to as Special Blessings Training (SBs to staff and team members). Team members serve an SB by serving on an assigned work project during their free time. It usually involves a very physically exhausting job during a time when they should be resting. These are used as free labor. Obstacle Course (The OC) Teen Missions believes that it is important to send out well trained and unified teams. Therefore, as part of boot camp (usually lasting about 2 weeks) teams run a vigorous course of obstacles to help promote team building, sense of accomplishment, and reliance on others. Obstacles include Mount Sinai, a very large tire mountain, Jacobs Ladder, a large cargo net ladder, The Slough of Despond, a rope swing over a usually muddy pool of water and the Wall, a twelve-foot wall that each member must go over using only teamwork (there are steps on the back for coming down). Done in rain, or even extreme heat (in jeans, construction boots). This has led to several team members experiencing severe blisters, rashes, and overheating. Some have even shared that they were forced to wear their wet shoes all day if they didn't have an exta pair of $150 dollar steel toed shoes. Contact With Team Members Parents receive limited contact with their child during Boot Camp and on the field. Three evening visits are allowed by family or clergy during the U.S. Boot Camp in Florida. No phone calls are allowed, except for two calls of several minutes each "if possible" right before leaving for the field and upon return from the field. Even in cases of physical sickness or medical treatment, parents do not have to be notified, even after treatment. Regular USPS mail is allowed to be sent or received, as well as emails (team members cannot send emails, they may only receive them) during Boot Camp. During boot camp, no cell phones are allowed on premise. Adult leaders on teams (except for one head leader) are allowed to bring cell phones with them when they travel to or on the field for emergency use. There have been reports of staff reading letters before they are sent to family/given to members. New Mission Trips Teen Missions usually announces next year's locations in July once the current summer teams have arrived in Florida for training. Number of available teams varies from age group to age group. As