As I type, the Forefront team is leading three different seminars, each with a different age group.  The young kids are with Brian, Angela, Vicki and Erin learning about wise decision making and goal setting.  Considering I can hear the screaming and singing and laughing from here, it seems that they have done a good job making it age appropriate.  The middle kids are engaging in the arts as a medium of self expression, thanks to Marivic, Tomi, Dawn, and David.  Anything art related is always a huge hit.  It rained yesterday so about half the team spent all afternoon doing arts and crafts with about 30 kids.  Right not Tomi is having the kids take pictures that describe themselves.  Some of the kids are being very literal and just taking pictures of things they like, but others are getting extremely creative.  David was sketching a story board for a short film.  Dawn was doing blind contout drawings.  Marivic was teaching some kids to use their voice as an instrument - which really was as hillarious as it sounds for the observer.  Jessica, Naja, and Marc are with the older kids working on written and verbal communication skills.  It seems as if the kids are developing a hypothetical grant proposal for how they could best help their country with a million dollars and then they have to present to their peers.  Some of the kids are great communicators.

The trip has been really great so far.  We are all loving the kids and feel like we are a part of the family already.  It is also hard on us because basically all the kids are coming from very difficult backgrounds, and the tendency is to internalize some of their pain.  I think it is something we all have to process, and we are trying to do that as a team and alone with God.  I can sense already how hard it is going to be when it comes time to say good bye.

If you are praying for us, please just ask for God to give us strength.  It is such an amaing experience but by last night we were all starting to feel a bit drained, and that is when it is easy to start being negative.  Please just pray that the joy of the Lord would be our strength. 

That’s it for now.  I will try to upload some photos later today.

Jacob