For those who don't know me, I am Jeff Schneider. My lovely wife Mara and I are parents to Ian and Erik who were on stage recently — along with Grace, Quinten, and Pastor Pete — witnessing their Belize mission trip experience. You saw (and perhaps felt yourself) emotions on stage; those were real, I felt them. Mara and I were lucky enough to meet up with the entire mission group, some 35 strong, at the tail end of their week in Belize. We saw changed people from those we dropped off the previous Saturday morning.
I joined the mission team for dinner on their final evening in Belize, we walked into a room full of people, joy and pizza. The first thing that struck us was a number of teens we didn't know looking at us with half smiles and wide eyes. We saw parents looking forward to meeting us. We felt overwhelmed with emotion, the room was filled with it. We realized our boys just had a transcendent experience beyond what any of us could have imagined. The teens were overflowing with joy about how awesome our kids were, and couldn't wait to meet us. The parents were so thankful they could be part of the adventure with them. Pete, Ian, Quinten, Grace and Erik certainly made an impression on this group, and vice versa. We could sense bonds that would last forever.
I could go on, but words can honestly not describe what we felt. I was drawn to emotions over and over again and almost to tears several times. It is what I can only describe as God's love filling that room.
If you are a parent with teens, send them on a mission trip with our group. Ian and Mara did a trip to Costa Rica with the ACTS Network in 2025, and it was life-changing for both of them. Ian couldn't wait to go again and was key in getting Erik to go to Belize this year. As parents, we work so hard to raise our kids right. Sometimes you need to let them go and learn on their own. The Belize Mission Society and the Costa Rica leadership team created experiences that we as parents cannot replicate.We see changed people in Ian and Erik, so much for the better. A full reset from their young lives in Lakeway. A foundation for their future.
One final thought. If you don't believe in miracles, picture a group of teenagers getting up each morning to meet on the beach at 6:00 a.m. for a student-led Bible study before their day of discipleship begins. On their own. Their idea.
Through ACTS, God is 'Sending Changed People Into A Changing World.' He is putting ACTS into Action. We are forever grateful.
- Jeff Schneider
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
I joined the mission team for dinner on their final evening in Belize, we walked into a room full of people, joy and pizza. The first thing that struck us was a number of teens we didn't know looking at us with half smiles and wide eyes. We saw parents looking forward to meeting us. We felt overwhelmed with emotion, the room was filled with it. We realized our boys just had a transcendent experience beyond what any of us could have imagined. The teens were overflowing with joy about how awesome our kids were, and couldn't wait to meet us. The parents were so thankful they could be part of the adventure with them. Pete, Ian, Quinten, Grace and Erik certainly made an impression on this group, and vice versa. We could sense bonds that would last forever.
I could go on, but words can honestly not describe what we felt. I was drawn to emotions over and over again and almost to tears several times. It is what I can only describe as God's love filling that room.
If you are a parent with teens, send them on a mission trip with our group. Ian and Mara did a trip to Costa Rica with the ACTS Network in 2025, and it was life-changing for both of them. Ian couldn't wait to go again and was key in getting Erik to go to Belize this year. As parents, we work so hard to raise our kids right. Sometimes you need to let them go and learn on their own. The Belize Mission Society and the Costa Rica leadership team created experiences that we as parents cannot replicate.We see changed people in Ian and Erik, so much for the better. A full reset from their young lives in Lakeway. A foundation for their future.
One final thought. If you don't believe in miracles, picture a group of teenagers getting up each morning to meet on the beach at 6:00 a.m. for a student-led Bible study before their day of discipleship begins. On their own. Their idea.
Through ACTS, God is 'Sending Changed People Into A Changing World.' He is putting ACTS into Action. We are forever grateful.
- Jeff Schneider
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)