AUSTRALIA—Thirteen teens from the Sydney congregation of the Philadelphia Church of God gathered at the Hercus residence near Sydney on July 10 before boarding a caravan bound for the Selwyn Snowfields in the Kosciusko National Park.

During the night, rain poured down and threatened to wash away the snow, so prayers were offered up for suitable skiing conditions. The next morning, the sky was gray, but the rain had cleared. The ski fields were still filled with snow, which many youths had never seen before.

After throwing a few snowballs, the group skiied down to the beginner slopes and learned a course on how to ski from Local Elder Colin Hercus and member Sandy Richardson. The day was characterized by crashes and cold fingers in wet gloves, and everyone shared their stories of success and failure.

The three days of skiing were a mixed bag of weather conditions. On July 12, Mr. Hercus confronted the teens with the news that there would be a blizzard coming through later in the day. The good news: fresh snow. The bad news: The winds were forecast to be very strong, accompanied by snow that would make skiing conditions difficult. This didn’t dampen the spirit of the teens. The blizzard was delayed until the evening, and the teens saw God’s hand in the weather as they enjoyed another day in the snow.

“The conditions were perfect for beginners,” Mr. Hercus said.

On the final day, the youths were eager to make the most of the skiing, even though the temperature was 23 degrees with a wind chill of 5 degrees.

By the end of the trip, each new skier had progressed in his or her skills by testing out the easier and medium slopes. Some even braved the harder slope. After a night of sleep, bags were packed, vehicles were stuffed, and the tired caravan headed for home.