What do boys and girls really need for real happiness? Having asked such a question, the parish of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in the village of Alekanovo drew attention to what is very close. Golden leaves rustling underfoot, fresh forest air, a hiking staff made of dry wood, hardy legs and a reliable shoulder of a friend nearby. There was also the flickering firelight, the smell of smoke, bread toasted on coals, and the joy of a common good deed. All this awaited the young villagers on October 11.
18 young pathfinders of the parish detachment went on their first serious hiking trip. His goal was the St. Nicholas spring in the depths of the Alekanovsky forest. The children were accompanied by their parents, mentors, and the rector of the church, Priest Vladimir Lyubimsky.
It was not just a journey, but a test of the spirit and an object lesson of how great it is to be a part of the investigative brotherhood. Along the way, the guys collected all the garbage they encountered, and at the spring itself they cleared the area of debris from old dry branches and dead wood. The wooden cross that was placed there, but broken, was carefully removed from the tree. It will be repaired and returned to its place.
And then everyone participated in an exciting quest and a race for patrol flags, lit a bonfire and sang soulful songs. On the way back, an "evacuation" was planned for tired travelers in the Fields, but almost all the guys abandoned cars and walked all 10 kilometers of the way. At the end of the journey, tired but infinitely happy, the participants of the hike thanked the Lord for the amazing day, for their strength and for the joy that only joint work and prayer give.