Hello again. I'm sorry it's been so long. The team set sail for home yesterday so I've had time to breath and now to blog some. There is much to go over so I'll get right into it.

After some adjusting the team started mixing with the locals quite well. After week one we headed off to Camp Orion for some wonderful encouraging times. While run by Christians Camp Orion is not set up like a Christian camp. It is set up as an out reach camp to unchurched kids. Therefore there isn't singing, or devos but everything is designed to develop relationships between the Aussie teens and the Lipscomb team members. It's a high ropes camp so there's lots of fun activities that challenge the kids to get out of their comfort zone and do things they didn't believe they were capable of. Each team member has one camper that's their buddy for the week. After dinner there is built in one on one time for us to spend with that person to grow friendships. My buddy was a lot of fun and we had a good bit in common but it was had to spend time with him one on one because he was invited by his best friend and they spend all their time together. But over all the camp was a great success. At night we had speakers come and talk about their life stories and how they were shaped and formed. God wasn't explicitly mentioned but implied and I think they really spoke to the kids. Nothing speaks to this generation like a good story. The relationships we build there spilled into spending time together outside of camp.

After Orion we spend a day sight seeing at the beautiful Stradborough island. A few of the kids from camp came along which was a huge encouragement. Its amazing to watch how quickly friendships were formed between the Lipscombers and the Aussie kids. I'm excited to be the one staying behind to keep those connections going. The kids have such amazing hearts and a few are really searching. The real point was to form friendships so that we can show people love and that would allow people to see the way we live and ask questions. The Lipscomb team did and excellent job at that. Now that their gone Rachel and I have lots of shoes to fill.

Camp Connect came next. The director of the camp Brad Johnson said it was maybe the best year they've had. Connect is more of a disciple ship