American Missionary Fellowship

Galilee Bible Camp has a new challenge course, thanks to a group of nine teens and their youth pastor, Adam, who came to help AMF missionary Nate Mullins build it. Before the group came, all Nate knew about them was that they were teenagers in a youth group.  He didn’t know how much construction experience they had, but he had a few goals for them.  He wanted them to have a good time at GBC, an all-around enjoyable experience.  He also wanted them to learn something new.  He wanted to work with Adam and supplement any lessons he would be trying to teach them. 

The purpose of the challenge course is to build teamwork – confidence, trust, communication and support – using mental and physical challenges. Nate saw these things happen even during the construction of the course. Throughout the week, the teens learned how to work together and had many opportunities to put each other first. At the end of the week, their youth pastor stated that he was impressed by their teamwork, maturity, and ability to get along without killing each other. 

Nate also learned from the experience. “When I worked construction, I was very picky and a perfectionist on how things got done. They needed to be done the right way.” he says. “When the teens came and helped, it was about them learning some life lessons, or taking away some new skill they learned.  I was surprised by how much of a perfectionist I was not, and things still got done the right way!  I really enjoyed this experience, and I hope they return to try out the finished challenge course and maybe even come for camp.”

When Nate asked why the group chose to take on such a project, which was rewarding in that they could see results but was also very hard work, Adam replied that at the beginning of the summer he gave the youth group a choice: they could go to a water park, help with a neighborhood VBS, or do a work project.  They chose the work project, with no idea what kind of work they were going to do.  Even Adam thought they would be cleaning toilets and working on cabins and the grounds at GBC – “boring” stuff.  He told Nate at one point he was having second thoughts about the work project idea because he thought the teens would not enjoy their experience.  In the end, it seems all of Nate’s original goals for the week were met, and the youth group received a bonus for their work – they were able to spend the day at a water park on the way home from GBC.