Australian sixteen-year-old Chloe Gabriels is about to get on an airplane for the first time in her life and head on a short-term mission trip to Thailand, to serve in a local orphanage. She’s going on a trip with seventeen other teenagers from her area, male and female, so that provides lots of scope for conflict and character development.
Chloe’s story is excellent. Sure, there are times when she’s a little immature and puts off the thing she knows she’s supposed to do, but that’s realistic and relatable. All teenagers procrastinate … and so do more than a few adults.
There are things she has to learn, both about herself and about her fellow missionaries. I enjoyed watching her grow and change even during the short-timeframe of the story. I also liked that the story was focussed on Chloe and there was no romantic aspect (as I think that would have detracted from Chloe’s own story).
Parts of the story are based on author Hannah Currie’s own short-term trip to Thailand with Teen Missions. These stories add a sense of fun and realism that bring back some of my own memories of school and youth group trips. It’s a real feel-good story with a strong Christian message.
Recommended for fans of young adult Christian fiction, and especially for anyone considering a short-term mission trip.
Thanks to WhiteFire Publishing for providing a free ebook for review.
About Because of You
Sixteen-year-old Chloe Gabriels has dreamed of going on an overseas mission trip for as long as she can remember, so when the opportunity arises for her to go to Thailand with Teen Missions International she jumps at the chance. Working at an orphanage, learning new skills, experiencing a different culture, making lifelong friends—what better way could there be to spend her summer vacation?
Of course, the trip will have its challenges—living in close quarters with seventeen other teens out of their comfort zones has a way of doing that—but it will be worth it. She’ll finally be serving God in a practical way.
But while the orphans and their stories break her heart, it’s someone unexpected who has the biggest impact on Chloe’s summer and leaves her wondering if maybe there are just as many people who need her love back home as there are overseas.
