I learned that on mission trips things aren't always as glamorous as they are made out to be. Some days I started my prayers with "God why?" I became frustrated when I would give an idea that I thought was the best I could think of and it would just get blown over and over shined by other team member's ideas. I felt like all I did was get assigned little jobs. I wanted to blame it on jet lag or being a little homesick but I knew I just needed to give up and give my work over to God. I left the art zone and found a place where I could just be alone. I just felt His peace within me after I prayed. I had to refocus on what I was blessed with. I felt that God was telling me bigger and better things await you.

When I returned to the art zone I was told the OM AIDS link want my help to paint something. I and two other members of the art zone helped the AIDs link at the beginning of the week. They were putting on a story with different scenes. We helped them paint a park scene for the story. When we were painting we got to meet two of the members. Anne had lived in both France and the US. One of her parents was French and the other American. She spoke both languages very well. The other other member Jake was from Texas. He had just graduated from college there and had a two year commitment with OM. The second time I painted for the AIDS link Anne wanted me to paint a heart beat on the outside of the station. The station they had the story that had four rooms with the different scenes inside each room. It was very relaxing to just paint by myself and hear the devotion band play in the background.

The last night of set up week the day before we had communion with all of the service team. It was a really great devotions that night, those of you who saw the video clip of devotions on our movie it was from that night. We broke off into prayer groups, five us art zone members prayed together for the upcoming days when the teens would arrive.

~Lauren

To answer Mrs. Haynes' question which was 'What would each of you say was the most encouraging to you about meeting Christian teens from other countries?'

That cultures and languages didn't hinder us from coming together to worship the same God. I was so great to meet other people that are on fire for God and want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. -Lauren

To meet people from other countries who were surrounded with a lot more challenges than I am on a day to day basis, and still prove strong in their faith is extraordinary. Some of the girls I met were the only christians in their communities and had to go to a catholic school everyday. The passion and longing in each of their hearts truly was inspiring and it rubbed off! As believers, we do have the same purpose and the same hope and going on this trip and interacting with everyone showed that truth. -Melissa