on traveling with teenagers

Traveling to a quiet, poor country with three teenagers (and a preteen) was it's own story all together. The guys were all a great addition to our little troupe though- pitching in and cooking, playing with kids, cleaning. No one complained about setting up and taking down tents every other night, or using a bush for a toilet and a bucket for a shower, or sleeping with giant spiders (well, Avery might have struggled with that one). Madi was always good for a impromptu worship session and Avery could often be found sweeping the yard with a home made straw broom. They slept on rocks, resting in the shade in the hottest part of the day, they savored their cold bottled coke when we were lucky enough to find it, they ate things they had no idea how to pronounce. Madi carried a bucket of water on her head all the way back from the well. Harrison played soccer with and UNO with scads of boys even though he was a little shy to do it. They were polite to the chiefs and elders and learned to say "Thank you" in Shona.

I'm proud of my guys. Proud of who they already are, and who they are growing in to. Proud that we got to share this with them as well.