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Ann-Ann has turned burger-building into an art form. Just name the ingredients, and she will custom design the biggest and best mouth-watering cheeseburger this side of the Yukon.

But like other Christian teens who staff the Trail Markets restaurant, Ann-Ann’s personal mission is to feed hungry souls as well as stomachs. The 17-year-old cook views her job as an opportunity for ministry to teens and their families in Hooper Bay.

“It’s fun, and we know that we are serving God and serving others,” Ann-Ann said. “God is using us to help change lives and hearts in our community.”

Samaritan’s Purse began working in Hooper Bay in 2006 to rebuild several homes destroyed in a fire that swept through the village. Last year we helped the local evangelical church expand its facilities and construct a youth center.

The restaurant, located inside the center, opened Christmas Eve. Now many of the community’s teenagers are committing their lives to Jesus Christ and encouraging their peers to do the same.

The Yupik Eskimo village offers very few social outlets for Ann-Ann and her friends. Trail Markers is the only restaurant in a community of 1,200 people. The nearest movie theater and shopping mall are literally hundreds of miles away. Jobs are few.

Bored and lacking purpose, Hooper Bay’s teenagers all too often fall victim to alcohol, drugs, depression, or even suicide.

Trail Markers has become a sanctuary for youth who come from broken homes and who seek the special Christian camaraderie and fellowship they find there. Open Thursday through Saturday, the restaurant averages 100 teens each night. For entertainment, there is live music, ping pong, and other games.

“We want our friends to know that alcohol isn’t the answer; Jesus is,” said one of the waitresses. “We just want to glorify Him.”