For those of you who shop online....

We have been listed on the website www.sendthemforhim.com
This is a website that provides charitable donations for missions from your online purchases. No need to register or to login. Just visit the website and choose our name from the list of missionaries/ministries to support. Then link to the website where you want to shop from the alphabetical listing. The companies on the list will donate a percentage of your purchase to our summer travel expenses. There are over 400 merchants listed including Target, Walmart, EBay, American Eagle, Sports Authority, Champs, Apple.com and even iTunes. It's a cool way to support missions while doing your normal shopping.

Thanks for your support and check out www.sendthemforhim.com today! You can even see how much has been raised for our ministry!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Date Change on the CBS Special!

DECEMBER 27 at 9:00 P.M. ON CBS 48 Hours

The documentary "The Lord's Boot Camp" will air again. Be sure to watch and tell all your friends!!! What are you doing next summer????

Teen Missions Samoa Trip Video

I hope everyone watches this video that was created by Tyler Randolph who led the Samoa team with us. It is amazing and captures all the great moments of the summer. Thanks, Tyler, it is amazing!!!!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEXT SUMMER???

The 2009 teams have been listed on the Teen Missions webpage!!! http://teams.teenmissions.org/

Check them out and register today!! We can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do through the lives of teens this summer!

I also wanted to let you know that CBS is going to re-air the 48 hours special "The Lord's Boot Camp" on December 13! Be sure to watch!!!

Have a happy Thanksgiving!!!

Zoe's New Favorite Song

Just needed to Share

I just wanted to express how much I LOVE this bread! I tried it this week and is awesome!!!! If you haven't had it yet, go out and get a loaf and buy and extra one to put in the freezer for me! (I know this may seem silly, but I just wanted to share!)

Shannon's latest project

I know some people have been curious to know what Shannon has been doing in Ohio for the last month. The following pictures are before/after shots of the church in Dayton they have been working on. These are basement rooms. Hopefully, he will get to start home today, but last night when I talked to him they had found several more leaks in the plumbing.

One cool story that came out of this trip is about a lady who lives across the street from the church. The students knocked on her door the first day they arrived and asked to use her bathroom since there was no water at the church and all of the bathrooms had been ripped out for repairs. When the students left for Indiana, she prayed that they would return. When they did, she was so excited that she bought pizza for all of them for dinner! What a witness this work has been in that very rough neighborhood in Dayton. Please pray that those seeds can take root and grow and that this church can become a "lighthouse" in that community!

Also, pray for Shannon and Mike's safety as they travel home...HOPEFULLY today!

Samoa Part 3---What I Miss the Most!

Sure the scenery was beautiful, the weather was ideal and the ocean was breathtaking, but what I miss the most is the friends we made. I miss my team members and I miss the daily sharing. I miss the YWAM staff and the way they made me smile. I miss the friendships that will last a lifetime even if we never see each other again until Heaven. Ray Boltz's song "Thank you for giving to the Lord" really hits home.

Onasai...you always made us smile and your laugh could be heard across the base!
Davita...you were so patient, kind and peaceable. You showed me how I should be the same.
Antonia....I miss your music so much!
Chubby, Mika, Malachi and Fiji Bill...you all have such special gifts that you use for the Lord. I am so glad God let our paths cross.

And for my team...You all are awesome. Watching you grow in the Lord, work hard and encourage each other and us was a special gift from God. I think of you every day and when I do, I always smile. It seems the smallest things remind me of you...we shared so much that it's hard to believe we are all living separate lives now. Stay strong, be bold and never neglect your quiet time with God. You are in my prayers.

Each summer is a life changing experience. I can't wait for the next adventure and I will never forget this one! Fa'a Samoa! May you bless the Lord in all that you do!

Samoa Part 2

When we first arrived in Samoa, we really didn't have a work project. We thought we were going to build a large structure for group gatherings, but that was not the case. So, until we could figure out our main project we did some small projects to get started. First we pulled weeds around the property--we cleared all the fences and pulled weeds around the rocks and buildings. Then, we went into the town to help the YWAM staff clean up a building they are going to rent for a coffee house and offices. It was a rainy, muddy day and it was very dirty work, but the team worked hard and did not complain. We were able to really clean up the building and get it ready for painting.

It is a policy for teams to maintain a "prayer closet" during all hours that the team is working. The team members take turns praying for 1 hour shifts for specific requests, for all other teams, for the Samoa staff, for family at home, and for safety for the team. It makes such a difference in the success of the team and the project. God answers prayers in such visible ways. Prayer is the foundation of teen missions and is essential to maintaining our walk with the Lord.

Another special time is daily devotions. We have 30 minutes of personal devotions every day. This time with the Lord is such a blessing. God's voice is so clearly heard during these quiet times. It's amazing to watch the spiritual growth that comes from daily prayer and bible reading. I sincerely hope that all of our team members are maintaining his/her devotion time now that they are back home. Prayer is the key to the victorious Christian life.

Coming soon...Samoa Part 3: The Construction Project

Samoa Part 1

Ok, so I have been putting pictures together for a DVD that we can share with all of you and looking at the pictures has helped me to relive the special moments of this summer. I hope to share our summer with you in the next few posts. This is part one! :)

First, we left Boot Camp and headed to the Orlando airport to spend the night and fly to LA the next morning. When we went to check in, they informed us that they could not check our bags all the way through to Samoa (because we had a 12+ hour layover in LA). This meant we would have to claim our bags in LA and re-check them at the Air New Zealand counter. Sounds like a minor aggravation, huh? Well...picture this 44 duffle bags weighing 50 lbs each along with 22 carry-on bags. If you have ever been to LA you have to know that it is the worst planned airport ever. We had to push those 44 bags on carts nearly 4 blocks and when we got to our terminal, we realized they had to go up the escalator (we waited on the elevator for 20 mins. and finally gave up knowing that it would take hours to get all of our carts up at that rate of speed). When we finally got them all checked in (after several cart spills on the way) we were off to eat at In-N-Out Burger. If you have never been to In-N-Out Burger, you are missing a treat! It was so good (even better than What-a-Burger!). We enjoyed our food, watched jets fly over head, and played in the trees. We then went back to the airport and waited to catch our 11:30 p.m. flight to Samoa. It was about 11 hours long. We arrived in Samoa at 6:30 a.m. We were amazed at the beauty of the island. The houses were so colorful. There were chickens and pigs roaming everywhere. It was so different, we wanted to take in all that we saw. We arrived at the YWAM Samoa base at about 8:00 a.m. and were greeted by the staff (after we woke them up and got them out of bed! LOL) My first thought was feeding the team. We were told that we would have to go to town to purchase propane for the stove, the electric was pre-paid power, they had two vans but both were broken down. I had 16 kids looking at me and asking me "What's for lunch?" I bowed my head and said, "Lord, what's for lunch? There was a microwave, but when I plugged it in, it sparked and smoked, so I knew that wasn't going to work. I dug around and found a rice steamer and knew I had some soup mix. We set up the water filter and filtered water, mixed up the soup and cooked it in three batches in the rice steamer, opened a can of fruit, and at a delicious lunch! :) It took a few days for my nerves to calm and "settle in." I don't know why I don't trust God from the first. I always waste time worrying before I turn everything over to Him. I waste so much time and energy. He is faithful and never leaves us alone. He reassured me of that so much this summer.

Changes

We are still adjusting to changes in our family this fall. Taylor moved out of the house and started school at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. She absolutely loves it there and is doing very well. We are still amazed at how God provided for her to be able to go. Asbury gave Taylor a very generous financial aid award that we are so grateful for. She told us all last year that Asbury is where God wanted her to be and God proved that to be true.

While our oldest started college, our youngest started preschool. Zoe is enjoying going to school every day like a big girl and really likes her teacher, Miss Bridget.

Canaan started college classes this year. He likes to tease Taylor that he started college before she did. He is enjoying his psychology class most of all.

Madison is now in the third grade. I can remember like it was yesterday when Taylor and Canaan were in the third grade. That seems to be the landmark year in our family. That was the year that Taylor went to school (at Highland County Christian School) after homeschooling her for kindergarten, first and second. Third grade was Canaan's first year at Paint Valley after going to Highland County Christian School.
I wonder what this year will hold for Madison??

I hope to start some posts about our summer soon. I am still reflecting and gathering my thoughts about the summer, but it will come soon..I promise.

Changes...they are bittersweet.

God Bless Samoa!

Isaiah 42:10;12
10 Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
you islands, and all who live in them.

12 Let them give glory to the LORD
and proclaim his praise in the islands.

Go ye therefore into all the world....

Commissioning Day is here! Tonight hundreds of teens will go literally around the world and share the gospel for the next 5 weeks! Teams are going to China, Cambodia, Siberia, France, Zambia, Madagascar, South Africa, Wales, Iceland, Australia, Samoa, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Malawi, Ireland, Egypt, Belgium, Greece and more. It will definitely be an amazing day! Please remember all these teams in your prayers until we all return in Mid-August. You can watch the Commissioning Service Live on the internet tonight tonight starting at 7:30 at www.teenmissions.org. Click on Webcasts.

Our addresses for the summer are:

Canaan:
Teen Missions Team 08015
Canaan Bobb
Ul. Zelyonaya Roshcha, 15
Krasnaya Niva
Shadrinsk District
Kurgan Region
RUSSIA 64180

Taylor: (Turns 18 years old on July 12)
Teen Missions Team 08016
Taylor Bobb
PO Box 93
GPO Siem Reap Angko
CAMBODIA

* Note Here is the Indonesia Address for the Cambodia team (we will be in Cambodia until July 26 which means that can write until July 12) and will be in Indonesia until Aug. 8 so mail by July 25.

The Indonesia address is:
TMI Team 08016
Taylor Bobb
Desa Namomirik
Kecamatan Kutalimbaru
Kabutpaten Deli Serdang
Medan-Sumatra Utara
INDONESIA 203454

And the rest of the Bobb's:
Teen Missions Team 08020
Bobb Family
c/o YWAM
PO Box 435
Apia, SAMOA

An International letter costs 94 cents.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CANAAN TODAY! HE IS 16 YEARS OLD!

Have a great summer!

This is a picture of Madison at her Peanut commissioning. She had a great time and made many new friends. Last night was Early Boot Camp commissioning. 6 teams left to start their projects overseas. It was a perfect night and an awesome service! Please remember those teams in your prayers--especially Kayla Graves who is going to Malawi. Also remember my friend, Amanda Evans, who has graduated from our Bible, Missionary and Work Training School in Florida and left last night to do her one year internship in Malawi. Amanda and I worked together in the finance department and she is very special to us. She has overcome great obstacles in her life and is eager to start work at one of our Matron Units in Malawi. Also remember the Houten family who left last night with their team to Belize. They will remain in Belize for a year after the team leaves to coordinate our base there. They have three children---Thad, Maddie and Gwen. May God bless them with health, safety and a boldness to share the Gospel!

BOOT CAMP!

Boot Camp time is almost here! We have finished our 38 days of prayer and the first "wave" of leaders arrived yesterday. It's hard to believe it is here already! Please remember our teams and leaders in prayer. Pray for their safety. Pray that their relationship with God will be strengthened during this time. Pray for the leaders for strength, wisdom, discernment, endurance, patience, mercy and compassion. Pray that these teens can impact their world for Jesus! It's an exciting time!

Also, pray for us as we try to re-erect Big Top 1 this week. It went down in a storm about a week ago and several poles had to be repaired.

Tours started yesterday at the Old Testament Tabernacle replica in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pray for that ministry as well.

Finally, remember the orphans at our Aids Orphans Rescue Units in Africa. Pray their their stomachs would be filled and their souls would be fed. Pray for the facilitators that they would be refreshed today. Pray that not one orphan would be forgotten.

Have a great day today! Serve the Lord with gladness and enter into his presence with Thanksgiving. The Lord he is good and worthy to be praised. Praise the name of the Lord!

Graduation ISLAND STYLE!

I just wanted to share a few photos from tonight's graduation at Merritt Island High School. It was a beautiful night and a very proud moment for us! It was also amazing that Tristan and her family were able to come down and be here for graduation! It sure is fun to spend time with them! Thanks Grubb's and Hinshaw's for coming to Merritt Island!

Graduation

What an amazing whirlwind of a weekend. We went to Ohio to celebrate graduation and visit with Shannon's parents. I think we attended 5 graduation parties, 2 church services, and played a great game of Rook with the Anderson's (the girls won by the way...CAW, CAW!!!) I realized this weekend how truly blessed we are with such an awesome support network of friends and family. It is so humbling to realize how unworthy we are of God's blessings, yet He blesses us anyway! We were definitely overwhelmed by the love and encouragement we received. I just wish I could give back in some way. Thanks to everyone who made this weekend special. Be confident that you are in our prayers! Your partnership in the gospel is such a blessing!

It was a great graduation present for Taylor to be able to spend the weekend with her friends and family! I was so proud of my niece's Breanna and Savannah and their achievements. Breanna gave the farewell address at graduation and did so well. I still can't figure out when they grew up. My favorite quote of the weekend was from one of Taylor's friends, David Lazar. He was looking through Breanna's scrapbook and the pictures of Taylor and Bre as they grew up. He said, "Boy, Taylor and Bre had some rough years, didn't they?" HAHAHAHAHA They sure did, but they have grown into beautiful young women with a real love for serving God. What more could we ask for?

When did she grow up?

It seems like just yesterday she was rollerblading around the campground, having sleepovers with Tristan and learning all those math facts. Now she is a beautful woman ready to spread her wings and soar towards all her hopes and dreams. I know it sounds sappy, but it's the truth. I can remember when she was just entering her teenage years and she would cry every time she heard "Butterfly Kisses." I can't believe she is about to graduate and prepare to leave for college. This summer is going to be the hardest ever...knowing that when we return, she could possibly be moving away to start college. Time is so short..but thank you Lord for the time! Thank you Lord for allowing us the privilege of being her parents. We are truly blessed!!!

Prayer Request

We found out this week that my(Shannon's) dad is in the hospital with kidney failure. He has scar tissue in his kidneys that has caused them to fail. Next week he will go to Mt. Carmel for a port to be placed in his arm to start kidney dialysis. He will need dialysis 3 days a week. Please pray for him and my mom. This will be difficult for them. Also pray that the Lord would become very real in their lives.

CBS SPECIAL SATURDAY!

CBS has posted a preview of Saturday's Documentary about The Lord's Boot Camp here at Teen Missions. You can click here to view it



We are all so excited to get to see this 48 Hours Special. Be sure to watch on Saturday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m. on CBS. Pray that this special will have a postive impact on the ministry here at Teen Missions and that it would honor God in all things. Don't miss it!!!!

I also wanted to post a link for the Christianity Today Article. You can view it at:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/february/28.60.html?start=1

Piercing Words

At times our sinful actions are so loud, that people can't hear what we are saying about God. OUCH!!!!

I heard this quote in chapel on Friday. It reminded me of my wonderful Grandmother and the time she limped out of church. She told the pastor he had stepped on her toes so much that she could hardly walk! :) Seriously, it made me think. What do people hear from me? Do my actions speak so loudly that they drown out my words? I pray that my walk and my talk both line up with God's Word.

CBS Special

Mark your calendars! Set your VCR's and your DVR'S!!!! Teen Missions on CBS! On April 12th at 8:00 PM EST, CBS will air a one-hour documentary on short term missions. A film crew from Loki Films came to Boot Camp in 2007 and followed two teams to their project sites in Indiana and Africa, respectively. PRAY with us that this will be a positive documentary that will honor the Lord and will encourage others to be involved in missions. Be sure to watch!!! The film crew followed the Preteen Team to Indiana County Fairs and a Teen Team to Zambia (Foot washing team).

Also....Check out the article about Teen Missions in Christianity Today magazine! Experience Boot Camp and the mission field with the team members from the Zambia Foot Washing '07 team. Read about their experiences and how their lives were changed forever by the orphans they met during their summer ministry.

Endeavor Launch

This is the view we had of the shuttle launch on Tuesday morning at 2:28 a.m. ( the view is from Teen Missions looking toward the Print Shop). It started out beautiful with the sky illuminated but just seconds later, the shuttle went behind the clouds and our view was blocked for the rest of the launch. It was a big disappointment! The noise was even muffled by the clouds. Oh well, maybe next time. I keep thinking that but there are not too many next times. The shuttle program is in its last days. Life on Merritt Island will certainly be much different then.

My Son, the Poet

Canaan has been writing poetry for his English class. I think his teacher has required them to write nearly 15 so far. This is the last one he wrote and I loved it. I love the memories that he shared....

Where Im From
By Canaan Bobb

Im from sawdust,
fresh from a long day of sawing.
Im from ashes from our furnace,
still red-hot in a bucket.

Im from fall leaves,
covering the valley.
Im from copperas mountain,
red from the setting sun.
Im from the creek at the bottom of the hill,
catching minnows and playing in the clay

Im from Orange Clean,
gritty and smelling like citrus.
From the despised Woodmizer,
Orange and muddy all around

From Dad’s great sayings,
like “That’s for doin’ nothin’ so don’t do somethin”
or the famous 3 worst things
“Lying, being lazy and lying about being lazy”

Im from my Uncle mark,
and him telling me how cars work, at his automotive shop.
Im from Nan telling me stories
of my uncles when they were my age.
Im from cousin Tyler,
and our first true obsession,
everything Batman.

Im from my Elway rookie
on my 10th birthday,
Im from my collection of all things sharp,
from Swiss Army Knives to my machetes.
From my very first gun,
my beloved .22 rifle,
shooting squirrels in the front yard.

Im from the stories of how I got my name.
It’s a long story,
but basically my parents decided to be jerks.
From the origins of my Dads nickname, Shag.
He had some nice hair in high school,
if you know what I mean
Im from the woods behind my house,
all 40 some acres of mostly oak and maple,
where I would go on hikes with my rifle,
hoping to kill anything,
maybe even a bear.

Im from many things,
all memorable,
that made me who I am today.
It’s a pretty sad story isn’t it?

Staff Video from Bootcamp '07

This is for those of you who don't have a facebook account. I wanted you all to be able to view the video of Teen Missions Staff last summer. Enjoy!

Teen Missions Staff Video

A friend of mine at Teen Missions made a video of the staff here. It's a really great video. He posted it on his facebook. Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=8707527991. It's called "Worth it All." Go and watch. He is supposed to post it on youtube so I can add it to my page here. It made me cry. You must watch it! :)

Winter Fun!

We thought we would share this photo of a Florida snowman! We built it on the beach today. It was a beautiful clear day in the 80's today. I thought I would miss snow and winter when we moved here, but now I'm not so sure I miss it at all! Have a great day and enjoy the winter...spring is on it's way! :) We love you all!

A Three Hour Tour on the SS Minnow

I love this picture of Dawn and Breanna. Dean, Dawn, Tyler and Breanna came down to visit last weekend. Although our time together was very short, we sure did enjoy them being here. We were able to take out the pontoon boat on Saturday and it turned into a beautiful day. We saw dolphins and manatees and had a great cookout. I sure hope they come back soon. It was so hard to say good-bye. I miss my sister terribly, but luckily we get to talk at least once a day!!!
I can never thank them enough for opening up their home and letting us stay with them over Christmas. We were there for 18 days! That's a long time to have our family around! LOL It was such a wonderful time together --I hope they feel the same! :)

The next picture was taken on the beach on Tuesday. We picked up Shannon from work and surprised him with a picnic supper on the beach. He has been working so hard and we wanted him to relax a little. It was a great evening!


We are starting to make our plans for the summer. We were asked to lead the teen team to Samoa. It is a little scary to think of raising the cost for the kids to be on teams this summer. It will cost $ 6000.00 to take Maddie and Zoe with us. Taylor and Canaan's cost for their teams will be about $3000.00 each also. That's $12,000.00!!! I get worried everytime I think about it, but the Lord keeps telling me to trust Him. I know He is faithful and He will supply our every need. It's my desire for our whole family to be a part of the ministry here at Teen Missions. The summer teams are the main focus of the year here in Florida. We are trusting the Lord to provide. We are planning some car washes and looking for ideas to help raise the funds. If any of you have any ideas, please share them.

Tonight we are planning a movie night with the BMW students. Nacho Libre is on the must see list! HAHAH It should be an entertaining evening! Staying up all night sure is hard when you are over 40! LOL

It is about time

It has been a while since I have posted. Vikki usually does the posting after I say I will get around to it several times. Well we have been busy the last few weeks at TMI. We have a bunch of buckeyes here from Shiloh Christian Union busy working on building a new tabernacle that will travel around the US the next few years. We have been very busy with the adult teams that have now left to serve in Malawi and Cameroon. We had a chance to spend some time with Danetta Newland and Josh Leeth before they left for Malawi. Danneta has been such a blessing to our family giving us advice and tons of laughs. It was good to see Josh again and it was funny to watch him and our computer department talk about our network all the while I had no idea what they were speaking. It was great to see my old team members from when I went to Zambia. I got to pick up Karen and Sheila at the airport it was cool to see the look on their faces when I showed up. I got to see Roger, he hadn't changed a bit. He was fired up and ready to go to Cameroon. He was excited about building a rescue unit and that the team had 14 members. I can't wait to hear the results.

As I was traveling back from the Miami airport last night after droping off the team I realized I am very blessed with great friends and a great ministry. God has put my family in a very special place and I am thankful. Everywhere I turn I see people wanting to serve the Lord and serve each other. I answer emails almost every day of young people that want to serve the Lord and become part of our Bible Missionary School. I get emails and calls from youth leaders wanting to bring kids to or base and work during spring break. It is amazing what can be accomplished when Gods people get together. I meet tons of new people each day that just want to uplift the kingdom of God and do it with a smile on their face.

The other cool thing is we get a lot of visits from our friends in Ohio. I think that is because when it is like 75 degrees here it is like 5 degrees in Ohio. I am still excited from our time in Ohio during Christmas break. We had a chance to see some friends during our visit but several friends we did not see. We had a chance to share what God is doing in our lives but we had a chance to see what God is doing in Ohio and it was awesome. We visited several churches and got to see how God is blessing them and how they are growing. We got to finally see Hayward and how God has changed him WOW. We got to spend time with Bill and see how God is taking care of him and celebrate with him. We also spent time with a dear friend that has now gone to be with the Lord. Bob was always there to encourage us while we lived in Greenfield as a neighbor friend and teacher. I still remember the look on his face when we told him we were going into missions, that was encouragement when I needed it the most. Every time I turn in my driveway I remember Bob by the stone he gave us several years back. You could never out give Bob.

Most of all I am blessed by my family and what they mean to me. I have been busy the last few weeks and today after work. I was coming outside for the prayer that we have to end the day at Teen Missions and I see Vikki coming down the sidewalk with my swimming trunks. She said change your clothes we are kidnapping you and taking you to the beach for a picnic dinner. It was a blessing and exactally what the Bobbs needed.

As we travel back in the dark tonight with Maddie and Zoe we are singing to the top of our lungs off key but very loud to David Crowder you make everything Glorious. That is when I truly realized I am Blessed and he makes everything Glorious. God Bless

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone from Ohio! We had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. We were saddened by the death of my father's brother, Glenn Hall. He fought a courageous battle, but was taken home on December 27. He was a kind, giving man and he will be missed! His funeral was on a cold, clear morning in Kenova, West Virginia. I enjoyed being back there. Many childhood memories flooded my mind as we drove the streets of Ceredo/Kenova with my dad.

New Years was quiet. We woke up today to snow and COLD weather! Schools are closed! The kids are anxious to get out and play in the snow!

Have a great day!!!!