Week One: Team Building

Can't believe it's almost September! The first week of my time here in Tieton (Tye-uh-tun), Washington has been fantabulous. ACTS team ten is made up of 11 young people coming from Washington state to Virginia and everywhere in-between.

For the first week of our time here, we focused on building relationships among the team members with some fun stuff like an overnight camping trip, a low ROPES course, and tubing down the Yakima River...

During our river trip, Val (director's wife), Hanna (girls' RA), and Kara jumped out of the rafts to swim at some point along the way. They were enjoying themselves in the water until we got to a rock that jutted out into the river, creating some strong current. Val and Hanna were hanging onto the boat and made it through okay, but Kara got caught in the current and pulled under the water. The current was too strong for her, but she managed to put up her head and calmly say, "Guys, I need help."

Keith (guys' RA) jumped in and pulled Kara out of the current and managed to get her to the side...somehow in the excitement, we lost a paddle and Val swam after it, but got caught in the same current that had captured Kara. Jeff (Val's husband) jumped in after Val, and Keith grabbed the boats as they floated down the current and held them until everyone could get back inside. Hanna jumped out to help Keith hold the boats and one of her toes got crushed between two rocks. All in all, it was a great bonding time for the team, and we're really thankful that Kara is still with us. :P

Highlights:

--> being reunited with Trevor and Christina, my dear friends from Romania

--> awesome scavenger hunt on a mountain = lots of great new ideas for future treasure hunts

--> being surrounded by 10 likeminded young people who are seeking the Lord with their whole hearts