Posted: 30th July 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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Back in 1993, it seemed like I was the least likely candidate to enter an internship.  I came from a broken family & had no financial support whatsoever.   Everyone around me said that I shouldn’t go as I didn’t have the funds…that I should go to college as there were music scholarships.  That was the sensible decision.  Thankfully though, God’s plans don’t have to make sense!
My internship year was literally a year of transformation & change.  I walked into it a timid girl who loved God, but wasn’t really sure where my life was headed.  I left a young woman with a passion for God, knowing truly how to hear His voice & believing that He truly had an amazing call on my life.  During this year, I grew in my faith; I learned how to really pray & worship; I understood what it meant to “really meet with the Lord”; my character was being developed.  For the first time in my life, I experienced God literally taking my breath away like never before!
Something that so vividly sticks out in my mind to me during this year is the staff that really truly believed in me.  See, I was always that kid growing up that was judged based on my families actions.  I didn’t know what it was to have somebody believe in me or take time to really speak into my life.  And I began believing those lies that I wasn’t valuable.  I am so glad that God doesn’t label!  Women of God not only talked to me about how fearfully & wonderfully I was made, but spoke into my life about being a mother & wife.  I saw Christians who really walked the walk! 

Now, being a wife & mother – I am daily using the tools that I gained from the internship in my work, in ministry, & even socially.  But not only that, I am passing these tools down to my children – teaching them that even at their young age, they can hear the voice of God, that God can use them now – that His plans for their lives are GREAT!   

Don’t let man made reasons hold you back from having the most incredible year of your life.  Allow God to preform a miracle in you as he did in my life!  You won’t regret it & I can promise you, you will never be the same!!

Posted: 23rd July 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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“I’m not moving to Texas!” I yelled as I threw my car keys across the living room.  ”Teen Mania?  What kind of a name is that for a school?  I have a great life here in Modesto, and you’re just trying to tell me how to run my life!”  I shudder every time I think back to that “conversation” with my mom.  Moving to Texas and becoming a part of Teen Mania was the first step I took in following the wonderful plan the Lord had for my future.

The staff at TM played a huge part in my life.  They allowed their character to be transparent, which taught me that I didn’t always have to be the best at things, and even more importantly, showed me how to put other peoples’ needs before my own.

I worked in many departments while at the Honor Academy.  My first job was a Promotions Caller….”I can’t do that job!!!”  I told God.  ”You know I get nervous when I talk to people and stumble over my words!”  Guess what?  I loved it!  God knew!  I next worked as a TM Supervisor, which became a true blessing because of the lifelong friendships the Lord brought to my life during this time.  As God moved me around the campus teaching me many wonderful skills, I realized He was teaching me that He was in control, not Megan Bloom.

God wasn’t finished moving me.  After three life-changing years in Texas, my ever-faithful Lord said, “Time to move north to Minneapolis.”  I knew I was a truly changed person when I didn’t throw my car keys, but instead had total peace in my heart about moving to an Iceberg!  (I’m from California)  As expected, the Lord blessed my obedience in ways I could never explain on paper.

I met my husband, Jonathan Swenson, in Minnesota.  I have always been very athletic, and my desire has always been to bring the Lord to women and young girls as they get in shape.  I want them to understand that God cares about them being healthy, and my job as a personal trainer is a perfect fit.  I also teach kickboxing, power, and cycling, and I am the happiest I have ever been in my life.

Going to the Honor Academy wasn’t a fluke.  I learned I wasn’t living for myself anymore.  The Lord used Teen Mania to mold me into the woman I am today!

Posted: 19th July 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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I cannot begin to explain how immensely the Honor Academy has impacted my life. The HA helped me grow as a leader and learn how to handle and persevere through certain situations that I came across when I returned home. The daily application of growing and helping others grow has been a big theme in my life as I mobilize youth in my sphere of influence. It’s been about four years since I left Teen Mania and to this day, not one week goes by where I don’t go through something that I’m able to persevere through or learn from as a result of what I gained in the Honor Academy.

My time at the HA provided me with work skills in communication and as a result, I have been blessed to work for Verizon Wireless. The training I received at Teen Mania equipped me to work where I am at now as a bilingual tech. representative.

On the ministry side of things, the HA prepared me to be mobilize people by strengthening the youth and helping adults to open up. It also gave me the tools to do this effectively and bring people together to remain focused on the same mission.

One final big part of my life that I am truly thankful for is the amazing friends God has blessed me with from the Honor Academy, as well as the mentors that spoke unforgettable words of truth and wisdom into my life. I continue to be filled with joy whenever I hear news about the Honor Academy. Thank you for everything.

Posted: 16th July 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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My time at the Honor Academy will never be forgotten! It was a priceless gift that I will treasure in my heart forever. The thing that I miss the most is certainly the people!! The men and women that I met at the Honor Academy have a special and tender place in my heart. Each person has made some sort of impact on my life that I am extremely grateful for. I will always be in their corner of the ring rooting them on as champions of the faith! 

Although I experienced many valuable events and gained an immeasurable amount of wisdom, the Honor Academy was mainly a battle ground between flesh and spirit for me. During my first year as an intern, two worlds collided: the old me and the new me that was forming. I had to face my giants and the strong-holds passed down from previous generations. I came face to face with the insecurities that had built up in my heart over many years. With the revelation of God’s Word and the spiritual guidance of strong leaders, I began to truly understand who God was and who I was in light of Him. I am confident and fearless today because of the surgery God did on my heart at the Honor Academy.

During my second year as a Core Advisor, God challenged, stretched, grew and blessed me! I was given the privilege to lead and disciple 11 beautiful women, called The Bride of Christ! It was not an easy task, but God taught me along the way and as a result, I am a stronger woman and leader because of it. About half-way through my second year, the ultimate battle over my heart took place and I am so grateful to say that God fully won it over! At that moment an authentic commitment took place, like a stake being driven into the ground. My covenant with God became concrete and I passed the point of no return. Like the old hymn says, “I have decided to follow Jesus…though none go with me, still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back.

The Honor Academy was a place of major spiritual growth, where my roots went deep into the soil of God’s heart. The Honor Academy helped to lay a solid foundation in my life which the Lord has only built upon. He began a good work in me in Texas and has continued the work in Michigan! I have held onto a very special scripture that a best friend of mine at the Honor Academy gave to me, which says, “Be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). I have remained confident and God has remained faithful to His Word.

I am very excited to say that I have finally reached BAR in my life!! The Honor Academy was a war between flesh and spirit for me and the battle continued even after I left. But recently I experienced something that I can only describe as BAR (burial of the flesh and resurrection of the spirit). I have surrendered my emotions and have allowed the Holy Spirit to take over. Although I learned this at the Honor Academy a few years ago, it has now become a revelation in my heart and manifestation in my life. I have become emotionally stable, yet spiritually thriving.

The Lord gave me a burning heart for ministry at the Honor Academy, but it wasn’t until a month after I left that I received a specific call to young women’s ministry. Since the Honor Academy I have co-led a college ministry on Mackinac Island, created a young women’s ministry called Deeper at the church I grew up in, and was recently part of a church plant. In May of 2009 I moved to metro Detroit specifically to join the church planting team of Horizons Church. In September of 2009 Horizons was birthed and since the beginning of it’s inception I have taken the role of service director and video/production leader. I have worn many “hats” since the beginning of the church plant, but my true desire to create and develop the young women’s ministry is in the works. I have large dreams and aspirations for the city of Detroit! I am ready for God to shine His light and glory throughout the streets of the D. I have learned that although we may not understand what God is doing at any given moment or why he is doing it, we can be confident that He has a plan and that it’s a good one!

Posted: 12th July 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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When people ask me what I did immediately after high school, I kind of smile and think if only I could really explain what The Honor Academy is and the incredible things that happened in my life while I was there!  Throughout my year at the Honor Academy, I learned incredible leadership; not just how to lead people, but how to love and follow Jesus in a way that enables others to follow Him while they follow me. It brought me to the end of selfish leadership and taught me how much my life can affect the people within my sphere of influence.

Before going to the Honor Academy, I had a plan of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it throughout my life. I wanted to help people, but I wanted to meet their physical needs. During my time working with Teen Mania, I learned that my career and my everyday decisions made a difference and that meeting people’s physical needs was just a doorway to meeting what really matters and will last: their spiritual needs.

After my second year at the Honor Academy, I went immediately into finishing my Associate of Arts degree and afterwards progressed to Liberty University. During my first semester of moving into a new place with new people all over again, I began nursing school and took 21 hours of classes. Throughout this semester I applied the time management skills, deep rooted character, and devotion that I learned at the Honor Academy to my everyday life.

I have remained devoted to the Lord, although it is not always easy, because of His grace and the spiritual training I was taught while at Teen Mania. I came back to my home and community with a wealth of knowledge and experience that motivated me to remain faithful and take every challenge that came my way with perseverance and true joy. My life was changed by the Gospel at the Honor Academy, and that is something that I know without a doubt will always lead and guide every choice I make for the rest of my life.

Posted: 9th July 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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My two years at Teen Mania’s Honor Academy were two of the most crucial and beneficial years of my life.  While there, I was able to earn practical training in leadership, discipline, and hard work that has helped me in the years since I’ve left.  I am currently studying the Bible at Liberty University.  I also currently work as a server and help out at my home church as much as I can.  Being pushed at Teen Mania has helped me greatly to push myself to work hard in the things I am involved in.

More important than the practical lessons and experience I gained, the greatest thing I took away from Teen Mania was the teaching and training in what it was to have a relationship with God.  Before my time there, I was very confused about and stagnant in my walk with the Lord.  At the Honor Academy, I was able to learn more about the gospel and what it truly meant to be a follower of Jesus.  I was also encouraged and challenged by those around me that my personal walk with God was much more important than just outward actions or knowledge.  I can’t credit the growth I experienced there to the organization of Teen Mania alone.  It was the grace of God that brought me from where I was.  However, God used the organization of Teen Mania and the leaders there as a catalyst for that growth.

My desire is to one day end up in ministry.  I believe that God began to grow that in me during my time at Teen Mania as well.  For that, Teen Mania will always be an incredibly special place to me.

Posted: 5th July 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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The Honor Academy has truly been a tool used by God to lay a strong foundation of character in my life. From the first day I arrived in 2006, God has used the internship to tear me down and build me back up with wisdom, character, a strong work ethic, discipline, and above all else, a consistent walk with the Lord.

The relationships that I have formed at Teen Mania are unlike any I have ever experienced. There is a level of godliness, character, and integrity instilled into Honor Academy participants that is inevitably much harder to find outside these walls. In many ways, the friendships and interactions I have experienced here are similar to the community and accountability that were founded in the early church of Acts.

Surprisingly, Teen Mania Ministries is almost completely run by young people, between the ages of 18-21 years old, with very limited work or ministry experience. The core value of excellence brings out a contagious level of professionalism. I, along with most of my fellow interns, have gained a great deal of knowledge, experience, determination and vision that will compliment any work atmosphere.

Finally, the Honor Academy has helped me develop a solid walk with God. Along with most of my generation, I have grown up to be dependant on how I feel rather than on something that is consistent and based on truth. Therefore, most of us are easily swayed to the left and right. The Honor Academy, through various teachings, books, worship times, relationships, and a strong emphasis on spending “one on one” time with the Lord has helped me form a firm and unyielding foundation based on the truth of the Word of God rather than emotions or experiences.

Posted: 2nd July 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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Teen Mania has had a huge impact on my life.  While there, I saw myself grow up from a young girl to a woman.  I look back and remember how immature and naive I was my first few months at the Honor Academy, but as time moved on I truly grew into a woman who loved God and loved others deeply and maturely.

I worked in the Global Expedition Department where I called teens and encouraged them to go on mission trips.  My job was amazing.  I can tell you story after story of how God had his hand on the many kids that I called.  I learned to pray and pour my energy into helping these teens change their lives and meet God in other countries.  A few of the people I reached through Global Expeditions ended up coming to the Honor Academy and going on multiple mission trips.

My Core was an amazing group of girls and I put so much of my energy and love into my roommates.  To this day (7-8 years later) we are still friends.  The relationships I built through Teen Mania have changed my life.

I ended up staying a second year at Teen Mania as a Leadership Professional where I met my husband.  All of my closest friends are people I met at Teen Mania and people I stay in close contact on a regular basis.

(you may include this part if you want). I have heard people who have left Teen Mania frustrated or not satisfied with their experience there.  I think that if you go to Teen Mania expecting it to heal you from all past hurts and issues you will be left unsatisfied.  The Honor Academy is a leadership school that teaches you basics on leadership, pursuing God, pushing yourself physically, and learning important job skills. Typically, interns will also make long lasting friendships and that is a huge bonus.  I know of many people who were healed from past hurts but it was not the main focus of the Honor Academy and their mission to raise leaders.

I love what Teen Mania has to offer young adults and I encourage every intern to make the most of every moment they have there!  It is an opportunity of a life time.

I have since graduated with my AA in Liberal Arts and my BA in International Communications.  I have worked for non-profits ever since Teen Mania.  Teen Mania made me realize my love for other cultures and my joy of working for a good cause.

Posted: 28th June 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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TeenMania was a season of grace for me like none other. Even after leaving the internship, almost four years later I still think of my three years at the ministry on a daily basis. Many of the stories I share with my girlfriend often start off with, “This one time at TeenMania…”

Of the number of stories I recall at TM, the one that sticks with me the most was not an integral part of the internship, but something I committed to doing while there. During my third year I trained to run a full marathon in Dallas. I liken the sum of my whole experience with TM to my training and race. I recall the endless dedication it took to train, the number of days I had to dig down deep to get up and go run, and the purging of poor dietary choices. Walking with God while in Texas was like this. I had to be dedicated to Christ. I had to commit to pursue him. Often while running I would think to myself that I was ‘chasing after Christ.’ Some days were harder than others. I had to keep the vision of what I was doing before me. It was a season of grace. As I pursued the Lord, God blessed me and responded. Most importantly, what I realized is that God was the one actually pursuing me. His pursuit of me meant seeking to live a holy life. As I recalled the need to eat healthy during my training, there was a sense that I needed to feed on what was truly good for my soul. We may see movies or music or something else as that which we need to discontinue feeding on; but rather than looking at it like that, it was the need to ‘feed’ on good things. Christ is the true bread of life. He, himself, is what I truly needed.

I feel this is my story. This is the sum of three years I spent on TeenMania’s campus. It was training to run a race that required my all. I had to be radical. I couldn’t cut corners. I couldn’t afford to not run. I had to properly nourish my body. Responding to God’s call to run the race with endurance was one of the best decisions of my life. God blesses those to respond to the call, and gives grace to those dedicated to train for the race.

Posted: 26th June 2010 by george.estrada in Pending
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The time that I spent at the Honor Academy will always be a priceless season of my life to me.  As an undergraduate and then as a Core Advisor, the Lord worked mightily in my life to greatly deepen my relationship with Him to a level that I never thought possible.  Through the leadership above me and the interns around me, Teen Mania helped to develop in me many disciplines that have prepared me for success as leader in every facet of life.  From the way that I invest my time to the character choices by which I live my life, I am forever changed.

Before my time at the Honor Academy, I selfishly spent so much of my time filling my mind with things like movies and music that hindered my walk with the Lord.  During my time at the Honor Academy, the Lord sharpened my focus so that I have more of an eternal perspective on how I look at the people around me and the way that I spend my time.  My attitude now is so profoundly different than it was before.

One of the ways that Teen Mania was most instrumental in my life though was how God used it to reveal so much to me about my role in the Great Commission.  Cultivated by the classes and leadership, God has planted seeds in my life that I’m confident will continue to yield very much fruit for the Kingdom.

Praise God for an organization like Teen Mania.  I can’t say enough about how much this organization means to me, or how much I would encourage people to invest a year of their life with the Honor Academy.

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