WELL, THE OUTSIDE LOOKED GOOD!

When part of our team arrived at the end of June, the unfinished walls and empty rooms were what greeted them.

Our job was to help furnish the school with desks and supplies and catalog a new library of books donated by many generous people in Wisconsin.

THE WORK BEHIND THE WORK

While church members, hired help and some of our own volunteers where getting the facilities up-to-speed, other members of our team came to help Carolene Rampaul and her teachers organize their curriculum, organize their books and organize their minds as the fall semester, and government regulations, loomed large on the horizon.

We are encouraged to hear that these efforts created some very clear plans and passed the government's inspection.

 

BRING ON THE KIDS!

While the building was still being worked on by capable hands and the first wave of curriculum development was wrapping up, it was time for the rest of our team to get people interested in what was happening in the neighborhood.

A Vacation Bible School-style literacy faire was created to get kids into the school and excited about the new program starting in the fall.

The word went out and, every morning, the kids came in!

CHIKA CHIKA BOOM BOOM!

You know the book, right? All the alphabet runs to the top of the coconut tree...
A lot of kids started running into the literacy faire too and got interested in reading, and painting, and drama, and singing, and general goofing around as the team and kids got together to enjoy each other and to be introduced to the King's Kids.

Our week-long program was designed to promote literacy and introduce the neighborhood to the new pre-school.

WHAT'S NEXT?

After the opening songs and activities, smaller groups would break out for story times, drama prep, crafts and games.

EVERYTHING POLISHED UP?

The last event was an open house to unveil the newly-finished school, complete with library, teaching tools, new desks, chairs and supplies.

It was a big, splashy event with the kids showing off what they had learned during the week. Lots of people came, but would anyone sign up for the fall semester?

THE HOUSE OF GOD MINISTRIES.
OUR PARTNERS SINCE 1997

In the beginning of June of 2005, Hawthorne Hills Community Church, from the Chicago area, finished the main work on a new addition to the The House of God Ministries' church in west-central Trinidad, it's the white wing you can see on the right side of this picture.

This new wing would become the beginning of the King's Kids pre-school and yet another new story in the long history we've shared with the church there.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

Yes! People DID sign up! The King's Kids has just finished its first full year in operation. This picture shows the school as it was when we left it at the end of July 2005.

24 kids and three teachers called King's Kids their new school home during the 2005-2006 school year.

Plans are now in high gear to expand the facilities for the next phase...elementary grades.

If our Golf Outing is as successful as past years, MissionGuides will be able to help fund this step in a significant way.

ONE MORE LOOK

Two years ago the King's Kids was only a dream. Now it is a reality with a whole year of experience behind it.

It is still so encouraging to see what ordinary people can do when they set their hearts, minds and faith to it. What was once an empty space is now a well-equipped school ready to shape the future of Trinidad.

We are honored and excited to be a part of this work and look forward to what God will ask us to do next.