Kids Small Groups

While the team deeply missed the sweet faces and relationships built at their previous preschool churches, it was God's perfect timing and connection as each team headed to different preschools.  Truly now each team has had pretty opposite but equally powerful and different experiences at their preschools.  All-in-all another one for the books as the individual teams remained fluid & flexible while fully prepared and then collaborated together in the afternoon for greatness.

Team 1 (Michael, Claudia, Bella, Chris, Kennedy, Didi, Robbie, Michelle, & Dakota) headed to a more rural preschool and were welcomed by 124 sweet preschoolers.  Man are the 3 teachers SAINTS as they have classes of 44, 45, and 35 each.  But the kiddos were well-behaved and the teachers creative in their active teaching of their classrooms.  The heartbreak was when our translators noted that while this school takes a "snack break" most of the kids don't get a snack/food packed from their parents...which explained the waterfall of tears throughout the later morning at various times.  And then little ones left school even in tears as they were thirsty wanting a mere sip of water before heading home.  It was so difficult to see, sweet to comfort, and eye-opening in our personal lives.  All this as the team taught the lesson of "The Good Samaritan" with a dramatic skit, fun game, craft activity, and more.
After the kids' dismissed at 11:00 am there was a quick interlude before the team dove into the teacher training for the 3 preschool teachers.  Michael led the charge as they unpacked the four learning styles, each of which the 4 kids on this team identified with and shared their personal experiences with.  Helpful time of information and connection with these young, newer teachers!

Team 2 (Karyce, Jodi, Conor, Allan, Dylan, Jennifer, & Sarah) headed to a more "well-off" preschool than their previous.  Despite the different "feel" the experience was still filled with lots of hair doing, hand holding, and hugging galore.  The team ministered to 3 classrooms of about 60 total kiddos who were frankly blessed with some stellar, humble teachers.  Team 2 observed, supported, and then rounded out the time teaching about "Daniel's & the Lion Den" with a dramatic skit, fun game, craft activity, and more.  As usual, they got it done and WELL with team unity, enthusiasm, and lots of love and compassion.  The leader training component was fairly short and to the point after preschool was let out because 1) the team wanted to just get a feel for the teachers' needs for support and 2) in the interest of time as they had an hour before needing to head out to the afternoon ministry all together.







The afternoon reunited us all in one big happy Rwandan family as we headed to Africa New Life's Dream Kids.  It was a special time to hear about the incredible things God is doing there and to share a combination of lessons with the 50 boys & girls there.  Between some hilarious skits, action-packed Mingle Mingle & Four Corners, then amazing craftsmanship of paper airplanes the time was quickly over but deeply enjoyed.  We then got to do a tour of the Africa New Life church main campus and snuck in a quick game of football with our team before heading back to the hotel drenched in sweat but also covered in smiles all around.  Another wonderful day in the books for the SK 2019 Rwanda team.




Prayers as we continue to "run the race." We are the crossroads now with only a few more full days of ministry and the inevitable mid-point of the trip when we never want it to end but have some yearnings of what is missed at home.  Pray for continued focus tomorrow.  Pray that you help us to show up and show up big in our presence, passion, and love.  Pray for the ongoing health that has covered the team up until this point and will prayerfully continue all the way home.  We got this because of YOU!