Hello all! I had a fantastic time at Teen Missions! This past summer, I showed up in Florida for my training, and was greeted by temperatures averaging around 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and normally 100% humidity.  I quickly adjusted to my team of 14 (including me) and we functioned well together.  We learned block laying, carpentry, layout, concrete mixing, drama, puppetry, singing, and so much more about Christ!  We spent lots of time with our Savior there, ranging from devotions in the morning, to classes taught by spiritual leaders, to praise and worship in the evening rallies.  After our training was completed, we participated in a commissioning ceremony for every team going around the world.  We had teams going to Malawi, Zambia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Peru, Saint Lucia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Switzerland, and finally, Australia. 

We spent two and a half days traveling across America and the Pacific to Australia.  There, we were pleasantly greeted by cool temperatures, dryer air, and kangaroos.  The students at the Bible, Missionary, and Work Training center were very friendly, and after we had recovered from our jet lag, we got to work.  We started off our mornings at 5:30 AM, and got to work by 6:00.  After an hour of work, we did breakfast and devotions, and got right back to work.  Our primary project was the chapel that the base was building.  It would be an enclosed, comfortable, space for campers to use, and a worship place for Christian camps.  We showed up and there was the foundations, eight pillars, the front and back walls and the main beams, that was it.  There was a lot of work to be done.  We also had to demolish a sidewalk that needed to be replaced, due to building codes and regulations.  While we were there, we ministered in several churches, including two children's churches.  We also participated in street evangelism in Noosa, a local town.  When we were at the end of our one month stay in Australia, we were able to look back upon our work with satisfaction.  The chapel we started work on a month ago now had all four walls up, much of the reinforcing siding on, 32 trusses supporting a metal roof, doors and windows on the way, and bracing on.  A week after we had left, the preteen team poured the sidewalk we had prepared for them.

 Upon return to the Teen Missions base in Florida, we were slammed by the high temperatures and humidity, which was startling compared to the almost freezing temperatures we had experienced in Australia.  At debrief we took classes in how to share our ministry back at home.  We also participated in Bible verse quizzing, competitive reviews of the 40 Bible passages we had learned over the summer.  Finally, 50 days after I had stepped foot on the Teen Missions base in Florida for the first time, I flew home.    Thank you for granting me the incredible experience.