted the challenge launched on Saturday morning. Participants faced progressively more challenging rounds, with increasingly difficult questions, resulting in an exciting final with three competitors.

The "malta," as a group of people is called in Portugal, demonstrated that they were sharp in the history of this biblical hero, and despite the pressure of playing live with many people watching, the three finalists stood out.

Third place, Raquel, answered 66 questions correctly in just 2 minutes and 30 seconds. In the second place, Rute correctly answered 68 questions. The level was very high, but nothing prevented the grand champion, Mircia, from answering 73 questions correctly.

Champion of the Heroes Tournament at the National JA 2024 Camporee

Mircia Mendes Bento, 19, is from the Reboleira church in Amadora, Lisbon district. Despite her favourite hero being Moses, she proved to know a lot about David and became the first champion of the Heroes tournament on Portuguese territory.

Mircia says, "Knowing the Bible story helps me to be a better person every day, helps me to be closer to Jesus and to have a different mindset from the rest of society."

She expressed her appreciation for the game, stating, "The Heroes app is very good because it helps us to know more Bible stories, helps us to have more connection with God, and pushes us to read the Bible more. I think it could include more characters in the app."

About the tournament and her participation, she comments, "I loved the tournament organized at the camporee. I felt very excited about the tournament. I am a very competitive person and I loved feeling like I was in the Olympics! By winning this tournament, I felt very proud of myself and amazed because I had no idea I would answer so quickly under pressure."

Finally, Mircia leaves a message for young people, "Install this app, play, and you will learn a lot about the Bible. But remember, the most important thing is to read the Bible. Don't get discouraged, stay firm in God's ways, and He will guide you."

Rute, who came in second place, also shares a similar thought to Mircia's by saying, "This type of tournament can be very fun and entertaining, but please don't take your eyes off the most important thing, which is to study the Bible calmly, not in a hurry just to meet a goal like the Bible Year or preparation for a contest, but for the pleasure of really learning and being able to hear God's voice through His word; a relationship is made through speaking (prayer), but also through listening."

Tiago Alves, the Youth Department director of the Portuguese Union, shared the following testimony: "It was incredible and very motivating to see the enthusiasm of dozens of young people who, in an event with over 3,300 participants, dedicated themselves and committed to the challenge of Heroes. A bet won, no doubt! But most importantly, this response reveals the commitment of valuable young people to systematic Bible study. Praise be to God! Thanks to the entire Heroes team."

Find supporting materials with the Heroes theme here.