Seven teenagers have been praised for giving up part of their summer to volunteer to help children in the US.

The Bermuda youngsters travelled to Michigan on a missions trip and each raised the funds for their travel costs and attended training classes ahead of the journey.

The volunteers were Sam and Elijah Toavs, Emily Howe, Aria and Mike Benevides, Brianna Correia, and Nicholas Terra, who were accompanied by adult team leaders Ernie and Linda Terra and Dinah Correia.

The youngsters, from the Evangelical Church of Bermuda, served at the Gitche Gumee Bible Camp, on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where they were responsible for teaching children’s Bible lessons, organising games and leading chapel services.

“We were asked by the director of Gitche Gumee to come and provide Bible classes for the four to 12-year-old children during one of their weeks of family camp this summer,” said the Evangelical Church’s senior pastor, Bob Fischer.

“These teens learned leadership responsibility and gained valuable wisdom as they raised their own support. They were trained by their leaders how to teach and how to control children in a variety of situations.

“They had to take responsibility for those in their care and did an excellent job. Many of the parents at the camp commented on the wonderful week their children had under the care of our team.”

The youngsters also helped at the Evangelical church’s vacation Bible school last month as a way of preparing for the trip.

Pastor Fischer said the teenagers developed strong bonds with the children in their care and were willing to help whenever necessary.

And they made sure to fly Bermuda kites high above Lake Superior as part of their trip.

“To say I was proud of the way our students shared their lives and worked in the ministry at Gitche Gumee would be an understatement,” said Pastor Fischer. “They were exceptional in every way.”