Adventure of a lifetime

On December 28, Theresa Paplinskie, Star Archer and Sky Archer will be heading deep into the Darien jungle in Panama.

All three teenagers attend the Family Christian Life Centre in the Bay and are embarking on this trip to bring ministry to the natives of Panama, while teaching English to the children as well as helping adults with their daily chores.

The first leg of their journey will start with the trio travelling by car to Miami. Upon their arrival they will meet up with the rest of their team, which consists of 36 students from across North America, and board a plane for Panama.

According to the girls they won’t find it difficult to find the rest of their group as they will all be wearing matching t-shirts.

Once they reach Panama they will learn the children’s ministry program that they’ll be leading and how to share their testimony effectively – how God came into their lives and how it has changed them. They will also get some training on what to expect when they get to the Darien jungle, meet their translator and do some team building to get to know each other.

The final leg of their voyage will be by boat to the Darien jungle. Theresa laughingly said that she imagines the boat will look similar to the one in the movie Anaconda.

The Darien jungle’s climate is one of hot, humid weather, with a prolonged rainy season up until January, with the primary language spoken being Spanish. However, there will be translators available to the students during their stay.

The girls got the idea of going on the trip as a result of their attending a youth event Acquire the Fire which took place in Mississauga this past October. There they learned of the trips offered by Teen Mania Ministries, through Global Expeditions, and took an interest in travelling to Panama.

Ron and Katie Luce began Teen Mania Ministries’ Global Expeditions in 1987 and since that time, they point out they have helped more than 50,000 students minister in more than 30 countries around the globe.

The teens say their parents were kind of sceptical at first insofar as their safety was concerned, and that they would not be able to raise enough money to go, as their deadline is pretty close.

In an interview with the Gazette on December 1, at Sherwood Public School’s Christmas craft sale, the young ladies spoke of why the trip is important to them and their reasons for taking part.

Story continues in the December 5, 2012 issue of The Valley Gazette.